This crispy fried chicken sandwich is just like your favorite fast-food takeout, but made so easy at home. Chicken is coated in a simple flavorful breading, fried, and then topped with the best Chick Fil A Sauce. If you are looking for a chicken sandwich you can easily make on a weeknight, this is it!
Chick-fil-A is one of my husband’s very favorite restaurants. But we love making our own recipes at home, so much more than really any takeout. So naturally, we needed to replicate their famous fried chicken sandwich.
For the base and method, I used my delicious Chicken Nugget Recipe with some added spices. The result is the best chicken sandwich that I know your house will love. I love this with my Chick-fil-A Sauce (I could put that on everything) and some pickles, just like the original. But it is also amazing with lettuce and tomatoes.
Why this Recipe Works
- Thin-cut chicken: Cutting chicken into cutlets allows for a quick frying time. The breading gets crisp in the same time that the chicken cooks through.
- Flour and egg only breading: A combination of an egg wash and seasoned flour breading is perfect for creating a crisp exterior while locking in the moisture of the lean chicken breast.
- Double breading: The chicken goes through two rounds of breading: egg wash 👉🏻 seasoned flour 👉🏻 egg wash 👉🏻 seasoned flour. This double breading creates a nice, thick coating that is crisp and adheres well to the chicken. It is the same foundation you’d find in a professional kitchen.
- The five-minute rest: After breading it, we let the chicken rest for five minutes. This allows the flour mixture and the egg wash to truly combine and adhere to the chicken.
Crispy Chicken Sandwich Ingredients
- Chicken breasts: Butterflied open and cut into cutlets, these fry quickly. You can read more about how to cut chicken into cutlets and pound them thin in my recipe for How to Make Chicken Cutlets.
- Flour: All-purpose flour breads the chicken with a crispy exterior.
- Eggs: Help the flour mixture stick to the chicken.
- Seasonings: A combination of paprika, garlic powder, chili powder, and black pepper adds great flavor to the breading.
- Vegetable oil: Frying the breaded chicken in hot oil is how it gets its nice, crispy crunch with each bite. Use an instant-read thermometer to ensure the oil stays at 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
How to Make a Crispy Fried Chicken Sandwich
Here is a brief overview of how this crispy chicken sandwich recipe comes together. Be sure to scroll to the recipe card at the bottom of the post for the full recipe, including all measurements.
Prepare the Chicken
Cut the chicken into cutlets. Pat your chicken very dry and season each side with salt and pepper. Be sure each piece is 1/4 inch thick. You can read all my steps with detailed photos in How to Make Chicken Cutlets.
Bread the Chicken
Dip the chicken first in the whisked eggs, coating it fully. Then dip in the seasoned flour mixture. Dip the chicken back in the eggs and then back into the flour mixture.
Let the Chicken Rest
This is a critical step. It allows the flour mixture and egg wash to truly combine and adhere to the chicken. This, along with making sure the chicken is dry from the start, will keep the breading from falling off during frying.
Cook the Chicken
Fry the chicken two at a time in your skillet for four minutes on each side, or until the chicken reaches 165 degrees Fahrenheit and is golden brown.
Make the Sandwiches
Lightly toast the buns. Add some Chick-fil-A Sauce to the bottom bun, then add some pickles and top with the chicken. Add more sauce and top with the top of the bun.
Key to Success: Controlling Oil Temperature
Frying recipes can feel intimidating, but there really is no need for them to feel that way. The major key to success is keeping the oil in the right temperature range, right around 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
Instant-read thermometer: I highly recommend investing in an instant read thermometer, so you can keep an eye on it.
Test the oil: If you don’t have a thermometer, you can test the oil by adding a little flour to it. It should bubble immediately.
Avoid crowding: Not only do you need the oil to reach 350 degrees, you need it to stay there. Help this along by not adding too many pieces of chicken to the pan at once. I recommend frying two pieces of chicken at a time.
