Yield: 4 servings
Crispy Chicken Sandwich
Our crispy chicken sandwich is so good, you'll never be tempted by fast food again! We double-dredge our chicken, creating an incredibly flavorful, crunchy crust that keeps the chicken super tender and juicy. Add a toasty bun, spicy sauce, and all the toppings, and you have a winner!
Ingredients
Fried Chicken:
- 2 large boneless, skinless chicken breasts
- 1 ½ cups buttermilk
- ½ cup pickle juice
- 1 tablespoon hot sauce, like cholula or Sriracha
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- ¼ cup cornstarch
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 ½ teaspoons garlic salt
- ½ teaspoon onion powder
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- ½ teaspoon ground pepper
- canola oil, or vegetable oil, for frying
Sauce:
- ½ cup mayonnaise
- 1 tablespoon sriracha, or hot sauce
- 1 tablespoon pickle juice
- 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
- ½ teaspoon granulated sugar, or honey
For Serving:
- 4 hamburger buns
- 2 tablespoons butter, softened
- sliced tomatoes
- lettuce, chopped
- sliced pickles
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Instructions
- Slice the chicken breasts in half lengthwise to create 4 thin chicken breasts. Use a meat tenderizer to pound the breast until they are even in size. Add the chicken breasts to a large ziplock bag or bowl.
- Add the buttermilk, pickle juice and hot sauce to the bag and give everything a good shake to combine. Place in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours to marinate, or up to overnight.
- Pour 4 inches of oil in a large dutch oven and heat to 350°F. (Use a clip on pot thermometer to ensure your oil is at the correct temperature!)
- While the oil is heating up, combine all the ingredients for the sauce, stirring well. Set aside. Butter the buns on the insides and set aside as well.
- Combine the flour, cornstarch, baking powder, garlic salt, onion powder, paprika, and pepper together in a shallow dish.
- Remove one piece of chicken from the buttermilk mixture, shake off any excess, then dredge in the flour. Place chicken back into the buttermilk mixture again, then dredge once more in the flour. Repeat until all chicken is coated.
- Add the chicken to the hot oil and cook on each side for about 4 minutes. Do not crowd the pan, we recommend cooking 2 pieces at a time. Chicken is done when it’s golden brown on the outside and a meat thermometer reaches 165°F. Remove chicken to a paper towel lined plate to drain.
- Toast the buns under the broiler or in a toaster oven for about one minute, just until warmed and slightly toasted.
- Spread sauce over the buns, add chicken, lettuce, tomato and pickles. Serve immediately!
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Notes
Storage: These sandwiches are best served fresh. But if you do wind up with leftovers, store the chicken, sauce, buns and toppings all separately so nothing gets soggy. The chicken will keep in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days.
Reheat: We highly recommend reheating the chicken in an air fryer at 375°F for about 3 minutes, until crispy and warmed through.
Don’t Skip the Marinade: Let the chicken marinate in the buttermilk mixture for at least a few hours, or up to overnight, before frying. It makes such a difference to the final flavor and juiciness of the chicken.
Chicken: Make sure and pound your chicken out to the same thickness so they cook evenly. You can also cut your chicken breast into smaller pieces so they fit on the buns easier.
Oil Temp: It’s really important to keep a consistent temp of 350°F. If the oil gets too hot, it’ll smoke and cook the outside of the chicken too quickly, leaving a raw inside. If it’s too cold, it’ll take too long to cook, making the chicken soggy and greasy. We like using a clip-on pot thermometer to make sure the oil hits and maintains the right temp. We also recommend using an oil splash guard to protect your arms.
Spicy Chicken: If you want your chicken to be extra spicy, add cayenne pepper to the flour mixture.
Nutrition
Calories: 706kcal, Carbohydrates: 61g, Protein: 35g, Fat: 35g, Saturated Fat: 10g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 14g, Monounsaturated Fat: 8g, Trans Fat: 0.3g, Cholesterol: 109mg, Sodium: 2325mg, Potassium: 662mg, Fiber: 2g, Sugar: 8g, Vitamin A: 636IU, Vitamin C: 7mg, Calcium: 244mg, Iron: 4mg