Fried Chicken Sandwiches
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Crispy and juicy beyond compare, these fried chicken sandwiches are a mash-up of your favorite fast food versions.
While I was writing my second cookbook, my daughter, who occasionally grows weary of being my guinea pig taste tester, challenged me to come up with a mash-up version of her favorite fast-food crispy chicken sandwiches (yes, I’m talking about Chick-fil-A and Popeyes). This mission involved several trips to the drive-through, four quarts of oil, a mountain of fried chicken sandwiches, and exhaustive critiques from my kids and their friends (aka the experts). It took me a while, but I finally cracked the code. All I can say is, get ready to be showered with praise—your family will be talking about this fried chicken sandwich recipe for days.
P.S. If you’re looking to try your hand at classic bone-in fried chicken, try my fried chicken recipe for juicy meat with a crisp, craggy crust.
“This recipe is ahhhhhhmaaaaazing!! I can’t believe how it literally tastes exactly like a Chic-Fil-A sandwich…My kids were blown away!”
What You’ll Need To Make Fried Chicken Sandwiches
- Chicken breasts: Sliced in half horizontally and pounded thin, this ensures quick, even cooking and the ideal chicken-to-bun ratio.
- Water, salt, and sugar (for the brine): A simple saltwater brine keeps the chicken juicy and well-seasoned all the way through—don’t skip this step, even though it adds time.
- Egg and milk: Forms the wet base that helps the flour mixture cling to the chicken and create those signature craggy, crispy bits.
- All-purpose flour and cornstarch: The combination is key to the crunch—cornstarch fries up lighter and crispier than flour alone.
- Baking powder: Helps the coating puff slightly as it fries, adding extra texture and crunch.
- Garlic powder, pepper, and paprika: Build the savory, well-seasoned flavor in the crust.
- Accent (MSG flavor enhancer): Adds a boost of umami that’s a hallmark of great fried chicken. It’s optional—see the Notes section for a substitution.
- Vegetable or peanut oil: For frying. Either works well; peanut oil has a higher smoke point and a neutral flavor that won’t compete with the seasonings.
- Mayonnaise, barbecue sauce, and Dijon mustard (for the sauce): A quick, tangy-sweet sauce that ties the whole sandwich together—it’s the “secret” that makes these taste like your favorite fast-food version.
- Hamburger buns: Standard buns work great, but a few readers have used sesame brioche buns with excellent results if you want something a little richer.
- Bread and butter pickles: Adds the sweet-tangy crunch that’s essential to a proper fried chicken sandwich.
- Jump to the printable recipe for precise measurements
Step-by-Step Instructions
Step 1: Prepare the chicken. Slice each chicken breast in half horizontally to create two thin cutlets. Gently pound the cutlets to an even thickness, then cut each one in half vertically to make four small, thin pieces per breast. This helps the chicken cook quickly and evenly and prevents the breading from getting too dark before the chicken is cooked through.
Step 2: Brine the chicken. Soak the chicken pieces in the brine for at least 4 hours or overnight. This simple step seasons the meat throughout and helps it stay juicy during frying. When the chicken is finished brining, pat it very dry so the coating adheres well.
Step 3: Bread the chicken. Whisk together the wet ingredients in one bowl and the dry ingredients in another. Drizzle a little of the wet mixture into the flour mixture and work it in with your fingertips to create small clumps—these become the extra-crispy, craggy bits when fried. Working one piece at a time, dip the chicken into the wet mixture, then dredge it in the flour mixture, pressing the coating firmly onto the chicken so it adheres well.
Step 4: Fry until crisp and golden. Keep an eye on the oil temperature as you fry; it will drop when the chicken goes in and rise again as it cooks. Adjust the heat as needed so the coating becomes deeply golden and crisp without browning too quickly. Transfer the fried chicken to a paper towel-lined plate to drain.
Pro Tip: The oil temperature will drop each time you add chicken, so keep an eye on it between batches and adjust the heat as needed to maintain a steady fry.
