To Assemble The Sandwich:
- Flour, cornstarch, paprika, salt, pepper, garlic powder, and cayenne powder: to be chicken to be dredged in. If you prefer a less spicy version, you can skip or reduce the cayenne powder.
- Sriracha + mayonnaise: to make the burger sauce.
- Burger buns: lightly toasted with butter. I highly suggest using brioche buns as it adds that heavenly touch your tastebuds deserve.
- Your choice of toppings. I used sliced pickles, tomato, and lettuce for this recipe, but feel free to use your own favorite toppings! Having a few different options available also makes for a fun activity to have your loved ones.
- And of course, cooking oil to fry the chicken! I recommend using a deep fryer or a deep frying pan to avoid overcrowding, as well as to prevent any oil splatters.
Why This Crispy Chicken Sandwich Recipe Is The Best
- Pickle juice brine: one of the secrets to a fried chicken sandwich that tastes just like Chik-Fil-A’s.
- Confectioners’ sugar: that’s right — confectioners’ sugar in the breading adds just a hint of sweetness in the background, which is another secret ingredient in Chik-Fil-A’s fried chicken.
- Baking powder: helps the breading puff up so that the chicken is light and crispy.
- Double dredge: dipping the chicken in the egg mixture twice and dredging in the breading twice gives the meat that thick batter coating that’s a hallmark of fast food fried chicken sandwiches.
- Chik-Fil-A sauce: an optional addition that takes this meal to the next level! Stir together mayonnaise, barbecue sauce, honey, yellow mustard and lemon juice. Spread it on your sandwich in lieu of mayonnaise, or just use it for dipping your waffle fries. Nobody can resist the sweet, savory and smoky sauce!
Crispy Chicken Sandwich Recipe
Frying is the best way to ensure a crispy chicken, and every bite of this sandwich is full of texture and flavor. Sandwiches and burgers are all about the toppings, and this one is no different.
The acid of the pickles cuts through the oil and fat and I always use soft buns to balance out the crunch of the chicken.
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How To Make Your French Bread Pizza Better
- Add some garlic or red pepper flakes to get a bit of kick if you prefer that in your pizza.
- BACON!!! It makes everything better and can certainly enhance your pizza. Crumble up some of our air fryer bacon here!
- Blend your cheese if you want. All cheese is a good choice, in my opinion.
- Reheat your left overs in the air fryer. Should only take about 5 minutes at 300 degrees F.
- Use alfredo instead of marinara, or a cheese sauce instead of marinara if you arent a fan of the tomato sauce style pizzas.
How To Store Leftovers
The chicken breasts are best when served fresh from the fryer, thats always a no-brainer, right?
But if you want to make them ahead of time, Id suggest placing them on a wire rack in a 170-degree F oven. They can be kept warm for an hour or so maybe? Just be careful they dont dry out too much.
If you have any leftovers, store them in an airtight container in the fridge for a few days. They can be reheated in the microwave for a few seconds, then crisped up in a warm oven.
Also Check: Dave’s Hot Chicken Northridge
Serve With Lightly Toasted Brioche
Regular burger buns will do the job, but using brioche buns for your crispy buttermilk chicken sandwich truly brings it to the next level.
Soft & buttery brioche with a hint of sweetness truly makes for the most delicious spicy crispy chicken sandwich you can make at home.
I recommend toasting it with some butter before assembling the spicy chicken sandwiches. Be careful not to burn them as they are quite delicate!
I hope you enjoy this easy and delicious spicy chicken sandwich recipe, and please leave me a comment below or message me on if you have any questions. Happy cooking!
Can I Use Chicken Thighs For Crispy Chicken Sandwich
Yes, if you prefer. Many fast-food restaurants use thighs over breasts for a crispy chicken sandwich because it can hold more moisture. They are, however, slightly more expensive than breasts.
If you do decide to go for thighs, be sure to buy ones that dont have bones in them. You might also have to pre-cook the thigh before frying as it can be a lot tougher to chew. Chicken breast is soft and doesnt require any pre-cooking before frying.
Read Also: Chicken Nuggets In An Air Fryer
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KILLER buttermilk fried chicken thighs! So crispy, so juicy. Served with Sriracha mayonnaise, coleslaw and pickles!
BUTTERMILK FRIED CHICKEN SAMMIES, guys. The only sandwich recipe you will need forever and ever. With a double coating, these chicken thighs are fried to absolute golden brown perfection. So unbelievably crispy and juicy.
To top it off, these bad boys are served on the butteriest brioche buns slathered with Sriracha mayonnaise , coleslaw and ALL the dill pickle chips.
Why Youll Love This Crispy Chicken Sandwich
- Its so crispy. This fried chicken burger is so much crisper than takeout. By the time a fried chicken burger is delivered or driven home, I find that its not as crispy anymore. Making it at home means the burger is at peak freshness!
