This is the kind of sandwich that makes you close your eyes on the first bite. The outside of this Chicken Po’ Boy is crispy, and the inside is juicy. It’s served on fluffy French bread. My roots run deep in Louisiana cooking, and I’ve been sharing Southern recipes online for almost a decade, so you can trust this one is well-seasoned and ready to impress.
To make this po’ boy sandwich, you will first need my Remoulade Sauce Recipe. Don’t worry, I’ll show you all the steps and what you will need below. You may also love my Catfish Po Boy recipe, too!.
A chicken po’ boy is a delicious Louisiana sandwich bursting with flavor. This iconic meal has a fascinating history and heritage not to mention an unbeatable taste. Keep reading to learn all about what makes this sandwich so special.
A Brief History of the Chicken Po’ Boy
The po’ boy sandwich traces its origins to New Orleans in the early 1900s. During a streetcar operator strike, brothers Bennie and Clovis Martin offered striking workers free sandwiches filled with gravy and bits of beef. The grateful strikers referred to the sandwiches as “poor boys.”
After the strike ended, the Martins put the sandwich on their restaurant menu. Its popularity led to variations like the roast beef po’ boy. Later on, fried seafood, sausage, and chicken emerged as po’ boy fillings.
While the origins of the name remain set in New Orleans folklore, the po’ boy has become a Louisiana icon. Its adaptability is part of why it has endured over the past century.
The Vital Role of Bread in a Chicken Po’ Boy
A true po’ boy demands real New Orleans French bread This bread boasts a crispy crust and an airy interior unlike any other It’s sturdy enough to contain the hearty fillings without getting soggy,
Finding authentic French bread outside of Louisiana can prove tricky. A fresh, high-quality baguette or hoagie roll can serve as a substitute in a pinch. But for the complete po’ boy experience, New Orleans French bread is a must.
Chicken Takes Center Stage
Of course, the chicken is what makes a chicken po’ boy so delicious. Fried, grilled, blackened, shredded – the options for preparing chicken are endless. Each imparts its own flavor and texture.
- Fried chicken provides a crispy, juicy crunch with each bite. A buttermilk soak ensures the meat stays tender and moist.
- Grilled chicken delivers a subtle charred flavor from the smoky grill. Marinating is key for maximum juiciness.
- Blackening chicken before cooking gives an unmistakable Cajun kick. Liberal use of Creole spices crusts the meat.
- Shredded chicken simmers in a flavorful gravy or sauce, yielding ultra-tender morsels of meat.
The beauty of a chicken po’ boy is that the chicken prep can be customized to suit any tastes. Feel free to experiment with different cultural seasonings or degrees of spiciness.
Traditional Toppings and Creative Twists
Even though the traditional New Orleans po’ boy has lettuce, tomato, pickles, and mayo on it, you can get creative with it too.
Consider adding some unique flavors:
- Spicy remoulade sauce
- Coleslaw for crunch
- Caramelized onions
- Pepper jack cheese
- Chipotle mayo for a kick
- Crispy bacon
The filling options for a chicken po’ boy are limited only by your imagination. Play with different textures and flavors until you devise the perfect combination.
Crafting an Elevated Chicken Po’ Boy at Home
With a few simple tricks, anyone can make restaurant-worthy po’ boys at home.
Start with the chicken: Brine it first for seriously juicy meat. Then bread and fry, or coat with spices and grill or blacken to desired doneness.
Prep the bread: Seek out New Orleans French bread, or substitute with a fresh baguette. Slice lengthwise without cutting all the way through.
Build the sandwich: Spread mayo on both slices. Add lettuce, tomato, pickles, then chicken. Insert toothpicks to keep the bread attached.
Finish strong: Coat the top bun with extra melted butter. Grill the sandwich in a skillet until the bread is toasty brown.
With practice, you can totally nail the perfect chicken po’ boy. Play with different ingredients until you create your go-to signature version.
Key Takeaways About the Chicken Po’ Boy
- Born in New Orleans over a century ago, the po’ boy is a Louisiana icon.
- Authentic New Orleans French bread is vital for the ideal po’ boy experience.
- The chicken can be fried, grilled, blackened, or shredded for customizable flavors.
- Traditional toppings like mayo, lettuce, tomato, and pickles dress a po’ boy.
- Get creative with cajun spices, unique sauces, cheeses, etc.
- With good ingredients and technique, an amazing po’ boy is achievable at home.
- This sandwich is all about balance – crispy, soft, creamy, tangy, savory, and satisfying.
What makes a chicken po’ boy beautiful is how full of flavor it is. Each part works together to make a well-balanced sandwich that is full of history and comfort. If you’re ever in New Orleans or just want a taste of Louisiana, you have to try this one-of-a-kind sandwich. Your stomach will thank you.
Chicken Po’ Boy Ingredients
- Food I like to use: chicken breasts. When breaded and fried just right, chicken breasts cook up juicy and tender. Cut them into thin slices for a classic po’ boy look, and they take on all the seasonings so well.
