Super Crispy Fried Chicken Sandwich
This "Wicked Easy" crispy chicken sandwich uses boneless, skinless chicken thigh meat that has been marinated in a spiced dill pickle brine to make sure the inside is moist and flavorful, while the outside is super crispy!
This super-crispy fried chicken sandwich is served on a toasted brioche bun, topped with dill pickle chips, two sauces, and a cool, crunchy slaw!
To start, place the boneless, skinless chicken thighs in a bowl, and top with the spiced dill pickle brine. Mix well until chicken is evenly coated with the brine mixture. Cover or place into a Ziplock gallon-sized bag, and then store in the refrigerator for 8 hours or overnight. If rushed, the minimum amount of time would be 2 hours.
In a bowl, whisk the eggs. In another bowl, pour in the Panko breadcrumbs. Remove the brined chicken thighs from their container and dredge them first in the beaten eggs, shaking off the excess. Then set the chicken in the Panko breadcrumbs and flip a few times to thoroughly coat the outside.
As the brined chicken thighs get breaded, stored them on a separate plate. Make sure the pieces are totally covered with the breadcrumbs and there are no bald spots. When all are breaded, discard any leftover brine.
Use a heavy and deep pot or Dutch oven for the deep frying. Pour the oil of your choice (vegetable, Canola, peanut, etc.) into the pan until it is half-full. Do not over fill because the hot oil will rise when the chicken is added and you don’t want it to overflow! For the perfect fry, heat the oil to 350 degrees F and keep it at that temperature during cooking.
When the oil reaches 350*F, carefully place the breaded chicken into the hot oil, making sure not to overcrowd the pan. Cook, adjusting the heat as needed to maintain the 350*F temperature.
Cook the chicken pieces until the internal temperature reaches 165*F and the Panko crust is golden brown. Remove the cooked chicken from the oil and place on an absorbent towel to soak up the excess grease. You can place it into a preheated oven to keep warm if necessary while you fry the remaining chicken.
Before assembling the chicken sandwiches, you will need to prepare the other ingredients. One of the sauces I like to serve with my chicken sandwiches is Bang Bang Sauce (click for recipe). It is made by mixing mayonnaise, sweet Thai chili sauce, Sriracha, and honey.
Since this crispy fried chicken sandwich is based on the Chick-fil-A sandwich, the second sauce I like to use is the classic Chick-fil-A sauce. You can easily make this sauce yourself or purchase it in your local supermarket! Click here for the Homemade Chick-Fil-A sauce recipe!
Coleslaw is the perfect accompaniment to a fried chicken sandwich! You can purchase a ready-made version at your local grocery store or make it yourself from scratch! Here is a Wicked Easy coleslaw recipe that you can use – Sweet & Creamy Coleslaw Recipe
I think brioche makes the best hamburger buns for chicken sandwiches. However, I like to brush them with melted butter and then grill them slightly before assembling the sandwiches.
Place the buttered brioche buns, cut side down, onto a hot sauté pan until they are toasted and golden brown.
To assemble the crispy fried chicken sandwich, spread one of the two sauces on one half of the toasted brioche bun and the other sauce on the other half. Add the sliced dill pickle chips to one side and the fried chicken portion to the other. Then top the fried chicken with the prepared coleslaw.
The finished sandwich that you just have to try! Seasoning boneless, skinless chicken thighs with a classic Southern fried chicken spice blend and dill pickle brine makes for one of the juiciest, crunchiest fried chicken sandwiches you will ever have!
My son Finnegan is a lover of fried chicken sandwiches, and he gives his thumbs-up, stamp-of-approval for this recipe. He ate two full sandwiches during filming and debated having a third because they were so good!
Super-Crispy Fried Chicken Sandwich
This super crispy chicken sandwich uses boneless, skinless chicken thighs that have been seasoned with a classic Southern fried chicken spice blend and a dill pickle brine to make sure the inside is moist and juicy while the outside is super crispy! The golden-brown chicken is then served on a toasted Brioche bun and topped with dill pickle chips, two sauces, and a cool, crunchy slaw!
Equipment
- 1 Large bowl or Ziplock bag
- 2 Medium bowls
- 1 pot for frying
- 1 tongs
- 1 saute pan
- 1 Thermometer
Ingredients
- ½ cup Dill pickle juice / brine
- 1 tbsp Salt
- 1 tsp Paprika
- ½ tsp Black pepper
- ⅛ tsp Cayenne pepper
- ½ tsp Garlic powder
- ½ tsp Onion powder
- 4 each Boneless, skinless chicken thighs (Approximately 6 ounces each)
- 2 each Eggs
- 1 cup Panko breadcrumbs
- As Needed Vegetable Oil (For frying)
- 4 each Brioche hamburger buns
- 4 tbsp Bang Bang Sauce (See recipe in blog)
- 1 cup Coleslaw (See recipe in blog)
- 4 tbsp Chick-fil-A sauce (See recipe in blog)
- 24 each Dill pickle chips
Instructions
- Stir together the pickle juice / brine, salt, paprika, black pepper, cayenne pepper, garlic powder, and onion powder in a small bowl. Place the boneless, skinless chicken thighs in a gallon-size Ziploc plastic bag. Pour in the spiced pickle bring mixture, seal bag, and massage until chicken is evenly coated with the spiced bring mixture. Place the bag in the refrigerator and let marinate for at least 8 hours or overnight. If you are in a hurry, try to at least marinate for a minimum of 2 hours.
- When ready to cook the chicken, pour the vegetable oil into a heavy and deep pot or Dutch oven and fill about halfway. Then heat the oil on medium high heat until it reaches a temperature of 350℉.
- In a bowl, whisk the eggs together. Put the Panko breadcrumbs in another bowl. Remove chicken from the brine and discard the brine. Dredge the chicken thighs in the eggs, shaking off the excess. Then set the chicken into the Panko breadcrumbs and flip it a few times to thoroughly coat the outside surface. Place the fully breaded chicken thigh onto a plate or small sheet pan.
- When the frying oil has reached 350℉, carefully place a breaded chicken thigh into the hot oil, making sure not to overcrowd the pan. Cook for approximately 5 minutes or until the Panko looks golden brown. Remove the cooked chicken from the oil when it has reached an internal temperature of 165℉ and place on to some absorbent paper covering a plate.
- Brush an even layer of melted butter on each side of the Brioche buns and toast in a preheated sauté pan. Prepare or purchase the sauces and the coleslaw.
- To assemble the sandwiches, spread a tablespoon of Bang Bang sauce on the toasted bottom bun. Top with a piece of the fried chicken and then a quarter cup of the prepared coleslaw. Spread a tablespoon of the Chick-fil-A sauce on the toasted top bun and top with 4 to 6 dill pickle chips. Place the top bun onto the covered bottom bun and serve.
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