- Its flavorful. There are layers of flavor in this! We season the marinade, the breading, and the slaw. Its SO good.
- Its freezer-friendly. You can cook up a whole batch of the fried chicken and freeze some for later.
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Tips For The Best Fried Chicken Sandwich Recipe
- Use chicken cutlets, thinly-sliced chicken breasts, or pounded chicken breasts rather than a whole chicken breast for each sandwich. When the cutlets are breaded and fried, they become thick and crispy, creating the perfect ratio of meat-to-bun! A standard-size chicken breast would be way too thick and hard to manage.
- Use either peanut oil, canola oil or vegetable oil to fry the chicken. I typically use peanut oil because it’s affordable, it has a high smoke point, and it will not flavor your meat.
- I like to use a deep-fry thermometer to make sure that the oil reaches and stays at a consistent temperature of 350° F. If you don’t have a thermometer, no problem! Instead, when the oil is hot , add a drop of water to the pan — if it sizzles, the oil is hot enough for the chicken. You want to maintain a fairly steady temperature as the chicken cooks, so don’t overcrowd the pan .
- To ensure crispy chicken, keep the temperature of your oil at a steady 350° F. If the oil is too cool, the chicken will absorb the oil giving it a soggy texture and an unpleasant taste.
- Never cover your warm fried chicken cutlets with foil. This traps steam and moisture, which will make your chicken soggy. Keep the fried chicken warm in a 200° F oven.
- Butter and griddle brioche buns for the best flavor and texture!
Tips For Deep Frying Chicken
- Oil Youll want to use an oil with a high smoking point like vegetable or sunflower oil. Olive oil is not suitable for deep frying as it will smoke out the kitchen.
- Space Fry in batches to ensure you dont overcrowd the pot. I do one thigh at a time.
- Temp Keep the oil at a steady temp. It will lower slightly when the chicken hits, just adjust the flame accordingly. To cool down the oil quickly just add in more oil.
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The History Of The Fried Chicken Sandwich
Move over, Colonel Sanders and Chick-fil-A cows, theres a new fried chicken sandwich in town! While KFC is known around the country for their fried chicken, Chick-fil-A maintains that they created the original chicken sandwich.
The past year or so Popeyes fried chicken sandwiches have been all the rage, but we are here to say this homemade version is EVEN BETTER and you can make it any time. No need to wait in line.
Theirs is served with pickles on a steamed bun and, while delicious, the sandwich could use an upgrade.
In the South, fried chicken is often made spicy with a buttermilk and hot sauce marinade or sweet and served over a waffle with sweet syrup. Theres the famous Nashville Hot Chicken Sandwich, which includes a sticky hot-sauce drenched piece of fried chicken.
In the midwest, its common to put cheese on a fried chicken sandwich. In this combination youll get a combination of all the best trends from around the country.
How To Make A Fried Chicken Breast Sandwich
Frying chicken cutlets is quick and easy! The hardest part is just planning ahead so that you remember to brine the chicken for at least 8 hours.
Read Also: Temperature For Grilling Chicken Thighs
Fried Chicken Breast Recipe
Firstly, you need to marinade the chicken to ensure it keeps its moisture and gets that tender, juicy chicken flavor even after its fried. These are the core chicken sandwich ingredients to get before cooking:
- Boneless skinless chicken breasts: Of course, you can use skin-on if preferred or bone-in chicken but that requires longer to cook.
- Buttermilk: This will make the chicken tenders retain plenty of moisture. If you dont have buttermilk to hand, you can mix milk with an acid like lemon juice, cream of tartar, or even vinegar. This causes the mix to curdle and produces an excellent buttermilk substitute. You can use yogurt if you prefer. You can also use this method with a non-dairy alternative to milk.
- Egg: This is how to make crispy chicken and keep its crispy outer crust. The yolk will also give a greater depth of flavor to the chicken sandwich once its been cooked.
- Spice Blend: You can use whichever spices you like, but popular ones for a chicken sandwich include paprika, chili powder, garlic powder, onion powder, celery salt, thyme, oregano, salt, and black pepper.
To make the crispy chicken, first, slice the breasts in half lengthwise for thinner pieces. Then allow the meat to marinate in the mix for around thirty minutes.
Then, toss the chicken in a flour mixture flour, more spices, and baking powder to create a crust. You might want to add a little bit of cornstarch to the flour mix for extra crunch on your chicken breast sandwich.
What Is A Fried Chicken Sandwich
A fried chicken sandwich typically begins with a thin chicken breast that is battered with milk or buttermilk and a flour/spice mixture. Then, the chicken is deep fried and served on a sandwich bun or roll. This recipe boasts an incredibly crispy and tender chicken sandwiched between fresh buns that have been lightly toasted and topped with sauce and sliced dill pickles.
