Fried Chicken Sandwich Recipe
Crispy, juicy, and loaded with flavor, this fried chicken sandwich recipe delivers all the goodness of your fast food favorites—no buttermilk needed. Simple to make and totally satisfying.
- Prep Time: 30 minutes
- Cook Time: 20 minutes
- Total Time: 50 minutes + 4 hours to brine the chicken
- Yield: 6 sandwiches 1x
- Category: Sandwich
- Method: Fried (Air fryer optional)
- Cuisine: American
Ingredients
Scale
3 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (about 1⅓ pounds)
2 cups cold water
2 tablespoons + ¾ teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons sugar
4–6 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 black pepper
1 teaspoon Accent flavor enhancer (optional)
1 teaspoon paprika
½ cup good-quality mayo
3 tablespoons barbecue sauce
2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
6 hamburger buns, toasted
Bread-and-butter pickles
Instructions
- Pound each chicken breast in a freezer bag to ¼-inch thickness. Cut in half.
- In a bowl, mix water, 2 tbsp salt, and sugar. Brine chicken at least 4 hours or overnight.
- Heat oil in a high-sided pot to 350°F.
- Whisk egg and milk in one bowl. In another, combine flour, cornstarch, baking powder, garlic powder, pepper, Accent (if using), paprika, and ¾ tsp salt.
- Drizzle 4 tbsp egg mixture into flour. Stir with fork until clumps form.
- Dry chicken. Dip in egg mix, then dredge in flour, pressing firmly to coat.
- Fry in batches 4–5 mins until golden and crisp. Drain on paper towels.
- For sauce, whisk mayo, BBQ sauce, and mustard.
- Assemble sandwiches: Sauce both buns, add chicken and pickles, close it up.
Notes
- If you’re goin’ air fryer: Spray chicken well with oil, fry at 375°F till crispy.
- No Accent? No sweat—just bump up the salt a bit.
- Sauce keeps in the fridge 3 days. It’s even better the next day.
- Let the breaded chicken sit 10 minutes before frying—it helps the crust hold.
- Got leftovers? Reheat in the oven, not the microwave, to keep the crunch.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 sandwich
- Calories: 628kcal
- Sugar: 7g
- Sodium: 742mg
- Fat: 21g
- Saturated Fat: 4g
- Carbohydrates: 55g
- Fiber: 2g
- Protein: 32g
- Cholesterol: 114mg