Easy Buffalo Chicken Sandwiches

Easy Buffalo Chicken SandwichesOf course you love Buffalo Chicken Wings! I mean, you’re from America, right? And we love all things American, and Buffalo is in America, and chicken tastes great, pretty much no matter what you do with it. (Well, except for that time when I… never mind. TMI.)

The great thing about this recipe is that it takes that great spicy taste and converts it into something easier to make for a crowd. I mean, when I get a bunch of friends over, and there’s food involved, the thought of doing up a hundred or so wings just makes me want to order out. And I love to cook!! So when I came across this idea, I immediately fell in love.

This version is the Easy Way. Pretty much all you do is add some wing sauce and leave it at that. Folks, that’s not all that hard, OK? I mean, I know people that can barely boil water without hurting themselves, and they can do it. Therefore, so can you! Here’s how…

Easy Buffalo Chicken SandwichesIngredients:

2 lbs. chicken breasts
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 teaspoon sweet paprika
1 teaspoon chili powder
1 medium yellow or white onion
4 cloves garlic
1 red or yellow bell pepper (optional)
1/2 to 3/4 cup wing sauce (Franks, e.g.)
1/4 cup mustard
1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
8 burger buns or other good rolls

Toppings/additions:

Blue cheese crumbles OR
Blue cheese aioli
English (seedless) cucumber
lettuce – bib, romaine or other nice looking lettuce OR
Celery leaves
Cole slaw
Monterey Jack or other mild cheese

Easy Buffalo Chicken SandwichesInstructions:

Heat large saute or frying pan over medium heat.

Combine paprika and chili powder in small bowl. Stir really, REALLY well! Sprinkle spices over both sides of chicken.

Coat chicken with olive oil by drizzling it slowly all over one side, then the other.

Saute chicken to sear on both sides. You don’t want to cook them completely – just brown the outside – much like browning meat when you’re doing a stew. Figure about two to three minutes per side.

While the chicken is cooking, finely dice your onion and (if you’re using it) bell pepper. Peel the garlic cloves, then smash them on a cutting board using your largest knife. To finely mince the garlic, first cut thin slices lengthwise, then cut crosswise into the smallest size you can.

Keep an eye on your chicken while you’re doing this, so you turn it at the proper time.

When chicken is browned on both sides, remove the breasts from pan with tongs or slotted spoon, so you’re leaving any excess oil in the pan. Place chicken in slow cooker.

If necessary, add a bit more oil to the pan, then add onion, garlic and (if you’re using it) bell pepper to the pan. Saute for 2-4 minutes, or until onions are transparent.

Turn off heat and add wing sauce, mustard and vinegar to pan. Stir to combine.

Pour sauce mixture over chicken.

Set slow cooker on low if you’ve got 8 hours or more before serving, or on high if you want it done in four hours.

When chicken is nice and tender, and ready to fall apart, use a slotted spoon to remove breasts to a large bowl.

Using two forks, shred the chicken, then return to slow cooker. Stir it all up so it’s all nicely coated with sauce and everything’s happy. Let that simmer for 30 minutes or so if you can. At least let it sit there while you’re getting everything ready to serve.

Serve on buns or rolls with your choice of toppings.

Easy Buffalo Chicken SandwichesNotes:

Blue cheese aioli is a great condiment for these sandwiches, as it continues the Buffalo chicken theme. If you prefer, however, you can use blue cheese crumbles. I prefer the aioli myself.

English (seedless) cucumbers offer a great compliment/contrast to the chicken, along with a bit of crunch. To prepare the cucumbers, cut off the ends, then use a vegetable peeler to peel off long slices. Throw the first slice away because it will be mostly skin. Use several slices per sandwich, and you can even give them a fancy curl or two for a better presentation.

I have to admit, I don’t care much for regular leaf lettuce. I prefer bib, Boston and/or romaine. It tastes better and looks better, too. Also, while preparing this post, I came across the idea of using celery leaves. Not only is it unusual – and therefore a potential AH Moment for your guests, again, it continues the Buffalo chicken theme. Try it out if you happen to have some fresh celery on hand.

Other toppings I’ve seen on occasion are cole slaw, and Monterey Jack or other mild cheese.

Finally, if you want to really push the theme, serve your sandwiches with some carrot and celery sticks, with more aioli for dipping.

Have fun with this one, then leave me a comment to let me know how it went, or if you adapted the recipe. And don’t forget:

Play with your food!

Lane


Did you like this recipe? What recipes would you like to learn? Leave me a comment and tell me your thoughts! (And don’t forget to LIKE this post!) Share it using the tiles below.

Follow me on Twitter | LIKE Manly Kitchen on Facebook

Lane

About Lane

Lane Baldwin is a an internationally-acclaimed singer, songwriter, author and food lover. He wasn't trained in France, and he doesn't have his own TV show. He just loves to cook, and loves sharing what he's learned over the years. In his "real life," Lane has toured the world, bringing his special brand of Blues-infused Americana to millions of fans. At home he leads a quiet life filled with good books, good food and good friends.