Air Fryer Soy Garlic Chicken Sandwich

Ingredients

• 5 oz boneless skinless chicken thighs (About 5 ounces each, trimmed)
• 0.75 cup all-purpose flour
• 2 large eggs (Beaten)
• 2.5 cups cornflakes (Crushed)
• avocado oil spray (For spraying both sides and dry spots)
• 1.5 tsp kosher salt (For seasoning chicken)
• 1 tsp garlic powder (For seasoning chicken)
• 1 tsp onion powder
• 1 tsp paprika
• 0.5 tsp black pepper (For seasoning chicken)
• 0.25 cup reduced-sodium soy sauce
• 2 tbsp honey (For soy garlic glaze)
• 2 tsp light brown sugar
• 4 garlic cloves (Minced)
• 1 tbsp rice vinegar
• 1 tsp sesame oil
• 0.5 tsp fresh ginger (Grated)
• 1 tsp cornstarch
• 1 tbsp cold water
• 0.333 cup mayonnaise (For chipotle mayo)
• 1 chipotle pepper in adobo (Finely minced)
• 2 tsp adobo sauce
• 1 tsp fresh lime juice
• 0.5 tsp garlic powder (For chipotle mayo)
• 2 cups green cabbage (Shredded)
• 1 cup cucumber (Julienned)
• 2 green onions (Sliced; additional sliced green onions for garnish are listed separately)
• 1.5 tbsp fresh lemon juice (For slaw)
• 2 tsp olive oil (For slaw)
• 0.5 tsp honey (For slaw)
• 0.75 tsp coarse black pepper (For slaw)
• 0.5 tsp kosher salt (For slaw)
• 0.25 tsp garlic powder (For slaw)
• ciabatta bread (Amount not specified; lightly toasted. Source misspells it as “Ciabiatta.”)
• 1 tbsp chipotle mayo (For assembly; spread about 1 tablespoon on both halves of each bun. Quantity listed above by component ingredients.)
• soy garlic chicken (For assembly; chicken prepared above)
• lemon pepper slaw (For assembly; slaw prepared above)
• sesame seeds (For garnish; amount not specified)
• green onions (Sliced, for garnish; amount not specified)

Steps

1. 1

   Trim any excess fat from the chicken thighs. Place them between two sheets of plastic wrap and gently pound with a meat mallet or rolling pin to an even thickness of about ½ inch, giving the pieces a uniform sandwich shape.

2. 2

   Mix the 1½ teaspoons kosher salt, 1 teaspoon garlic powder, 1 teaspoon onion powder, 1 teaspoon paprika, and ½ teaspoon black pepper. Season both sides of each chicken thigh evenly with the mixture.

3. 3

   Set out three shallow bowls. Put the flour in the first, the beaten eggs in the second, and the crushed cornflakes in the third.

4. 4

   Coat each chicken thigh in flour, shaking off the excess. Dip it into the beaten egg, then firmly press it into the crushed cornflakes until fully coated. Set the breaded pieces on a wire rack as you work through the remaining thighs.

5. 5

   Generously spray both sides of each breaded thigh with avocado oil spray.

6. 6

   Preheat the air fryer to 385°F.

7. 7

   Arrange the chicken in the air fryer in a single layer without overlapping. Air fry for 16 minutes, flipping halfway through. After flipping, spray any dry spots with additional avocado oil.

8. 8

   Check that the breading is deep golden brown and the chicken has reached an internal temperature of 165°F.

9. 9

   While the chicken cooks, combine the soy sauce, honey, brown sugar, minced garlic, rice vinegar, sesame oil, and grated ginger in a small saucepan.

10. 10

    Bring the glaze to a gentle simmer over medium heat and cook for about 3–4 minutes.

11. 11

    Whisk the cornstarch and cold water together to make a slurry. Slowly stir it into the simmering glaze.

12. 12

    Continue cooking the glaze for another 1–2 minutes, until it thickens enough to coat the back of a spoon.

13. 13

    Remove the glaze from the heat.

14. 14

    In a small bowl, combine the mayonnaise, minced chipotle pepper, adobo sauce, lime juice, and ½ teaspoon garlic powder. Mix until smooth, then refrigerate until ready to use.

15. 15

    In a large bowl, combine the shredded cabbage, julienned cucumber, sliced green onions, lemon juice, olive oil, honey, coarse black pepper, kosher salt, and garlic powder.

16. 16

    Toss the slaw until evenly coated. Let it sit for about 5 minutes, then drain off any excess liquid.

17. 17

    Lightly toast each ciabatta bread.

18. 18

    Spread about 1 tablespoon of chipotle mayo on both halves of each bun.

19. 19

    Place one crispy chicken thigh on each bottom bun. Brush both sides lightly with the soy garlic glaze; do not toss the chicken in the sauce, so the cornflake coating stays crisp.

20. 20

    Top each sandwich with a generous handful of lemon pepper slaw. Garnish with sesame seeds and sliced green onions.

21. 21

    Finish with the top bun and serve immediately while the chicken is hot and crispy.

Notes

The source body describes the glaze as Korean-inspired. Brush on only a thin layer rather than tossing the chicken, which helps keep the cornflake coating crisp. The slaw is best made shortly before serving; vegetables can be sliced a day ahead and stored separately. The source does not specify the amount or number of ciabatta rolls/buns, sesame seeds, or additional garnish scallions. Its assembly ingredient list says “Chipotle mayo,” “Soy garlic chicken,” and “Lemon pepper slaw” as component labels, rather than additional measured ingredients.

Nutrition per serving

• main
• sandwich
• air fryer
• crispy
• poultry
• game day