Crispy Chicken Sandwich Recipe
There are few things more satisfying than biting into a truly magnificent crispy chicken sandwich. We’re not talking about a limp, sad piece of chicken between two slices of bread. We’re talking about a sandwich with architectural integrity: a shatteringly crisp, flavour-packed coating on the chicken, which is impossibly juicy inside, all tucked into a soft brioche bun with a tangy slaw and a creamy, spicy sauce. This was inspired by a dish I had at a little café in Brighton, and I’ve been chasing that perfect combination of crunch, spice, and tenderness ever since. I’m delighted to say, I think we’ve cracked it.
This Crispy Chicken Sandwich Recipe is the result of much delicious experimentation in my kitchen. It’s the kind of meal that makes a Friday night in feel like a real treat. We’re using a simple but effective buttermilk brine to guarantee succulent chicken, and a double dredging technique to create that all-important craggy, crunchy crust. It’s a bit more involved than just grilling a chicken breast, but the payoff is immense. Every single component, from the seasoned flour to the punchy sauce, is designed to work in harmony.
This recipe is ideal when you want to make something a bit special without spending all day in the kitchen. It’s for those evenings when you crave something hearty, satisfying, and deeply flavourful. It’s the kind of sandwich recipe that always gets compliments and will have everyone asking when you’re making it again.
Recipe Overview
This recipe guides you through creating the ultimate crispy chicken sandwich from scratch. We’ll focus on a buttermilk marinade to tenderise the chicken, a well-seasoned flour coating for a craggy, flavourful crust, and a simple but zesty slaw and sauce to cut through the richness. After testing this recipe five times, I finally got the spice blend in the flour just right – it has a gentle warmth without being overpowering. The result is a balanced, texturally exciting sandwich that truly delivers.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes (+ 1 hour brining)
- Cook Time: 15 minutes
- Total Time: 1 hour 35 minutes
- Servings: 4 people
- Difficulty: Medium
Why You’ll Love This Crispy Chicken Sandwich Recipe
- Outrageously Good Texture: The double-dredge technique creates an incredibly craggy, crunchy coating that stays crisp, perfectly contrasting with the tender, juicy chicken breast inside.
- Comes Together in Under an Hour (Active Time): While the chicken brines for an hour, the active prep and cook time is around 35 minutes, making it a manageable weekend project.
- Flexible & Adaptable: You can easily adjust the spice level in the sauce and the flour coating. Swap the brioche for a potato roll, or add different pickles. It’s your sandwich, after all!
- Great for a Casual Get-Together: This is a brilliant main course for a relaxed evening with friends. Serve with a bowl of chips and a few craft beers for a fantastic meal.
- Family Tested: My teenage son, who considers himself a chicken sandwich connoisseur, declared this the best he’s ever had. That’s a glowing endorsement in our house!
Ingredients You’ll Need
For this recipe, the quality of your chicken and the freshness of your spices make all the difference. I recommend using good quality, free-range chicken breasts. For the paprika, I always use a smoked variety, like La Chinata, as it adds a wonderful depth of flavour that regular paprika just can’t match.
- For the Chicken:
- 4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (about 150g each)
- 300ml buttermilk
- 1 tbsp hot sauce (I use Frank’s RedHot)
- 1 litre vegetable or sunflower oil, for frying
- For the Coating:
- 250g plain flour
- 50g cornflour
- 2 tsp smoked paprika
- 2 tsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp onion powder
- 1 tsp cayenne pepper (or to taste)
- 2 tsp fine sea salt
- 1 tsp freshly ground black pepper
- For the Spicy Mayo:
- 150g mayonnaise
- 2 tbsp sriracha or other chilli sauce
- 1 tsp lime juice
- For Assembly:
- 4 brioche buns, lightly toasted
- Dill pickles, sliced
- A handful of crisp lettuce, like iceberg or little gem
Kira’s Tip: Don’t have buttermilk? You can make a quick substitute by adding 1 tablespoon of lemon juice or white vinegar to 300ml of whole milk. Let it stand for 5-10 minutes until it curdles slightly. It works beautifully.
How to Make This Crispy Chicken Sandwich Recipe
The process is straightforward. We’ll brine the chicken, prepare our coating and sauce, and then fry the chicken until it’s perfectly golden and crisp. The key is to have everything prepped and ready to go before you start frying – what chefs call ‘mise en place’.
- Brine the Chicken: Place the chicken breasts between two sheets of baking parchment and gently pound them to an even thickness of about 1.5cm. This ensures they cook evenly. In a medium bowl, whisk together the buttermilk and hot sauce. Add the chicken breasts, ensuring they are fully submerged. Cover and refrigerate for at least 1 hour, or up to 4.
- Prepare the Coating & Sauce: While the chicken is brining, prepare the other components. In a wide, shallow dish, whisk together the plain flour, cornflour, smoked paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, cayenne pepper, salt, and black pepper. In a small bowl, mix the mayonnaise, sriracha, and lime juice for the spicy mayo. Cover and pop in the fridge.
- Heat the Oil: Pour the oil into a large, heavy-bottomed saucepan or Dutch oven until it’s about 5cm deep. Heat over a medium-high heat to 175°C. If you don’t have a thermometer, you can test it by dropping a small cube of bread into the oil; it should turn golden brown in about 30-40 seconds.
- Dredge the Chicken: Set up your dredging station. Take one piece of chicken from the buttermilk, letting the excess drip off. Dredge it thoroughly in the seasoned flour mixture, pressing down firmly to ensure it’s completely coated. For an extra crispy crust, I find it’s best to dip it back into the buttermilk briefly, and then dredge it in the flour a second time. This double-dredge method is explained well on sites like Serious Eats and it creates those lovely craggy bits. Place the coated chicken on a wire rack and repeat with the remaining pieces.
