Costco Spicy Chicken Sandwich – Copycat Recipe

Let’s learn how to make Costco’s new Spicy Chicken Sandwich at home and even better! It starts off with a homemade cheese bun and is finished off with crispy fried chicken and a delicious spicy mayo.

Making the Fried Chicken

There is no spicy chicken sandwich without an extra crispy and flavorful piece of fried chicken! It’s the star of the sandwich so let’s make it perfect.

For this recipe, you’ll make a dry and wet batter. The same spices and measurements go in to both the dry and wet for extra flavor. The spicy flavor in the sandwich only comes from the spicy mayo but if you’d like to add cayenne powder to the batter for the chicken as well, feel free! Now a lot of fried chicken spots dip their chicken in the wet and then the dry first which I followed for this and it turned out great! BUT what I like even more is brining my chicken in pickle juice and milk for a few hours. Then pat the chicken completely dry! Coat in the spiced flour, then the buttermilk mixture and then the spiced flour again. I find when I coat in dry first, the breading holds on a lot better. If you have that issue a lot, try that method.

Tips For Frying Chicken

• Make sure the oil is hot enough before frying. If it is not hot enough, the breading will soak all the oil and be mushy instead of crispy. The temperature should be right at 350°F. Do not go higher or the outside will burn before the inside has a chance to cook. If you find that your chicken is not done in the center but the outside is already golden brown, just pop it in the oven at 350F to bake until cooked through.
• Use an oil suitable for hot temperatures like vegetable, canola, or peanut oil.
• When breading the chicken, make sure to pat it down firmly to make sure it adheres well. This will prevent it from falling off in the fryer.
• When dredging your chicken, make sure to let any excess wet mixture fall off before coating in the dry. If you don’t let the buttermilk drip off, it will fall off after you add the dry and you’re left with a breading that won’t stick on after frying.

Making the Cheese Bread

The best part about the Costco Spicy Chicken Sandwich is the cheese bun! So much better than a traditional sandwich or hamburger bun. It has a crispy cheese layer on top but it’s so fluffy and soft on the inside – the best of both worlds. Costco sells these buns in store and they’re so popular for a reason. Now you can make them at home and even better.

• The dough starts off by proofing the active dry yeast. If you only have instant yeast, it does not need to be proofed.
• The dough has cheddar cheese and parmesan mixed inside as well as on the top for double the flavor! I like the taste of medium cheddar but you can also use mild or sharp.
• If you don’t have all purpose flour, you can use bread flour! Either works great.
• You may need an additional 1 to 2 tablespoons of flour or milk. The dough should not be to sticky but it should be soft and moist. Add either as needed.
• You can also brush the bread with an egg wash but I used milk!

After baking in the oven, it will be golden brown and beautiful like below. If you are not using all the buns for sandwiches and have leftovers, wraps them well and it can be kept at room temperature for a few days. Freeze for longer storage.

You may also like:

• KFC Nashville Hot Chicken Tenders
• McDonald’s Chicken Snack Wrap
• Homemade Chick-Fil-A
• KFC Zinger Sandwich

If you have any questions about this recipe, let me know in the comments! If you make this recipe, send me a picture on Instagram! I love seeing your remakes SO much.

To see a full video tutorial step-by-step of this remake, click here and don’t forget to subscribe for more recipes.