Southern · main

Blackened Chicken Sandwich with Comeback Sauce

Blackened Chicken Sandwich with Comeback Sauce reads umami 4.4, richness 4.1 and salinity 4.1 on Palate's 0–10 flavor X-ray — a Southern main, about 43 min. Measured from the recipe itself: ingredients and technique.

The flavor X-ray — six axes, 0–10

• Umami & Savory — 5.1 / 10
• Sweet & Fruity — 4.3 / 10
• Sour & Bright — 4.1 / 10
• Bitter & Earthy — 2.1 / 10
• Rich & Fat — 4.6 / 10
• Aromatic & Spice — 4.8 / 10

The measured notes (of 18)

Umami 4.4 · Richness 4.1 · Salinity 4.1 · Heat 4.1 · Allium 3.8 · Sourness 3.8 · Sweetness 3.5 · Warm Spice 2.6 · Fruity 2.5 · Funk & Ferment 2.4 · Earthy 1.9 · Nutty 1.7 · Bitterness 1.3 · Herbaceous 1.2 · Citrus 1.2 · Floral 1.0 · Smoke 0.6

What's in it (16)

• boneless chicken — 680 g
• buttermilk — 118 g
• sweet paprika — 30 g
• cayenne pepper — 7 g
• garlic — 5 g
• salt — 7 g
• freshly ground black pepper — 5 g
• unsalted butter — 41 g
• mayonnaise — 109 g
• ketchup — 30 g
• hot sauce — 15 g
• garlic — 3 g
• worcestershire sauce — 5 g
• whole wheat hamburger buns — 400 g
• iceberg lettuce — 473 g
• tomato — 120 g

Time & effort: about 43 min (23 min active) · effort: involved

Nutrition (per 100 g, engine-estimated): 131.3 kcal, 13.3 g protein, 5.1 g fat, 12.3 g carbs

Dietary: Contains meat · Contains dairy — engine-derived; double-check anything allergy-critical.

How it's cooked (10 steps)

1. Place the chicken breasts between two sheets of plastic wrap and pound with a mallet or heavy pan to an even 1/2-inch thickness; this is what keeps a blackened breast juicy — thin and even means the crust and center finish together.
2. In a shallow dish or zip-top bag, combine the pounded chicken and buttermilk, turning to coat. Let stand at room temperature 15 minutes (or refrigerate up to 2 hours) to tenderize.
3. In a small bowl, stir together the paprika, cayenne, garlic powder, 1 teaspoon of the salt, and the black pepper to make the blackening spice.
4. In another small bowl, whisk together the mayonnaise, ketchup, hot sauce, grated garlic, and Worcestershire sauce; season with a pinch of the remaining salt. Cover and refrigerate the comeback sauce until ready to serve.
5. Remove the chicken from the buttermilk and let excess drip off, then pat lightly with a paper towel so the spice will adhere. Coat both sides evenly with the blackening spice, pressing gently.
6. Heat a large cast-iron or heavy skillet over high heat until it just begins to smoke, about 3 minutes. Add 1 tablespoon of the melted butter, then lay in the chicken and sear undisturbed until a deeply blackened crust forms on the first side, 3-4 minutes.
7. Flip the chicken, brush the seared side with half of the remaining butter, and cook until the second side is blackened and an instant-read thermometer inserted in the thickest part reads 165°F, 3-4 minutes more, basting with the last of the butter in the final minute.
8. Transfer the chicken to a plate, tent loosely with foil, and rest 5 minutes; slice each breast in half on an angle if it's wider than the bun.
9. Toast the cut sides of the buns in the same skillet over medium heat until golden, about 1 minute.
10. Spread comeback sauce on both cut sides of each toasted bun. Build each sandwich with lettuce, a few tomato slices, a piece of blackened chicken, and a final spoonful of comeback sauce; close and serve immediately.

Dishes with a similar flavor shape

• Chicken Vindaloo — Indian
• Spiced Chickpea Shakshuka Skillet — Middle Eastern
• Chicken Tamale Pie — Tex-Mex
• Classic Home-Style Chicken Curry — Indian
• Brown Stew Chicken — Jamaican

Keep reading: what umami, richness, salinity mean in the flavor lexicon · the world's cuisines, by flavor.

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Every number above is Palate's engine-measured estimate, computed from this recipe's ingredients and techniques — not human-tasted ratings or reviews.