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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!
Table of Contents
- A Crispy, Flavorful Taste of New Orleans
- What is a Po’ Boy Sandwich?
- Ingredients for the Best Chicken Po’ Boy
- How to Make the Best Fried Chicken Po’ Boy
- Tips for the Best Po’ Boy
- Reviews About Our Po’ Boys
- Questions About Po’ Boys
- How to Store and Reheat Your Chicken Po’ Boy
- More Southern-Inspired Recipes You’ll Love
- Chicken Po’ Boy Recipe
A Crispy, Flavorful Taste of New Orleans
If you’re craving an authentic taste of New Orleans, this Fried Chicken Po’ Boy is exactly what you need! With crispy, flavorful chicken, a zesty remoulade sauce, and a crunchy homemade coleslaw, this sandwich is an absolute must-try.
Whether you’re celebrating Mardi Gras or just looking for a delicious Southern-inspired meal, this recipe brings the heart of Louisiana straight to your kitchen! The best part? It’s easy to make and packed with bold flavors that will transport you to the streets of the French Quarter with every bite. Serve it up with some homemade beignets and a cold glass of sweet tea, and you’ve got yourself a true Southern feast!
What is a Po’ Boy Sandwich?
A Po’ Boy (short for “poor boy”) originated in Louisiana and was traditionally an affordable meal for workers. Today, it’s an iconic sandwich made with a French roll or baguette, filled with crispy fried seafood or meat, and topped with lettuce, tomatoes, or in my case—delicious coleslaw!
Ingredients for the Best Chicken Po’ Boy
This sandwich is all about crispy fried chicken, a bold remoulade sauce, and crunchy coleslaw packed inside soft, chewy bread. Here’s what you’ll need:
For the Fried Chicken:
- Chicken breasts (fileted into thin pieces)
- Milk (or buttermilk for extra tenderness)
- Egg (for binding the coating)
- Wondra flour (this finer flour works best but all-purpose flour will also work)
- Cajun seasoning (adds a kick of spice!)
- Canola or vegetable oil (for frying)
- French roll or baguette (thicker bread holds everything together!)
Spicy Remoulade Sauce:
- Mayo (for creaminess)
- Sriracha sauce (adds heat!)
- Cajun seasoning (for that Louisiana flavor)
- Horseradish (for a tangy bite)
- Dijon mustard (for flavor)
- Lemon juice (some tart)
- Garlic (minced)
Crunchy Coleslaw:
- Shredded cabbage
- Shredded carrots
- Mayo
- Sugar
- Apple cider vinegar
How to Make the Best Fried Chicken Po’ Boy
This sandwich comes together in just a few easy steps!
Prepare the Chicken
- In a small bowl, whisk together the milk and egg.
- In a separate bowl, combine the Wondra flour and Cajun seasoning.
- Dip each piece of chicken into the milk mixture, then coat thoroughly in the seasoned flour.
Fry the Chicken
- Heat a thin layer of oil in a large frying pan over medium heat.
- Fry each piece of chicken for 6-7 minutes per side, or until golden brown and crispy.
- Transfer to a wire rack to drain excess oil.
Make the Remoulade Sauce
- In a small bowl, mix together all sauce ingredients until smooth.
Assemble the Po’ Boy
- Slice your French roll or baguette in half.
- Spread a generous layer of remoulade sauce inside.
- Add the fried chicken and top with crunchy coleslaw.
- Close the sandwich, take a big bite, and enjoy the flavors of New Orleans!
Tips for the Best Po’ Boy
- Use buttermilk instead of milk for extra-tender chicken.
- Let the fried chicken rest on a wire rack to keep it crispy.
- Make the remoulade sauce ahead of time—it gets even better as the flavors meld together!
- Swap out the bread for biscuits if you want a fun Southern twist!
Reviews About Our Po’ Boys
“It was such a hit! I made this for snacks and it was gone right away. Will definitely be recommending this recipe.”
-Natasha
“This is one fabulous sandwich! My crew is already begging for me to make them again and I want to put the sauce on everything!”
-Wilhelmina
Questions About Po’ Boys
When striking streetcar workers in New Orleans came in for a sandwich, the shop owners would say, “Here comes another poor boy!” The name stuck, and today, it’s one of the city’s most famous dishes.
A classic Po’ Boy is filled with either roast beef, fried shrimp, or oysters, served on a French roll with lettuce, tomatoes, pickles, and lots of sauce!
Most Po’ Boys are served hot, especially when made with crispy fried chicken or seafood.
A classic Po’ Boy uses a French roll or New Orleans-style baguette, which is light and airy on the inside but has a crisp crust to hold up against the fillings. Always wait to assemble it right before eating. Storing the chicken, coleslaw, and sauce separately will prevent the bread from getting too soft.
Yes! Simply substitute the Wondra flour for gluten-free flour and use a gluten-free baguette.
How to Store and Reheat Your Chicken Po’ Boy
- Assemble fresh before serving to keep your sandwich from getting soggy.
- Store the fried chicken, coleslaw, and remoulade sauce separately in airtight containers.
- Reheat the chicken in an air fryer, oven, or stovetop to keep it crispy—avoid the microwave!
More Southern-Inspired Recipes You’ll Love
Craving more New Orleans flavors? Try these mouthwatering recipes:
Chicken Po’ Boy Recipe
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!
Nutrition Information
I made this Chicken Po’ Boy recipe for my family, and let me tell you—it was gone within minutes! The crispy chicken, spicy remoulade, and crunchy slaw make the perfect bite every time. Whether you’re celebrating Mardi Gras or just in the mood for something deliciously Southern, this sandwich will hit the spot. Give it a try, and let me know how it turns out!
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!