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Fried Chicken Po’ Boys with Spicy Remoulade Sauce are a true New Orleans favorite, and the perfect way to celebrate Mardi Gras!
A Crispy, Flavorful Taste of New Orleans
These Fried Chicken Po’ Boys are a real New Orleans treat! Tender chicken breasts are pan-fried in Cajun spices, placed on a French roll that is layered with spicy remoulade sauce, and topped with a delicious sweet slaw. Perfect for picnics, family barbecues, or just a casual evening supper, these Po’ Boys make a complete meal!
This recipe is so easy to make, with these delicious sandwiches coming together quickly with just a few steps! Po’ boys are famous in New Orleans, and a favorite to serve around Mardi Gras time with these beignets. It is a fun way to celebrate and share a delicious meal with your family and friends. If you are not a fan of chicken or want another option, try our shrimp po’ boy recipe!
What is a Po’ Boy Sandwich?
Originating in Louisiana, the name of this sandwich is short for “poor boy,” because it was considered to be a cheap way to eat a meal. It consists of a french roll or baguette filled with meat or seafood, and frequently topped with lettuce, tomatoes, or my favorite – coleslaw! See the recipe card below for a simple slaw to add to your po’ boy.
Ingredients in Fried Chicken Po Boys
This is a simple meal that can be layered together (to form a sandwich) or eaten separately. Here are the basic ingredients you’ll need to whip up your own po’ boy sandwiches:
- Chicken – Skinless chicken breast works best for this recipe.
- Milk – This helps tenderize the chicken. You can use buttermilk for an extra golden brown finish on the fried chicken.
- Egg – Coats the chicken before frying, to help bind the flour and seasonings to the chicken.
- Wondra flour – You can find Wondra flour next to the regular flour on the baking aisle. It comes in a blue canister. It is a finer flour and works great for frying. Use a shallow dish to coat the chicken in flour after first dipping it in the milk/egg mixture. This helps the chicken crisp up while frying.
- Cajun seasoning – Adds a little heat and zesty flavor to the fried chicken!
- Canola Oil – You will need a decent amount to properly fry the chicken.
- Bread – I love using a thicker type of bread that will hold the sauce, chicken, and coleslaw without become soggy.
How to Make the Best Fried Chicken
This fried chicken is full of flavor! The chicken is tender on the inside with a crispy, savory outer layer. Layer your sandwich with remoulade sauce, a fried chicken piece, and top with a light and tasty coleslaw. Sink your teeth in this delicious sandwich and enjoy!
- Dredge chicken – Filet the two chicken breasts so you have four thin pieces of chicken. In one small bowl mix together the milk and egg. In another small bowl mix together the Wondra flour and Cajun seasoning.
- Fry the chicken – Heat a thin layer of vegetable oil in a large fry pan over medium heat. Dip each piece of chicken in the milk mix, then coat thoroughly in the flour mix. Fry for six to seven minutes or until lightly browned on each side.
- Layer sandwich – Spread remoulade sauce inside the cut roll/baguette, then add chicken and top with coleslaw.
Po Boy Sauce
Po’ boys are traditionally served with remoulade sauce, a Louisiana-style French sauce that’s packed with flavor and spice. This sauce is easy to make, even though it looks and sounds a bit complicated. You can find all the ingredients in your grocery store. The combination of sriracha sauce, Cajun seasonings, horseradish, garlic, mayo, and other ingredients creates a delicious and savory sauce that pairs perfectly with the fried chicken.
Extra Seasoning
Add any of the following ingredients to the sauce (or seasoned flour mixture):
- Garlic powder
- Onion powder
- Black pepper
- Kosher salt
- Dijon mustard
- Lemon juice
- Cayenne pepper
Homemade Coleslaw
This coleslaw is a traditional recipe that is simple to make, yet delicious and perfect as a topper for the po’ boy sandwiches. Grab a large bowl and mix the following ingredients:
- Cabbage – Use shredded cabbage in a bag or shred a cabbage head.
- Carrots – Fresh is best! Either shred your carrots or buy already pre-shredded carrots to add in.
