Just when we thought summer would end without new a food trend, the great Chicken Sandwich craze happened – skip the lines with our at home version! Tender juicy brined chicken with a deliciously crispy coating served on a lightly toasted bun.
Enjoy this tasty chicken sandwich anytime you want – and serve with your favorite signature sides, like coleslaw, onion rings, and a homemade biscuit for the full take-out experience!
The Chicken Sandwich Craze
If you’ve been following the news, you’ve probably heard all about it, but the popular fried chicken chain that hails from the south, Popeye’s, debuted its new fried chicken sandwich. With some clever tweets, in no time at all, curious eaters were lining up to get a taste of this extra crunchy delight!
The craze got so big that one customer posted his for sale on eBay for a whopper (pun intended!) of a price at $350.00! This chicken sandwich sold out in record time.
I’ve partnered with Argo Cornstarch to bring you the best crispy chicken sandwich! Instead of waiting for the highly anticipated return of the Popeye’s, skip the lines and make it at home!
How to Make a Crispy Chicken Sandwich
The best recipes are made right at home including our version of a crispy chicken sandwich! With a simple brine, and the triple dipped coating featuring Argo cornstarch, achieving the crispiest chicken is so simple to do!
1. Brine chicken breasts (per recipe below) and set aside.
2. Mix Argo Cornstarch with flour and seasonings. This mixture will create both a dredge and a wet batter.
3. Remove chicken from the brine, dip in the dry dredge, dip in the wet batter and then back into the dry mixture. (TLDR: Dry, wet, dry, fry).
4. Fry until crispy, 3-4 minutes per side.
How to Make Fried Chicken Crispy
The dredge and batter for this chicken sandwich is made with cornstarch which expands when it is added to a liquid and to create the perfect crispy, crunchy coating for this sandwich.
CHICKEN BREASTS
- If your chicken breasts are large, cut them in half.
- Pound the thicker end to 1/2″ to 3/4″ thick so they cook evenly.
BATTER
- Dredge the chicken breasts into the dry mixture first; this helps the wet batter adhere.
- The wet batter should be about the consistency of pancake batter.
- A second dip into the dry mixture before frying adds great flavor and crunch to the sandwich.
FRYING CHICKEN
- Ensure oil is hot (350°F) using a deep fry thermometer.
- When adding the chicken, the temperature can drop so increase the temperature if needed to keep the oil at 350°F.
- Drain on paper towels, keep warm in a 250°F oven if you need to make several batches.
How Long to Fry Chicken
Fry each chicken breast until golden brown on both sides, about 3 to 4 minutes on each side. Make sure the internal temperature is 165°F. Remove cooked pieces and drain on paper towels.
To assemble crispy chicken sandwiches, toast the sesame seed buns in the broiler after brushing them with butter. Spread some mayonnaise on each half, add lettuce, pickles, and of course the chicken.
Voila! A tasty crispy chicken sandwich and you didn’t have to leave the house or wait in any lines for!
Chicken Sandwich Toppings
There are all kinds of great toppings for chicken sandwiches! Why not try some thinly sliced, sautéed yellow onions or a spoonful of coleslaw? Of course, a thick slice of Provolone or Swiss cheese will add a creamy element to the flavor. Even a few sliced jalapeños kick it up a bit! Ripe tomatoes, honey mustard sauce… anything goes!
More Breaded Chicken Goodness
- Easy Chicken Parmesan – classic Italian flavors
- Fried Chicken and Waffles – crunchy satisfying breakfast or supper!
- Oven Fried Chicken – crispy, juicy flavor without frying!
- Dorito Chicken Tenders – only 4 ingredients
- Crispy Parmesan Crusted Chicken – crispy, crunchy coating
Ingredients
Brine
- 1 quart water
- ¼ cup kosher salt
- ¼ cup granulated sugar
Sandwich
- 4 boneless skinless chicken breasts
- 4 sesame seed buns
- 4 tablespoons butter
- 2 cups shredded iceberg lettuce
- ¼ cup mayonnaise
- dill pickle slices
- 3 quarts vegetable oil for frying
Batter
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- ¾ cup Argo® Corn Starch
- 1 teaspoon Argo® Baking Powder
- 4 teaspoons black pepper
- 2 teaspoons kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- ½ teaspoon cayenne pepper
- ¾ cup cold water
Instructions
Brine
- Pound chicken to ½" - ¾" thick (just to make sure it's even). Combine all brine ingredients in a large bowl until sugar/salt are dissolved. Add chicken, cover and refrigerate 1 hour.
Chicken
- Combine flour, corn starch, baking powder and seasonings in a bowl. Remove ¾ cup of this flour mixture and place in a shallow pan (this is the dry dredge).
