The Best Hot Sauce For A Copycat Chick-Fil-A Spicy Chicken Sandwich

The worst time for an intense Chick-fil-A craving to strike is Sunday, when the chicken chain is closed. Imagine the disappointment you'll feel after getting psyched up for a sandwich or nuggets, waffle fries, and a milkshake, only to remember that the doors are shuttered to customers and no food will be served. There's no better day to roll up your sleeves to attempt to crack the code of Chick-fil-A's spicy fried chicken recipe.

As tragic as it may seem that you can't hop in your car and pull up to the drive-thru window, all hope is not lost. Before you have a nuclear meltdown, turn to a trusty copycat spicy chicken sandwich recipe. Mashed recipe developer Erin Johnson says this recipe is difficult to mess up — apart from potentially burning or undercooking the chicken. The secret is in the hot sauce, and there's a chance you have it in your pantry already — it's none other than Texas Pete.

The breading on a Chick-fil-A sandwich is integral to the overall dining experience at this fast food chain. Because the recipe for the spicy chicken sandwich breading is kept under wraps, Mashed recipe developer Erin Johnson turned to Texas Pete hot sauce. "After trying a few different nationally available hot sauces, I think Texas Pete is the closest I've been able to find," Johnson says. Johnson also recommends incorporating cayenne pepper into the flour mixture before dredging the chicken in it to increase the spice.

From start to finish, this recipe only takes about 30 minutes, and although this fried chicken makes a delightful sandwich, it could also go on top of a salad or cheesy pasta. You'll need chicken breasts, pounded thin. The breading calls for milk, egg, flour, powdered sugar, salt, pepper, and paprika. After you've fried the chicken, a douse of Texas Pete finishes off the flavors with some much needed heat.