- Fry the Chicken: Carefully place two pieces of chicken into the hot oil, ensuring not to overcrowd the pan. Fry for 4-6 minutes per side, turning once, until deep golden brown, crisp, and cooked through. The internal temperature should reach 74°C.
- Rest the Chicken: Once cooked, remove the chicken from the oil using tongs and place it back on the wire rack to drain. Sprinkle immediately with a tiny pinch of extra salt. Let it rest for a couple of minutes while you fry the remaining two pieces.
- Assemble Your Sandwich: Now for the best part! Toast your brioche buns. Spread a generous layer of the spicy mayo on the bottom bun. Top with some crisp lettuce, followed by the crispy chicken fillet, and finally, a few slices of dill pickle. Place the top bun on and serve immediately.
Tips From My Kitchen
- Temperature Control is Key: The oil temperature is crucial. If it’s too low, the chicken will absorb too much oil and become greasy. If it’s too high, the coating will burn before the chicken is cooked through. Use a thermometer for best results, and allow the oil to come back up to temperature between batches.
- The Secret Step: After you’ve mixed your dry ingredients for the coating, drizzle in about a tablespoon of the buttermilk brine and whisk it through with a fork. This creates little clumps in the flour that will stick to the chicken, forming an extra-craggy, super-crisp crust. I learned that this little trick makes a huge difference.
- Make-Ahead: You can make the spicy mayo up to 3 days in advance and store it in an airtight container in the fridge. The chicken can be brined for up to 4 hours ahead of time.
- Storage: This chicken sandwich is best eaten immediately. If you do have leftovers, store the cooked chicken fillets in the fridge for up to 2 days. Reheat in an oven or air fryer at 190°C (170°C fan) for 10-15 minutes to regain some of the crispness. Avoid the microwave at all costs!
Common Mistakes to Avoid
- Overcrowding the pan: Frying too many pieces of chicken at once will cause the oil temperature to drop dramatically, resulting in soggy, greasy chicken. Fry in batches of two for the best results.
- Wrong oil temperature: As mentioned, frying at the correct temperature (175°C) is non-negotiable for a crisp, golden-brown crust and perfectly cooked chicken. Use a cooking thermometer to monitor it.
- Skipping the rest time: Allowing the chicken to rest on a wire rack for a few minutes after frying is important. It lets the juices redistribute within the meat, ensuring it’s succulent, and also allows excess oil to drain away.
What to Serve With This Crispy Chicken Sandwich Recipe
This sandwich is a star in its own right, but a few well-chosen sides can elevate the meal. Here are some of my go-to pairings:
- Crispy Fries: A classic pairing for a reason. My Crispy Sweet Potato Fries Recipe works wonderfully, as their slight sweetness contrasts nicely with the spicy chicken.
- Creamy Coleslaw: A simple, creamy coleslaw provides a cool, crunchy counterpoint to the hot, crispy chicken.
- A Cold Beer: A crisp, cold lager or a hoppy IPA is the perfect drink to cut through the richness of the fried chicken. For a non-alcoholic option, a sharp, fizzy lemonade is fantastic.
Frequently Asked Questions
Crispy Chicken Sandwich Recipe
Ingredients
Method
- Brine the Chicken: Place the chicken breasts between two sheets of baking parchment and gently pound them to an even thickness of about 1.5cm. This ensures they cook evenly. In a medium bowl, whisk together the buttermilk and hot sauce. Add the chicken breasts, ensuring they are fully submerged. Cover and refrigerate for at least 1 hour, or up to 4.
- Prepare the Coating & Sauce: While the chicken is brining, prepare the other components. In a wide, shallow dish, whisk together the plain flour, cornflour, smoked paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, cayenne pepper, salt, and black pepper. In a small bowl, mix the mayonnaise, sriracha, and lime juice for the spicy mayo. Cover and pop in the fridge.
- Heat the Oil: Pour the oil into a large, heavy-bottomed saucepan or Dutch oven until it's about 5cm deep. Heat over a medium-high heat to 175°C. If you don't have a thermometer, you can test it by dropping a small cube of bread into the oil; it should turn golden brown in about 30-40 seconds.
- Dredge the Chicken: Set up your dredging station. Take one piece of chicken from the buttermilk, letting the excess drip off. Dredge it thoroughly in the seasoned flour mixture, pressing down firmly to ensure it's completely coated. For an extra crispy crust, I find it's best to dip it back into the buttermilk briefly, and then dredge it in the flour a second time. This double-dredge method is explained well on sites like Serious Eats and it creates those lovely craggy bits. Place the coated chicken on a wire rack and repeat with the remaining pieces.
- Fry the Chicken: Carefully place two pieces of chicken into the hot oil, ensuring not to overcrowd the pan. Fry for 4-6 minutes per side, turning once, until deep golden brown, crisp, and cooked through. The internal temperature should reach 74°C.
- Rest the Chicken: Once cooked, remove the chicken from the oil using tongs and place it back on the wire rack to drain. Sprinkle immediately with a tiny pinch of extra salt. Let it rest for a couple of minutes while you fry the remaining two pieces.
- Assemble Your Sandwich: Now for the best part! Toast your brioche buns. Spread a generous layer of the spicy mayo on the bottom bun. Top with some crisp lettuce, followed by the crispy chicken fillet, and finally, a few slices of dill pickle. Place the top bun on and serve immediately.
Notes
I really hope you give this Crispy Chicken Sandwich Recipe a try. It’s one of those recipes that brings so much joy and satisfaction, and it truly is worth the little bit of extra effort. It has become a firm favourite in my house, and I think it will in yours too. If you do make it, please leave a comment below and let me know how you got on. I love hearing from you!
– Kira