Step 5: Make the sauce and assemble. Stir together the mayonnaise, BBQ sauce, and mustard until smooth. Spread the sauce on the buns, then top with the crispy chicken and pickles. Serve right away while the chicken is hot and the coating is at its crispiest. For a complete meal, serve the sandwiches with coleslaw, French fries, or potato salad.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I use chicken thighs instead of chicken breasts?
Yes. Boneless, skinless chicken thighs work well and make an especially juicy sandwich. Because thighs vary in size and thickness, pound or trim them as needed so they’re relatively even, and cook until they reach at least 165°F in the center.
Can I make this in an air fryer?
I don’t recommend it for this recipe. The breading here is designed for deep frying and relies on being fully submerged in hot oil to get that signature crispy, craggy texture—an air fryer won’t produce the same result.
Video Tutorial
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Crispy Fried Chicken Sandwiches
Ingredients
For the Chicken
- 3 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (about 1⅓ lbs)
- 2 cups cold water
- 2 tablespoons + ¾ teaspoon salt
- 2 teaspoons sugar
- 4 to 6 cups vegetable or peanut oil, for frying
- 1 large egg
- ½ cup milk
- 1½ cups all-purpose flour
- 3 tablespoons cornstarch
- 1½ teaspoons baking powder
- ¾ teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 tablespoon freshly ground black pepper
- 1 teaspoon Accent flavor enhancer (see note)
- 1 teaspoon paprika
For the Sauce
- ½ cup mayonnaise, best-quality such as Hellmann's or Duke's
- 3 tablespoons store-bought barbecue sauce
- 2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
For the Sandwiches
- 6 hamburger buns
- Bread and butter pickles
Instructions
- Make the chicken: One at a time, place the chicken breasts in a resealable freezer bag; using a meat mallet or rolling pin, pound them to an even ¼-in (6-mm) thickness. Cut each pounded breast in half. (If the pieces seem too large to fit in a bun, trim off the pointy ends; you can cook those as chicken nuggets at the same time you're cooking the breasts.)
- Pour the cold water into a medium bowl; add the 2 tablespoons of the salt and the sugar and whisk until dissolved. Place the chicken breasts in the brine, cover the bowl, and refrigerate for at least 4 hours or overnight (the longer you brine, the saltier the chicken will be).
- Line a plate with a few layers of paper towels and set it next to the stove. Pour the oil into a large, high-sided pot or Dutch oven until it reaches a depth of about 1 in (2.5 cm). Heat the oil over medium-high heat until shimmering (about 350°F/175°C). (If the end of a wooden spoon or cube of bread sizzles vigorously when you dip it in, the oil is hot enough.)
- In a medium bowl, whisk the egg and milk until evenly combined.
- In another medium bowl, whisk the flour, cornstarch, baking powder, garlic powder, pepper, Accent, paprika, and the remaining ¾ teaspoon salt. Drizzle 4 tablespoons of the egg mixture into the flour mixture and mix with a fork until the flour mixture is evenly clumpy.
- Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil for easy cleanup. Remove the chicken from the brine and pat dry with paper towels. One at a time, dip each breast into the egg mixture, letting any excess drip off, and then into the flour mixture, turning a few times and pressing firmly so that the clumps adhere. Set the breaded chicken on the lined baking sheet and repeat with the remaining breasts.
- Carefully place a few pieces of breaded chicken into the hot oil without crowding the pot. Cook, turning a few times, until golden brown and crispy on both sides, 4 to 5 minutes total. Place the cooked chicken on the paper towel-lined plate to drain. Fry the remaining breasts in the same manner, adjusting the heat as necessary to maintain the temperature of the oil.
- Make the sauce: In a small bowl, whisk together the mayoanniase, barbecue sauce, and mustard.
- Assemble the sandwiches: Spread some of the sauce on each top and bottom bun. Top each bottom bun with a piece of crispy chicken and a few pickles. Close the sandwiches and serve immediately.
Notes
- Accent is an MSG flavor enhancer that enhances the savory, umami flavors of foods. You can find it in the spice section of the supermarket. I love the flavor it adds, but if you would prefer, you can omit it and increase the salt in the breading to one heaping teaspoon
- A deep-frying thermometer isn’t a must, but it really does help maintain the proper temperature for frying, which ensures that the breading is crispy and sticks to the chicken.
