Chick-fil-A Sandwich
Brined in pickle juice, fried until golden. Closed on Sundays? Not in this kitchen. This is the sandwich I reverse-engineered after my first deployment. Six months of ship food, and the first thing I
Ingredients
- 2 large boneless skinless chicken breasts
- 1 cup dill pickle juice
- 1 cup whole milk
- 1 large egg
- 1.5 cups all-purpose flour
- 2 tablespoons powdered sugar
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper (optional for spicy)
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
- peanut or canola oil for frying
- 4 burger buns
- butter for toasting
- dill pickle slices
Method
Step 1: Prep and brine the chicken
- Butterfly each chicken breast by slicing horizontally to create two thin cutlets. Place between plastic wrap and pound to 1/2 inch thickness. Submerge in pickle juice, cover, and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes — overnight is ideal.
Step 2: Set up the breading station
- In one bowl, whisk together milk and egg. In another bowl, combine flour, powdered sugar, paprika, garlic powder, cayenne, salt, and pepper. The powdered sugar is a key ingredient — it promotes browning and gives the coating a subtle sweetness that mimics the original.
Step 3: Double dip
- Remove chicken from the brine and pat dry. Dip in the milk-egg mixture, then dredge in the flour mixture. Dip back in the milk-egg mixture, then back in the flour. This double dip creates a thick, craggy coating that gets incredibly crispy when fried.
Step 4: Fry
- Heat 2 inches of peanut oil in a Dutch oven or heavy pot to 350°F. Fry each cutlet for about 4 minutes per side until golden brown and cooked through (165°F internal). Drain on a wire rack.
Step 5: Assemble
- Butter and toast the buns. Place the fried chicken on the bottom bun, add 2-3 pickle slices, close with the top bun. That's the classic — just chicken, pickles, and a buttered bun. Beautifully simple.