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Fried chicken sandwich with a ranch drizzle on top. A side of coleslaw with lime wedges and cilantro.

Cornflake Fried Chicken Sandwiches (with Jalapeño Lime Coleslaw)

Crunch, tangy, spicy, delicious chicken sandwiches. The cornflakes give the crunchiest crunch. The coleslaw is spicy and creamy. What more could you want out of a fried chicken sandwich?
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Prep Time 25 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Total Time 42 minutes
Servings: 4
Course: Dinner
Cuisine: American
Ingredients Method Notes

Ingredients
  

  • 2 chicken breasts cut in half lengthwise
  • 4 buns of your choice
  • 3 cups cornflakes crushed (may need more or less depending on chicken breast size)
  • 1 jalapeno diced
  • 1 bag coleslaw mix
  • 4 slices sliced cheese of your choice I used pepperjack
Chicken Marinade
  • 1 cup buttermilk
  • ⅓ cup buffalo style hot sauce I used Frank's Red Hot
  • ¼ cup pickle juice
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 1 tsp pepper
  • ½ tsp cayenne pepper
Flour Dredge
  • 1 ½ cups all purpose flour
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 1 tsp onion powder
  • 1 tsp garlic powder
  • ½ tsp paprika
  • ½ tsp cayenne
  • ½ tsp pepper
Egg Dredge
  • 2 eggs beaten
  • ½ cup buttermilk
Sweet Heat Sauce
  • ¼ cup lime juice
  • ¼ cup honey
  • ¼ cup cilantro chopped
  • 6 tbsp avocado oil
  • 4 cloves garlic minced
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 1 tsp pepper
  • 1 ½ tsp chili powder
  • ½ tsp red pepper flakes
Cole Slaw Dressing
  • 1 tbsp honey
  • 2 tbsp apple cider vinegar
  • ¼ cup mayonnaise
  • ¼ cup sour cream
  • 1 tbsp lime juice
  • ½ tsp salt
  • ½ tsp garlic powder
  • dash cayenne
Doctored Up Homemade Ranch
  • 1 oz Ranch Seasoning packet
  • 1 cup buttermilk
  • 1 cup mayonnaise
  • 1 tbsp fresh dill
  • dash cayenne optional

Method
 

  1. Let's start by prepping everything! Once we start frying, we need to focus on that so I like to have everything ready to go.
  2. Slice the chicken breasts in half lengthwise, trying to make it as even as possible. Hammer the chicken breasts a bit to thin them. I used a rolling pin for this! Place the chicken breasts in a ziplock bag, and marinate for 3-4 hours in the fridge using the "Chicken Marinade" ingredients. Just dump everything in and swish it around!
  3. Next, start prepping the coleslaw. In a bowl, add the coleslaw mix and jalapeño, toss together. In a separate bowl, whisk together the apple cider vinegar, honey, lime juice, mayo, sour cream, salt, and seasonings. Pour the dressing over the coleslaw and mix well. Set aside in the fridge for now.
  4. Now prep the sweet heat sauce. If you like really saucy sandwiches, you may want to double this sauce! Add avocado oil, cilantro, lime juice, honey, pepper, chipotle powder, salt, and garlic to a medium skillet. Cook over medium heat for around 5 minutes until sauce thickens. Set aside for now.
  5. For the ranch, just mix the ranch packet, buttermilk, mayo, and dill together until smooth! Set in the fridge to thicken while we fry the chicken.
  6. Time to fry up! In a large cast iron pot, heat vegetable oil over low-medium heat. Once the oil reaches 350°F the oil is hot and ready. Dredge one at a time. First make sure the marinade has dripped off the chicken a bit before heading into the flour. Place chicken into the flour, and coat on each side. Next, dip the chicken in the egg/buttermilk mixture. Lastly, drip into the cornflakes. Make sure it is fully coated in cornflakes! I did have to keep crushing more cornflakes because my chicken breasts were pretty big, be mindful of this.
  7. Carefully drop into the oil, and cook for around 3 minutes on each side, until internal temperature is 165°F and the crust is golden brown. Set cooked chicken aside on a paper towel lined plate. Work in batches and make sure not to overcrowd the pot.
  8. Time to assemble! I toasted my buns in a skillet with some butter, but it is up to you! Start by adding the chicken, then layer with a generous amount of sweet heat sauce. Add slice of cheese if you want. Drizzle with ranch, add coleslaw, and your top bun. Enjoy!

Notes

**Feel free to change up the sauce! Honey mustard, BBQ sauce, or buffalo sauce would be great!