- Add ¾ cup cold water to the remaining flour mixture and whisk until smooth. *see note
- Heat oil over medium heat to 350°F in a Dutch oven or deep pan.
- Remove chicken breasts from the brine; pat dry with paper towels. Discard the brine.
- Dip the chicken breasts into dry mixture, shaking off any excess and then into the batter ensuring it's coated on both sides. Allow excess batter to drip off. Dip back into the dry mixture to gently coat.
- Carefully place chicken in the hot oil (ensuring it stays at 350°F). Cook until the chicken coating is a deep golden brown and the internal temperature reaches 165°F, about 3-4 minutes per side (depending on thickness).
- Remove from oil and place chicken on a paper towel lined plate to drain.
To Assemble
- Butter each sesame seed bun and toast under the broiler just until golden.
- Spread 2 tablespoons mayonnaise over the bottom of each roll. Top with lettuce, pickles, and crispy chicken.
Notes
Nutrition Information
Nutrition information provided is an estimate and will vary based on cooking methods and brands of ingredients used.
Course Chicken, Main Course
Cuisine American© SpendWithPennies.com. Content and photographs are copyright protected. Sharing of this recipe is both encouraged and appreciated. Copying and/or pasting full recipes to any social media is strictly prohibited. Please view my photo use policy here.
I am excited to have partnered with Argo Cornstarch to bring you this belly warming recipe. While I was compensated for this post, all thoughts and opinions are my own. Working with great brands I love allows me to keep bringing you the great recipes you love!
I’m a 65 yr. old male who who lives on a small pension and can’t spend much money on a lot of spices, as a matter of fact I have no idea as to how to use them but I love the food you show, also I’m not a cook by any means.
Thanks Richard! So happy you enjoy them :)
EVERYONE at the dinner table loved this meal! Lots of picky eaters, but they all ate it up! And my middle son swears it is the same exact recipe as Shake Shack. I am intimidated by recipes that require frying, but this was super easy! Next time I will double the recipe for the batter so I will have left overs. Thanks!
Yay Jennifer!! So glad your family loved it!
Our new favorite sandwich! Thanks for the recipe!!!
The whole family loved it!
Right amount of crunch and spice.
Love this recipe!
The best ever!!! Been trying to find a recipe that keeps chicken crispy. Unbelievable!!!!
Thanks Holly, since the sodium content was of concern to me. I made these sandwiches w/o brining them, since the chicken we usually buy (unless it’s labeled “Not Enhanced”) is already injected with a salty brine solution. The sandwiches came out perfectly breaded & very tasty! I’ll be making them often. No need to drive to “Chick-Fill-A”! Thanks SO much for this great recipe :-)
So happy you loved them Angelina!
I made this tonight and my four kids all LOVED it. Coating was crispy and well seasoned- I left out the cayenne bc they don’t like spicy food. I only brined for half an hour and chicken was still plenty juicy and delicious. Thanks for this awesome recipe!
Nice recipe
This recipe is AMAZING! Chicken came out really crispy and tender. Put some pickles and honey mustard on my sandwich and it was amazing.
Oh boy, that is so awesome Jennifer.
Delicious! I used the suggestion of another commenter and used half the salt and it came out perfect! Better than any chicken sandwich I’ve had a restaurant.
So happy to hear that Denise!
Fantastic fried chicken recipe!! I made a homemade remoulade sauce to go with it. Thank you for sharing this easy and delicious recipe!
So glad you enjoyed it Natalie!
Do you think I’d be able to cook to cook these in the air fryer?
Unfortunately, a wet batter won’t work in the air fryer.
Do you think I’d be able to cook to cook these in the air fryer?
Unfortunately, wet batter doesn’t do well in the airfyer.
made this tonight and I thought it was too salty and had too much pepper. I think I should have cut back on the salt in the batter mixture since there was salt in the brine. Will do that next time and only use one teaspoon on black pepper. Did fry up nice and crispy though.
Glad they came out nice and crispy for you!
Love to receive your recipe’s
Thanks Sharon! So happy to hear that!
Loving some of the recipes on here b would love to get everyday. just went out and bought a crispy chicken sandwich for $8.00. I love to cook so let’s do it !!!!!
Thank you Jill, I hope you love this as much as we do! To receive our daily newsletters, you can sign up here or scroll down to the bottom of the post and you will see a green signup box.
Hi Holly, I would like to use my deep fryer for this chicken, with temp at 350, how long in deep fryer would you suggest?
I would suggest the same amount of time, 3-4 minutes per side.
Can I brine the chicken for longer? Was wanting to put chicken in brine in the morning before work and then cook when I get home? 8 or 9 hours? I have never brined before!
I haven’t tried brining the chicken for longer so I can’t say for sure. If chicken is brined too long it can become mushy in texture. I would suggest brining it when you get home as you prepare the batter and heat the oil.
!!