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Extra Crispy Fried Chicken
Dredging the chicken is where you create the crunchy coating. Heres three crucial steps to consider when coating the chicken:
- Do not drain off the marinade. Take the chicken out the bowl, give it a gentle shake then plonk it straight in the flour. The excess marinade will create lots of small crumbs in the flour, which when attached to the chicken will create those extra crunchy craggy parts.
- Coating When coating the chicken use your hands and work the flour into every crack and crevice. Really make sure you build up a nice crust on the chicken, dont just press each side in the flour and leave it at that. Get down and dirty it makes all the difference!
- One by one Coat the thighs one by one. If you add them all at the same time the flour will go thick and sludgy, leaving the batter chewy.
Process shots: add flour to shallow dish , stir in spices , add chicken , coat in flour , repeat .
How To Make French Bread Pizza In Air Fryer:
Prepare your pizza toppings Slice your half loaf of bread in half lengthwise so that you have 2 long pieces that will fit in your air fryer. Spread each piece of bread with pizza sauce, then top with your cheese, Italian seasoning, and your personalized toppings. For us, that was pepperoni and black olives.
Air fry the pizza bread Place your bread in the air fryer basket and cook for 5 minutes at 380 degrees. It is done when the edges are toasted and cheese is melted. Cook longer if needed as each air fryer is a little different. Slice and serve!
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Classic Fried Chicken Sandwich
This fried chicken sandwich is ultra crispy on the outside, tender & juicy on the inside and bursting with flavour all over!
This recipe is also foolproof. Whether youre a fried chicken pro, or never fried a piece of chicken in your life, theres no way you wont fall in love with this sandwich. Theres a few different steps, but its 100% worth it. Follow me
How To Make Fried Chicken Sandwich
FIRST STEP: Use a meat mallet to pound the chicken breasts between two sheets of parchment paper or plastic wrap until they are ½ inch thick. Slice the chicken breasts in half to make two smaller pieces.
SECOND STEP: In a bowl, stir together the buttermilk, hot sauce, and pickle juice. Place the chicken into the buttermilk mixture and leave to soak while preparing the next steps.
THIRD STEP: Whisk together the flour, salt, pepper, paprika, and onion powder in a shallow bowl.
FOURTH STEP: Heat oil in a Dutch oven. Heat the oil to 350°F. The oil takes 15 minutes or so to heat to temperature. Use a candy or food thermometer to check the temperature. It must be the correct temperature before frying the chicken.
FIFTH STEP: Remove the chicken pieces from the buttermilk mixture, and dip into the flour mixture, coating both sides. Then dunk each side once more into the buttermilk and back into the flour mixture two full coats of buttermilk then flour.
SIXTH STEP: Carefully drop one chicken piece at a time into heated oil and fry on both sides until cooked through . The outside should be deep golden brown and crispy. Maintain an oil temperature of 350°F for best results. The chicken cooks up in about 5 minutes.
SEVENTH STEP: Place cooked chicken on paper towels or brown paper bags to soak up excess oil.
NINTH STEP: To serve, place several pickles on the bottom half of a bun. Top with a piece of fried chicken, Chick-fil-a sauce, and the top bun.
TENTH STEP: Serve immediately.
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To Marinate The Chicken:
- Boneless skinless chicken thighs: I recommend using the larger pieces without trimming the fat, as this will make the chicken extra juicy and tender.
- I prefer using chicken thighs over breasts for this sandwich as it results in that delicious melt-in-your-mouth texture, but feel free to use chicken breasts if you prefer a denser, more meaty texture.
Air Fryer French Bread Pizza
Our Air Fryer French Bread Pizza makes the perfect lunch and it cooks in just 5 minutes! This has to be the fastest homemade pizza you can make, and the family loves it!
French bread pizza is a super convenient dinner for yourself or a small group. Whip it together easily, cook it quickly, and then you get to enjoy a cheesy, fluffy center with a nice crisp edge.
This is such a fun recipe! We love Italian food, like our air fried ravioli and air fryer garlic bread. The family loves it all!
This is also a great recipe for parents who are teaching their kids to cook, or trying to get them interested in it. They can add their own toppings to their French bread and personalize it.
Little ones love it!
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Did You Make This Recipe
Tag @pinchofyum on Instagram so we can admire your masterpiece!
One last note this was the most fun dinner club recipe ever, because we did a Southern theme with mac and cheese, and collards, and fried green tomatoes, and bourbon sweet tea, and crack pie, and it was just the best.
And I have this recipe from Bread Babe to thank for helping me learn how to do the fried chicken sandwich thing!