The Best Toppings For Spicy Vs Sweet Chicken Sandwiches, According To A Chef

Chicken sandwiches have a lot of fans, being versatile and highly customizable to please our palates. They can be spicy or sweet or a combination of spicy and sweet. Chef Michelle Wallace, owner and founder of B'tween Sandwich Co., agrees and has recommendations for us when choosing the best toppings for our chicken sandwiches, whether you prefer spicy, sweet, or both. 

If you're a fan of spicy chicken sandwiches, Wallace recommended adding a popular Chinese condiment: XO sauce. We can't help but agree. After all, XO sauce is a masterpiece of flavor and is usually made with expensive and delicious ingredients. Since it is not easy to craft at home, especially for those new to this condiment, we recommend buying a jar from your local Asian supermarket.

Aside from XO sauce, Wallace recommended adding other spicy ingredients. She said, "My favorite toppings for a [spicy] chicken sandwich is XO sauce, red onions, and pepper jack cheese. This combination on a crispy fried chicken thigh is outstanding." If you're looking to make a spicy chicken sandwich like the one Wallace described, make crispy fried chicken or, if you don't want to deep fry the protein, try our easy pan-fried chicken thighs recipe. For a sweet spin on a chicken sandwich, Wallace has other recommendations.

If it's a sweet chicken sandwich that you're craving, put down those spicy ingredients and reach for your sweeter ingredients instead to top the dish. If you don't know where to start, Wallace has a great topping recommendation for you. She enthused, "A great flavor combination is honey mustard, bacon, and arugula. I mean, you [can't] go wrong with thick slices of bacon."

While store-bought honey mustard is relatively accessible in the States, Wallace felt we should all make our own honey mustard from scratch. She added, "There's something special about a good homemade honey mustard made of coarse ground mustard, some premium honey, and a squeeze of lemon ... delicious. Finish with peppery arugula and your sandwich is complete."

Finally, if you're craving both sweet and spicy flavors, choose a different mix of toppings for your chicken sandwich, like spices and syrup. Drawing inspiration from Indian and South Asian flavors, Wallace said, "I love the combination of berbere spice and maple syrup. Drizzle that on a fried chicken sandwich served on a biscuit and you won't need much else. That berbere spices adds not only heat but flavor that's comparable to southwest and curry spices."