- Creole or Cajun Seasoning, Garlic Powder, and Smoked Paprika: This mix gives a po’ boy that big Louisiana taste that makes it a hit. In one bite, you get heat, depth, and smoky goodness. No bland chicken here.
- Hot Sauce: A little hot sauce in the egg mix or on top of the sandwich adds a little kick and ties everything together. It gives a po’ boy the spicy edge that people like. Its optional, of course.
- To get that crispy, golden crust that can hold all the toppings and sauce, you need an egg. The egg helps the flour and breadcrumbs stick to the chicken.
- Flour + Breadcrumbs: I like using both for the breading. Breadcrumbs give the chicken an extra crispy top, and flour helps it get that light, crunchy coating. The feel of it makes you want to dance happily.
- Oil: Canola or vegetable oil, which are neutral oils, work best.
- It could be French or Italian bread or hoagie rolls. The bread is what makes the po boy. The inside should be soft, and the outside should be a little crisp so that it doesn’t fall apart.
- Remoulade sauce: This tangy, creamy sauce ties the sandwich together and gives it that unique New Orleans taste. Though you can buy sauce, nothing beats the sauce I make at home.
- Lettuce and Tomatoes: Adds a refreshing crunch.
How to Keep the Chicken Crispy
- Don’t overcrowd the pan. Put the chicken in the oil one piece at a time so it stays hot and the fries are golden, not soggy. Crowding cools down the oil and gives you limp breading.
- Drain on a wire rack. Skip the paper towels. Place a wire rack over a baking sheet and set the chicken on top of it. This will keep air moving around it so the bottom doesn’t steam and get soft.
- Keep it warm in the oven. Keep cooked food warm in a 200ºF oven if you’re frying in batches. Do not put them on the pan itself; instead, put them on a rack. This will keep them crisp until you prepare your sandwich.
- Sauce last minute. Put the remoulade on the bread instead of the chicken. And don’t add the sauce too early. Build your sandwich right before serving to keep the crunch.
The BEST Fast Food Chicken Po’ Boy Sandwich (Reed Reviews)
FAQ
What is a chicken po’ boy sandwich?
This Chicken Po’ Boy recipe brings the flavors of the French Quarter straight to your kitchen. With crispy fried chicken, fresh toppings, and a zesty remoulade sauce, this sandwich is a true delight. This Southern specialty will become a favorite in your home. It’s great for a quick lunch or a filling dinner.
What does a po boy eat?
When you order a Po’ Boy, it comes on a French roll with lettuce, tomatoes, pickles, and lots of sauce. Is a Po’ Boy served hot or cold? Most of the time, it’s served hot, especially when it has crispy fried chicken or seafood inside. What’s the best bread for a Po’ Boy?.
How do you make a Cajun fried chicken po boys sandwich?
Put the chicken in a large zip-lock bag or bowl and add the buttermilk and the rest of the marinade ingredients. This will make a Cajun fried chicken po’boys sandwich. Toss the chicken until it is coated. Refrigerate for at least 4 hours or overnight. This is a recipe for Cajun Fried Chicken Po’ Boys with a homemade Remoulade Sauce, a true New Orleans classic and the perfect sandwich for a weekend lunch.
How did the po’boy get its name?
Only in N’awlins it gets pronounced po’boy. And that’s how the Po’Boy got it’s name. FYI, in the 1930s a 20-inch po’boy sold for 15 cents and a lettuce & tomato sandwich was free at Martin Brothers. As you can imagine the restaurant was very popular and customers were loyal long after the Depression ended.
Is Popeye’s chicken po’ boy a copycat?
Crispy chicken chunks are nestled inside crusty french bread and covered in sauce for a taste of classic New Orleans street food. This is not a copycat Popeye’s chicken Po’ Boy! It’s SO. MUCH. BETTER! This is an overview of the ingredients.
How do you make fried chicken po boys?
Dredge the chicken. Bring together the flour, cornmeal, and remaining spices and coat the chicken pieces into the flour mixture. Fry the chicken. In a large dutch oven, heat the oil and fry the chicken pieces, in batches. Repeat process until all of the chicken is fried. Assemble the chicken po’ boys.
What is in a chicken po-boy?
The signature sandwich of New Orleans. Crispy fried chicken on a sub roll with lettuce, tomato, pickle and our house Legacy Sauce.
What defines a po-boy?
A po’ boy is a New Orleans-style sandwich, typically made on French bread and filled with a variety of meats or seafood.
What are the ingredients in a po-boy?
It is essentially a long hero-style sandwich loaded up with lettuce, tomato, pickles, protein, and sauce, which is usually mayonnaise. Traditionally a po’ boy can have shrimp, oysters, clams, or roast beef.
What do PO boys taste like?
Po boy sandwiches are typically either seafood or roast beef (although I had a roast duck po boy near Grand Isle, Louisiana recently), and the best ones use remoulade, a Cajun version of the classic French mayo-mustard sauce. But the bread is the real star in a po boy.