The heat in these sandwiches comes from a paste painted on after frying. A quarter cup of hot frying oil is carefully whisked into cayenne, brown sugar, smoked paprika and garlic powder, and the glossy red result is brushed over the crisp chicken.
The cutlets are soaked in buttermilk with hot sauce, dredged in seasoned flour and fried until craggy. Each brioche bun gets a cutlet, a quick mayonnaise and pickle-brine slaw, dill pickle chips and fresh jalapeño.
Handling the Hot Oil Paste Safely
The spicy coating is made with oil straight from the fryer.
- Chicken friedThe chicken is fried to 165°F and draining on a rack.
- Spices in a dry bowlThe spices are measured into a dry, heatproof bowl set away from the sink.
Check before you continue
Oil near 350°F — Deep-fry thermometer
Ladle 1/4 cup of that hot oil slowly into the spices and whisk, keeping face and hands back from any splatter.
- Brush on the pasteBrush the red paste over the hot chicken.
- Leave the pot to coolLet the frying pot cool completely before moving it.
How to Make It
Cutlets in buttermilk and hot sauce
Combine the buttermilk and hot sauce and coat the chicken cutlets. Let stand 15 minutes while the oil heats to 350°F.
Dredged in seasoned flour
Mix the flour, salt, paprika and black pepper, and dredge the chicken thoroughly.
Fried to 165°F
Fry at 350°F in batches until craggy, deep golden and 165°F in the center, about 5 to 7 minutes. Drain on a rack.
Hot oil paste brushed on
Very carefully whisk 1/4 cup hot frying oil into the cayenne, brown sugar, smoked paprika and garlic powder in a heatproof bowl, keeping face and hands clear. Brush the red paste over the chicken.
Slaw tossed, sandwiches built
Toss the cabbage with the mayonnaise and pickle brine. Build each brioche bun with a hot chicken cutlet, slaw, pickle chips and jalapeño slices.
Ingredient Notes
- Hot frying oil for the paste
- A quarter cup ladled carefully from the pot after frying; it must go into a dry, heatproof bowl.
- Cayenne pepper
- Two tablespoons makes a genuinely hot paste.
- Dill pickle chips and jalapeño
- Three chips per sandwich and thin slices of one fresh jalapeño across all four.
Success Tips
- Make sure the heatproof bowl and whisk are completely dry before the hot oil goes in; water makes it spit violently.
- Brush the cayenne paste on while the fried cutlets are still hot so it soaks into the crags of the crust.
- Shake off loose flour after dredging the cutlets so it does not burn and darken the frying oil.
Why This Recipe Works
- Hot oil blooms the cayenne and paprika, deepening their colour and flavour into a brushable paste.
- A little brown sugar in the paste softens the sharp cayenne burn.
- Pickle brine in the slaw brings acidity that balances the rich, spicy chicken.
Serving Ideas
Serve on a board with extra pickle chips and napkins, because the red paste drips.
Storage and Reheating
Refrigerate
Keep leftover cutlets and slaw separately in the refrigerator and reheat the chicken in the oven until hot.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is mixing hot oil into the spices dangerous?
It can be. Use a heatproof bowl kept away from any moisture, ladle slowly and keep face and hands away from splatter.
How spicy is it?
Very. Two tablespoons of cayenne go into the paste, with hot sauce in the buttermilk and fresh jalapeño on top.