- Mayo – A creamy base with a sweet and tangy flavor.
- Sugar – Balances out all the ingredients and adds sweetness to the slaw.
- Cider vinegar – Tangy and tart liquid that gives a light and tasty flavor.
Tips for the Best Po’ Boy Sandwich
Here are a few tips to get the best results with your fried chicken and po’ boy sandwiches:
- Flour – If you don’t have Wonda flour, regular all-purpose flour will work too.
- Oil – Use either vegetable, canola, or peanut oil to fry the chicken.
- Cooling- Once the chicken is fried, set it on a baking sheet with a wire rack to let it cool, while the drippings from the oil fall into the baking sheet through the wire rack squares.
- Soaking – Make sure to pat dry with paper towels to soak up excess grease.
- Dutch oven – I like to use my dutch oven for frying the chicken. I make smaller batches and only cook two to three chicken pieces at a time. It can hold the oil and not splash out as easily as a shallow pan.
- Bread – Swap out the bread for biscuits, to give a different Southern flair to the dish!
“It was such a hit! I made this for snacks and it was gone right away. Will definitely be recommending this recipe.”
-Natasha
Frequently Asked Questions
When striking street car workers came by to purchase the sandwich, they would call out “here comes another poor boy.” That is how this New Orleans classic became known as a “poor boy” (abridged as “po’ boy”).
Lettuce, tomatoes, and pickles fill a traditional po’ boy sandwich, which is layered with either roast beef, fried shrimp, or oysters, all in between French bread and lots of mayo!
There are many different varieties of po’ boy sandwiches, some of which are served hot and others cold.
READ MORE: 35+ Best Chicken Breast Recipes
Storing Fried Chicken Po’Boy Sandwich
You can store the chicken, coleslaw, and sauce separately in individual containers. When ready to reheat, place the chicken in the microwave, stove, or air fryer to reheat. Assemble the sandwich and enjoy another delicious meal!
More Southern Favorite Recipes
We are big fans of the delicious flavors of New Orleans, and have made a bunch of fantastic copycat recipes from our visits there. Try a few of these insanely good recipes and give your family a true Mardi Gras meal!
New Orleans Beignets
Creamy Cajun Shrimp Pasta
Disneyland Mint Julep
Pecan Pralines
Easy Jambalaya
Chicken and Sausage Gumbo
How to Make Fried Chicken Po’ Boys
Fried Chicken Po’ Boys
Ingredients
- 1 French baguette or roll (long loaf)
For the Chicken:
- 2 chicken breasts fileted into 2 thin halves each
- 1 cup milk
- 1 egg
- 1 1/2 cup wondra flour
- 1 Tablespoon Cajun seasoning
- vegetable oil for frying
For the Coleslaw:
- 1 cup shredded cabbage
- 1/2 cup shredded carrots
- 1/2 cup mayonnaise
- 2 Tablespoons sugar
- 1/2 Tablespoon cider vinegar
For the Remoulade Dressing
- 1/2 cup mayonnaise
- 1 Tablespoon ketchup
- 1/2 teaspoon sriracha hot sauce
- 1/2 teaspoon pickle juice
- 1/2 teaspoon horseradish
- 1/2 teaspoon minced garlic
- 1/2 teaspoon Cajun seasoning
- paprika to taste
Instructions
- Slice the French baguette loaf, sliced into 4 sections, then sliced open on one side to fill.
- Mix together the sauce ingredients for the coleslaw then toss with the cabbage and carrots. Refrigerate until ready to use.
- Mix together the ingredients for the Remoulade sauce. Refrigerate until ready to use.
- Filet the two chicken breasts so that you have four thin pieces of chicken. In one small bowl mix together the milk and egg. In another small bowl mix together the Wondra flour and Cajun seasoning.
- Heat a thin layer of vegetable oil in a large fry pan over medium heat. Dip each piece of chicken in the milk mix, then coat thoroughly in the flour mix.
- Fry for three to five minutes or until lightly browned on each side. Remove from hot oil and set on paper towels.
- Spread Remoulade sauce inside the bottom half of the the cut roll/baguette.
- Add chicken and top with coleslaw. Serve immediately.
