Crispy Fried Buffalo Chicken Grilled Cheese Sandwich

Crispoy fried buffalo chicken in a grilled cheese sandwich with bacon and plenty of melted cheddar cheese!

National Grilled Cheese Month is coming along nicely and it’s time for a new one, the tasty crispy fried buffalo chicken grilled cheese sandwich! One of my favourite grilled cheeses is the buffalo chicken grilled cheese sandwich and I normally use already cooked chicken in the form of shredded or thinly sliced/diced to keep things nice and easy, but, crispy fried chicken is the best way to enjoy buffalo chicken! Frying chicken takes a bit of extra work and it’s on the decadent side so I don’t do it all that often but it’s so much better with that crispy coating and a really nice treat! I marinate the chicken in a seasoned buttermilk overnight and then coat in a seasoned flour mixture before frying in oil until perfectly crispy, golden brown and good! Next up is slathering that chicken in buffalo style hot sauce and throwing it into a sandwich with cheese to grill until toasty and melted. It’s not really required, but since this is a treat, I like to throw bacon into the mix! If you’re a fan of buffalo chicken and grilled cheese sandwiches then this crispy fried buffalo chicken melt is the sandwich for you!

Just look at that ooey-gooey, melted cheese! Yum!

Crispy golden brown fried chicken!

Crispy Fried Buffalo Chicken Grilled Cheese Sandwich

Prep Time:20 minutes Marinate Time:1 hour Cook Time:40 minutes Total Time:2 hours Servings: 4

Crispoy fried buffalo chicken in a grilled cheese sandwich with bacon and plenty of melted cheddar cheese!

ingredients

For the crispy fried chicken:

1 pound chicken breasts or thighs, boneless, skinless, trimmed, about 1/2 inch thick
3/4 cup buttermilk
1 large egg
1 tablespoon cajun seasoning
1 cup flour
1 tablespoon cajun seasoning
2 tablespoons cornstarch
1 teaspoon baking powder
4 cups vegetable oil or peanut oil

For the grilled cheese sandwiches:

8 sices bacon
1/2 cup hot sauce (such as Frank’s Red Hot)
8 slices bread
2 cups cheddar cheese, shredded
4 tablespoons butter

directions

For the crispy fried chicken:

Marinate the chicken in the mixture of the buttermilk, egg and cajun seasoning for 1 hour to overnight.
Grab a piece of chicken, genlty shake excess marinade off, dredge in the mixture of the flour, cajun seasoning, cornstarch, and baking powder and place on a wire rack while you repeat for the remaining chicken.
Heat the oil to 350F/180C in a large pot and add a piece of chicken and cook until golden brown, about 4-5 minutes per side, before setting aside on a rire rack to cool. (Option: You can place the chicken in a preheated 300F/150C oven to keep it warm until all chicken is cooked.)

For the grilled cheese sandwiches:

Cook the bacon until crispy and sert aside on paper towels to drain.
Brush the chicken with the hot sauce.
Butter one side of each slice of bread, sprinkle half of the cheese onto the unbuttered sides of half of bread followed by the chicken, bacon, the remaining cheese and finally top with the remaining slice of bread with the buttered side up.
Grill over medium heat until golden brown and the cheese has melted, about 2-3 minutes per side.

Option: Use your favourite spice blend or combo. I like cajun seasoning or taco seasoning or keep it simple with something like 1 tablespoon paprika, 1/2 teaspoon each of garlic powder, onion powder, oregano, salt, pepper and 1/4 teaspoon cayenne.
Option: After dredging the chicken in the flour mixture, dip it in the buttermilk mixture and dredge a second time for even more crispy coating!

Nutrition Facts: Calories 632, Fat 40g (Saturated 22g, Trans 0), Cholesterol 192mg, Sodium 1278mg, Carbs 10g (Fiber 0.5g, Sugars 1.6g), Protein 52.7g

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