THE SPLIT PLATE / RECIPE

Spicy Chicken Sandwich

250 cal / 26g protein. One crispy air-fryer sandwich, almost no effort.

YIELD1 serving
TOTAL TIME~20 min
COOK METHODSee method
EST. / SERVING~250 cal | ~26g protein

Ingredients

Ingredients

  • 1 frozen breaded chicken breast fillet — Episode 7 uses Bettergoods Original (140 cal / 16g protein); Kirkland is the preferred pick. Choose any fillet with at least 10g protein per 100 calories.
  • 1 keto hamburger bun — Episode 7 uses Bettergoods (50 cal / 7g protein)
  • 1 slice Velveeta (40 cal / 3g protein)
  • 1 tbsp or less low-calorie spicy sauce — keep this at 20 cal or less for the stated macros

You want a crispy chicken sandwich lunch with real macros and almost no effort. 250 cal / 26g protein for one sandwich — a frozen breaded fillet does the work in the air fryer.

Method

  1. 1.COOK THE FILLET. Air fry the frozen chicken fillet per its package directions and verify it reaches 165°F. Crispy, not soggy — single layer, don't overcrowd.
  2. 2.TOAST THE BUN. Add the bun halves near the end and toast until lightly crisp.
  3. 3.MELT THE VELVEETA. Lay one Velveeta slice on the hot fillet and return it to the air fryer just until melted.
  4. 4.SAUCE + ASSEMBLE. Spread up to 1 tablespoon low-calorie spicy sauce on the bottom bun, add the cheesy fillet, close the sandwich, and serve immediately.

If something fails

Chicken isn't crispy: You microwaved it or overcrowded the basket. Air fry in a single layer per the package directions until 165°F.

My macros don't match: Labels vary by brand. The 250 cal / 26g is the filmed Bettergoods build — recalc from the fillet, bun, cheese, and sauce you actually bought.

Sauce blew past the calorie budget: Keep the sauce to 20 cal or less. A tablespoon of a low-calorie spicy sauce is the ceiling — more and the macro line moves.

Bun falls apart: Keto buns are softer. Toast lightly and don't over-sauce the bottom.

Storage and reheating

Store: Best fresh. Air fry the fillet to order.

Reheat: Re-crisp a cooked fillet in the air fryer at 350°F for 3-4 min. Don't microwave — it goes soggy.

Lasts: Same day. A toasted bun goes stale and the fillet loses its crisp.

Estimated nutrition

~250 cal | ~26g protein per 1 sandwich.

250 cal / 26g protein is calculated from current package labels for the filmed build: Bettergoods Original fillet (140 cal / 16g) + Bettergoods keto bun (50 cal / 7g) + 1 Velveeta slice (40 cal / 3g) + up to 20 cal of sauce. Not every compatible fillet lands on these exact numbers — labels vary by brand and SKU, so recheck and recalc from the fillet, bun, cheese, and sauce you actually buy. The 10g-protein-per-100-calories rule is the filter that keeps a swap honest.

thesplitplate.com/cookbook/spicy-chicken-sandwich

Spicy Chicken Sandwich
Quick LunchesQuick lunch

Spicy Chicken Sandwich

By Tushar Sharma

250 cal / 26g protein. One crispy air-fryer sandwich, almost no effort.

Make this when

You want a crispy chicken sandwich lunch with real macros and almost no effort. 250 cal / 26g protein for one sandwich — a frozen breaded fillet does the work in the air fryer.

Total time
~20 min
Yield
1 serving
Protein / serving
~26g
Cal / serving
~250
Serving size
1 sandwich
Flavor target

Crispy air-fried chicken fillet, one melted Velveeta slice, and a spicy low-calorie sauce on a toasted keto bun. The fillet is the whole recipe — pick one with at least 10g protein per 100 calories and the macros land.

Ingredients

Single servingYields 1 serving — quantities below make one serving.

Ingredients

Method

  1. 1
    COOK THE FILLET

    Air fry the frozen chicken fillet per its package directions and verify it reaches 165°F. Crispy, not soggy — single layer, don't overcrowd.

  2. 2
    TOAST THE BUN

    Add the bun halves near the end and toast until lightly crisp.

  3. 3
    MELT THE VELVEETA

    Lay one Velveeta slice on the hot fillet and return it to the air fryer just until melted.

  4. 4
    SAUCE + ASSEMBLE

    Spread up to 1 tablespoon low-calorie spicy sauce on the bottom bun, add the cheesy fillet, close the sandwich, and serve immediately.

Go deeper

Storage and nutrition

Storage: Best fresh. Air fry the fillet to order.

Reheat: Re-crisp a cooked fillet in the air fryer at 350°F for 3-4 min. Don't microwave — it goes soggy.

Lasts: Same day. A toasted bun goes stale and the fillet loses its crisp.

Watch the full cook

Brands I use

Bettergoods
Original Breaded Chicken Fillet (140 cal / 16g protein)
The fillet filmed in Episode 7. Any frozen breaded fillet works if it clears at least 10g protein per 100 calories — Kirkland is the preferred pick, Bettergoods Original is what's used here and also works. Recheck the label; macros vary by SKU.
Bettergoods
Keto Friendly Hamburger Bun (50 cal / 7g protein)
Low-calorie, higher-protein bun that keeps the sandwich near 250 cal. Any keto bun works.
Velveeta
Velveeta
Original Slice (40 cal / 3g protein)
One slice melts into the hot fillet for the cheesy layer without a calorie bomb.
#Quick lunch#Air fryer#High protein#Low effort