Notes
- Flour – If you don’t have Wonda flour, regular all-purpose flour will work too.
- Oil – Use either vegetable, canola, or peanut oil to fry the chicken.
- Cooling- Once the chicken is fried, set it on a baking sheet with a wire rack to let it cool all around the chicken while the drippings from the oil fall onto the baking sheet through the wire rack squares.
- Soaking – Make sure to pat dry with paper towels to soak up excess grease or place it on a baking sheet.
- Dutch oven – I like to use my dutch oven for frying the chicken. I make smaller batches and only cook two to three chicken pieces at a time. It can hold the oil and not splash out as easily as a shallow pan.
- Bread – Try it with a homemade biscuit that is thick to hold the chicken. This gives another southern favorite taste!
Absolutely loved these! Followed the recipe to the tee. That remoulade sauce is freaking amazing.
Your sandwich sounds delicious. And, frankly, I’m going to walk out of the house here in a minute and see if I can grab one like you describe. But, for the sake of accuracy, I have a couple of things to add.
The poor boy (po’boy) has a -very- specific and traceable origin, which is not simply “a cheap way to eat a meal.” It was created by the Martin Brothers in their French Market stand for striking union streetcar workers in the twenties. These workers were the actual “poor boys” for whom the sandwich is named, and were given these sandwiches essentially free by the sympathetic Martin Brothers. As language goes, the sandwich for poor boys became the “poor boys’ sandwich”, and it was a short trip to just being called a poor boy. Then as Orleanian language evolves, basically anything that followed the same kind of pattern of construction (Protein with garnish vegetables and mayo on crispy French-style loaves) became known as a poor boy. (It’s that same kind of linguistic evolution that is the reason we call -all- medians in the city “neutral ground”.)
And, to that altruistic end, the brothers themselves actually had specific bread created for the sandwich, based upon local French Baguette, but wider, blunter, and crispier. Around New Orleans, you will see bread for sale that is “french bread”, and also “poor boy loaf”, which is different. A great deal of the unique texture of a New Orleans po’boy is derived from bread made in our uniquely humid atmosphere, which affects the way the crust forms. If you want an authentic po’boy, you NEED to have bread made for the purpose. If your plate isn’t covered with shards of crust that look like they could cut you when you’re finished, it’s not the right bread.
And finally, these wonderful sandwiches are -not- traditionally served with remoulade. There are several po’boys that -are- to be sure, especially in modern and less “joint” spots, and they are -delicious- (I -love- remoulade), but this is not the traditional way. Traditional is lettuce, tomato, mayonnaise (pronounced “MYnez” by older Orleanians), and, sometimes, pickles. This is so traditional, in fact, that there is a special term when ordering to indicate this: “Dressed,” as in, “Gimme a half shrimp, dressed.” This translates into a 6″-8″ fried shrimp po’boy with lettuce, tomato, mayo, and pickles.
And again, while there is a world of protein that fills these sandwiches, my experience (which, if you could see my beltline, is obviously considerable 😉 ) is that, by far, the leaders in po’boys served in the city are 1) fried shrimp or roast beef with debris gravy ( a dead heat ) and 2) fried oyster. And, entertainingly, there are combinations of all three of these proteins that have specific names and are, frankly, awesome.
I look forward to finding the “cajun fried chicken” version of my favorite sandwich style in the world…
Happy eating!
It was such a hit! I made this for snacks and it was gone right away. Will definitely be recommending this recipe.
I always love a good po’ boy! I didn’t realize how easy it is to make. Also, also have never heard of wondra flour until now either!
Oh my goodness, I love this sandwich. It’s packed with flavor. My family really enjoyed it too.
This is one fabulous sandwich! My crew is already begging for me to make them again and I want to put the sauce everything!
I have never had a Po’ Boy! I from the Pacific Northwest. However, this looks and sounds like something I need to try soon.
I’ve never hear of wondra flour before. Where would I find it? Looks like a yummy recipe.
It is right next to the regular flour on the baking aisle. It comes in a blue canister. It is a finer flour and works great for frying. Thank you for visiting our site!