Crispy Chicken Sandwich with a Pickled Slaw

This Crispy Chicken Sandwich with a Pickled Slaw on a toasted brioche bun is a restaurant quality sandwich made in under 30 minutes.

There’s just something about a crispy chicken cutlet sandwich that feels instantly comforting, and this one takes it up a notch with everything but the bagel seasoning in the breading. The coating turns golden and crunchy, with all those little garlicky, oniony, seedy bits that make every bite extra flavorful. Piled high on a soft bun, it’s hearty enough to feel indulgent but still brightened up by a tangy, crunchy slaw of cabbage and banana peppers that cuts through the richness. It’s the kind of sandwich that hits every craving at once—salty, crunchy, tangy, and satisfying.

I first made a version of this after a particularly rough Sunday morning, when all I wanted was something fried, comforting, and a little bit briny to set me right. The banana pepper cabbage slaw came together from whatever I had in the fridge, and it turned out to be the perfect pairing with the crispy cutlet. Now, I make it intentionally as my go-to indulgent weekend lunch, whether I’m hosting friends or just treating myself. It is a restaurant quality sandwich made in under 30 minutes.

If you like this sandwich, you’ll love my Italian Chicken Cutlet Sandwich, and my Chopped Caesar Crispy Chicken Sandwich.

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

• It’s stacked, and satisfying. This sandwich is made for comfort, with lots of layers of crispy chicken. But it’s also light, crispy and fresh with the crunchy slaw.
• Easy to customize. This sandwich uses banana peppers and cabbage for a crunchy slaw, but you could easily make a slaw with romaine or other crunchy veggies. You can also stack other tasty ingredients on the sandwich like tomatoes, pickles or potato chips.
• Restaurant quality at home in under 30 minutes. This sandwich is stacked just like you would order of a menu at a restaurant. But this sandwich is actually so easy to make, and comes together in 30 minutes.
• Great for meal prep. Cabbage is a great ingredient for slaw because it holds up well in the fridge. This makes it great for meal prep. Cutlets are also easy to reheat which makes this whole sandwich great for prepping ahead, or just indulging on a weekend.

Ab’s Tip: Chicken cutlets are great for meal prep! To keep them from getting soggy, let them cool completely before storing, and reheat in the oven or air fryer instead of the microwave so they stay crisp. You can enjoy them on sandwiches, sliced over salads, or even chopped into grain bowls throughout the week.

Ingredients

• Chicken cutlets: We like to pound the chicken thin for a cutlet so it cooks quickly and evenly, giving you a tender inside with a perfectly crisp, golden crust.
• Brioche bread: Brioche is the soft, yet crispy bread that is perfect for sandwiches like this one!
• Everything bagel seasoning: Adding everything bagel seasoning to the breadcrumbs is a great way to boost flavor.
• Sour cream: We opted for sour cream instead of mayo on this slaw but either works great.
• Banana peppers: We love adding a pickled component to a slaw because it adds such a delicious flavor to the sandwich.
• Purple cabbage: Purple cabbage is a great ingredient for slaw because it holds up well in the fridge. This makes it great for meal prep.
• Shredded romaine: We added romaine to the purple cabbage for the slaw on this sandwich. It provides another added crunch with we love.
• Shredded Mozzarella: Melting little mozzarella on a cutlet adds a great cheesy component to the sandwich which holds up great with the slaw.
• Fry oil: We like to use an oil like canola as it has minimal flavor so keeps the flavors of whatever you are cooking clean and delicious.

How to make a Crispy Chicken Sandwich with a Pickled Slaw

1. Add your fry ingredients to 3 bowls: flour, eggs and panko. Add everything but the bagel seasoning to the panko breadcrumbs and stir until combined. Starting with the flour, then eggs, then panko, coat chicken slices. Transfer to a plate and repeat with remaining slices of chicken.

2. Add fry oil to a large skillet. When oil reaches 350 degrees, add chicken. Cook for about 3-4 min per side or until chicken is a deep golden brown. Transfer to a cooling rack.

3. Turn oven to broil and top chicken with sliced of mozzarella. Broil for about 3 min or until cheese is browned and bubbly. Add bread for the last minute or so.

4. Make the slaw by combining ingredients in a bowl.

5. Season to taste.

6. Toast bread and add chicken along with a heaping spoonful of slaw.

7. Close sandwich and enjoy!

Expert tips

• Use thin chicken cutlets. If your cutlet is thick, you might want to pound it. To do this, place the chicken breast between two sheets of plastic wrap or parchment paper (or in a zip-top bag) to keep things tidy. Use a meat mallet, rolling pin, or even the bottom of a heavy skillet to gently pound the chicken to an even thickness of about ¼ inch. Working from the center outward helps prevent tearing, and keeping the thickness uniform ensures the cutlets cook evenly and stay tender.
• Let cutlets cool before transferring to the fridge. To keep chicken cutlets from getting soggy, let them cool completely before storing, and reheat in the oven or air fryer instead of the microwave so they stay crisp. You can enjoy them on sandwiches, sliced over salads, or even chopped into grain bowls throughout the week.
• Heat oil to 350 degrees. If you don’t wait for your oil to get to temperature, the cutlets won’t brown. On the other side, don’t let the oil get too hot as it will burn.
• Use a high smoke point oil. Use an oil like canola, vegetable or avocado oil for frying.

Storage

Cabbage slaw is great for meal prep. Store in the fridge for up to 3-4 days. If you are planning to meal prep this, we would suggest omitting the romaine from the slaw fore maximal freshness.

Cutlets are also easy to cook and make ahead. They last in the fridge for 3-4 days. We suggest reheating in the oven or air fryer instead of the microwave so they stay crisp.

FAQs

More delicious cutlet recipes

• Buffalo Chicken Breakfast Burrito
  Dijon Mayo Brined Crispy Chicken Sandwich
  Crispy Pork Schnitzel with Cucumber and Tomato Salad
  Korean BBQ Fried Chicken Sandwich 
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