Storing and Reheating Leftovers
Store any leftover fried chicken in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to three days. Reheat the portion you plan to eat in the air fryer until heated through, then make a sandwich. Be sure to store the sauce separately in its own airtight container in the refrigerator. Alternatively, the sandwich can be reheated in the oven at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for 10 to 15 minutes.
What to Serve With Chicken Sandwiches
If you make this Chicken Sandwich recipe or any of my other recipes, I’d be so thankful if you came back and left a comment telling me how you enjoyed it.
Recipe Video
Chicken Sandwich
Ingredients
Chick Fil A Sauce
- 1/2 cup light mayonnaise or whatever mayonnaise you have on hand
- 1/4 cup honey
- 2 tablespoons yellow mustard
- 2 tablespoons ketchup
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- 1 tablespoon brown sugar
- 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
Fried Chicken
- 4 chicken breast halves cut into cutlets, see note 1
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt or 1/2 teaspoon table salt
- 1/8 teaspoon black pepper
- 1 cup all purpose flour
- 1 tablespoon kosher salt or 1/2 teaspoon table salt
- 2 teaspoons paprika
- 2 teaspoons garlic powder
- 1 1/2 teaspoons black pepper
- 1 teaspoon chili powder see note 2
- 4 large eggs
- 1 cup vegetable oil for frying
Chicken Sandwich
- 4 brioche buns
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 1 sliced pickles
Instructions
Chick Fil A Sauce
- In a small mixing bowl, whisk together the ingredients until fully combined. I love making the sauce while the chicken is frying.1/2 cup light mayonnaise, 1/4 cup honey, 2 tablespoons yellow mustard, 2 tablespoons ketchup, 1 tablespoon lemon juice, 1 tablespoon brown sugar, 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
Fried Chicken
- Line a rimmed baking sheet with aluminum foil and then place a wire rack in it. Set aside.
- After cutting the chicken into cutlets, pat the chicken dry with a paper towel (do not skip this step) and season with one teaspoon kosher salt and 1/8 teaspoon black pepper.4 chicken breast halves, 1 teaspoon kosher salt, 1/8 teaspoon black pepper
- Combine the flour, salt, paprika, garlic powder, black pepper, and chili powder in a dish, whisking to combine. Pour onto a plate.1 cup all purpose flour, 1 tablespoon kosher salt, 2 teaspoons garlic powder, 1 1/2 teaspoons black pepper, 1 teaspoon chili powder, 2 teaspoons paprika
- Whisk the eggs in a shallow dish.4 large eggs
- Dip the chicken first in the eggs, coating fully. Then dip in the flour mixture. Dip the chicken back in the eggs and then back into the flour mixture. Transfer to the prepared wire rack in a baking sheet and let rest for 5 minutes.
- While the chicken is resting, heat the oil in a large skillet. Bring the temperature of the oil to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Cook the chicken two at a time for 4 minutes on each side or until the chicken reaches 165 degrees Fahrenheit and is golden brown.1 cup vegetable oil
Chicken Sandwiches
- While the chicken is cooking, butter the buns. Place them in a skillet over medium heat to lightly toast them. Then set aside.4 brioche buns, 4 tablespoons unsalted butter
- Add some Chick-Fil-A sauce to the bottom bun, then add some pickles and top with the chicken. Add more sauce and top with the top of the bun.1 sliced pickles
Notes
- Because of the size of chicken breasts, you can very often get two large breasts that will equal one pound. You want to cut these in half by butterflying them open to make four pieces. You can see a full tutorial here: How to Cut Chicken Cutlets.
- The paprika and chili powder will not make this recipe spicy. If you would like to make a spicy chicken sandwich, add 1/8 to 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper when you add the other spices.
- Please note that the nutritional information is based on what was left in my kitchen. I encourage you to calculate based on you making them in your kitchen. Additionally, the bun and the sauce are not included in the calculations, though you can get the nutritional information for the sauce here: Chick Fil A Sauce.
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