- Nutritional information was calculated assuming that approximately ¼ cup (60 ml) of the oil is absorbed into the chicken tenders when frying.
- Make-Ahead/Freezing Instructions: The sauce can be made 3 days ahead and refrigerated.
Nutrition Information
This website is written and produced for informational purposes only. I am not a certified nutritionist and the nutritional data on this site has not been evaluated or approved by a nutritionist or the Food and Drug Administration. Nutritional information is offered as a courtesy and should not be construed as a guarantee. The data is calculated through an online nutritional calculator, Edamam.com. Although I do my best to provide accurate nutritional information, these figures should be considered estimates only. Varying factors such as product types or brands purchased, natural fluctuations in fresh produce, and the way ingredients are processed change the effective nutritional information in any given recipe. Furthermore, different online calculators provide different results depending on their own nutrition fact sources and algorithms. To obtain the most accurate nutritional information in a given recipe, you should calculate the nutritional information with the actual ingredients used in your recipe, using your preferred nutrition calculator.
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Hello! I love your recipes and would love to try this one. It seems like some of the best recipes call for milk or buttermilk when making fried chicken. We keep kosher, therefore we cannot mix meat and dairy. Is there a non-dairy substitute that will work instead of milk or buttermilk for fried chicken?
Hi Cherie, so glad you liked the recipes! You could try substituting beer, water, or nondairy milk. Please LMK how the chicken turns out if you try it!
I also keep Kosher and have had great success substituting whatever non-dairy milk I happen to have on hand; coconut milk, oat milk, and almond milk will all work. Hope this helps!
Jen, is there a substitute for the Accent/MSG or can it be omitted? I don’t think that is available where I live (Portugal).
Hi Diane, You can omit it and increase the salt in the breading to one heaping teaspoon. Hope you enjoy!
Excited to try this; what pickle should I buy that is closest to Chik Fil A
Honestly, I’m not sure which brand is closest, but I think if you buy any quality brand, you’ll enjoy.
This recipe is excellent! The coating turns out very crispy and light. Best fried chicken recipe I have found, and I have been trying for a few years now. The only negative is the lack of seasoning. KFC uses 11 herbs and spices for a reason! I added 1/2 t oregano, thyme, ginger, garlic, mustard powder , paprika and MSG.
I’m hoping just cutting the breast’s in half length wise instead of the pounding flat and cutting would be equal. I know the pounding flat may tenderize but it’s a step I prefer to avoid. Can’t wait to try this out. I have yrs of professional cooking experience and years of home cooking experience and I just never go wrong choosing your recipes to try. Thanks for being a solid cook.
We made this chicken today (without brining) and ate it with a traditional german potato salad. Delicious! The seasoning was just perfect and despite shallow-frying the breading held up really well. Husband said it’s one of the best fried chicken he’s had (and he’s had a LOT of fried food in his life :D)
Hello I’m in the process of making this recipe.
Can I freeze the chicken pieces once I coated them with the flour mixture?
Hi Adeela, I’ve never done it but I think you could.
I would recommend heating your oil last. Letting it sit heating for so long is a fire hazard. Not sure why it’s step 3.
Jenn,
I use a lot of your recipes and they are all great, but I had to take the time to tell you that you absolutely outdid yourself with this one! Deeply flavorful and perfectly crispy-crunchy… my chef husband was wowed, and trust me when I say it is not easy to wow him! I am already looking forward to trying this recipe for chicken tenders.
After searching so many different recipe’s looking for the best one we’ve found it. Right here. This is so good! I raise my own chicken so my healthy happy chicken combined with this recipe is so good! We now even make our wings with that breading & seasoning as well. Amazing! I only change the amount of pepper and garlic powder. I go a little heavier than called for but that’s everyone’s personal preference.
Awesome!
Wow, this was so yummy! I was nervous about making it because it was my first time frying chicken, thank you for the easy to follow instructions. I only used one chicken breast because it was huge and made enough for four sandwiches. It had the perfect crunch and the chicken was juicy, this will be my go to recipe. 🫶🏽🫶🏽