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This is the best buttermilk fried chicken sandwich! Made with simple ingredients, this chicken sandwich is marinaded, coated with a perfectly seasoned breading, fried until super crispy and served topped with pickles on a toasted bun.
This homemade crispy buttermilk fried chicken sandwich is one of our family's favorite dinners. The chicken is soaked in a buttermilk marinade with pickle juice and hot sauce and then double breaded with seasoned flour and fried until perfectly crispy.
Serve this simple, yet delicious buttermilk fried chicken sandwich with spicy mac and cheese bites, green beans with bacon and no churn black cherry ice cream.
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🍗 Ingredient notes
- Chicken - Thinly sliced chicken breasts make a great sandwich. Try to choose pieces that are similarly sized for even cooking. Larger chicken breasts may be sliced in half or pounded thin with a meat mallet or rolling pin to make thinner pieces. Alternatively, chicken thighs may also be used.
- Marinade - The marinade for these fried chicken sandwiches is made from buttermilk, pickle juice and hot sauce. It helps to tenderize the chicken, while infusing great flavor into the meat for the ultimate chicken sandwich!
- Breading - The breading for these chicken sandwiches is made from a seasoned flour mixture that is double coated for an extra delicious crispy chicken sandwich. The secret to the breading is in the baking powder and cornstarch. Don't leave those out!
- Toppings - These simple fried chicken sandwiches are served on toasted buns, slathered with mayo and topped with dill pickle chips. Hamburger buns, sandwich rolls or brioche buns, all would be great for this sandwich. Other toppings that could be added include, lettuce, tomato, onion, jalapeños, BBQ sauce, honey mustard, hot sauce or creamy coleslaw.
📋 Substitutions and variations
- Buttermilk - Buttermilk can be substituted with 2 ¼ cups whole milk mixed with ¼ cup of lemon juice. Let the mixture sit for a little bit before pouring it over the chicken. It will thicken up and look a little bit curdled, but that's ok. If you decide to buy buttermilk for this recipe, use the leftovers for strawberry biscuits, buttermilk pancakes or ham and cheese drop biscuits! You can also easily freeze leftover buttermilk to use later.
- Dairy Free - Use 2 ¼ cups unsweetened non dairy milk mixed with ¼ cup of lemon juice as a substitute for the buttermilk.
- Gluten Free - Use a cup for cup gluten free flour in place of the all purpose flour and serve the sandwiches on gluten free buns or lettuce wraps.
- Spicy - Add 1 teaspoon of cayenne pepper to the spice blend in the flour mixture and top the sandwich with extra hot sauce, if desired.
🔪 Step by step instructions
First, cover the chicken in medium bowl with the buttermilk, pickle juice and hot sauce. Toss to combine and marinate in the refrigerator for 1-2 hours.
In another bowl or shallow dish, mix together the flour with the cornstarch, baking powder, garlic powder, onion powder, ground mustard, paprika, kosher salt and black pepper.
When the chicken is done marinating, heat the vegetable oil in pot on the stovetop or a deep fryer over medium heat to 350˚.
Working one piece at a time, dip each piece of chicken into the seasoned flour mixture to coat and then dip it back in the buttermilk mixture. Place the chicken back in the flour for a second time to double bread each chicken breast. Set the breaded chicken breast aside and repeat with the remaining chicken.
Fry chicken a piece or two at a time in the hot oil for approximately 4-5 minutes on each side, until the chicken reaches an internal temperature of 165˚.
Remove the chicken from the oil with a slotted spoon and allow it to rest on a wire rack or paper towels on a sheet pan to drain the excess oil and repeat with the remaining pieces.
Toast the buns in a toaster oven or under the broiler in the oven and spread the top and bottom of each bun generously with mayo. Add the fried chicken pieces to the bottom bun, top with pickle slices and finish off with the top bun.
If you ever don't recognize a tool or skill that is mentioned, be sure to look it up in our Glossary of Cooking Terms and Definitions for more information.
⭐ Expert tips
- Make sure the chicken is completely covered in the buttermilk mixture for marinating.
- For best results, make sure to allow the excess buttermilk to drip off the chicken before placing it in the flour. Likewise, make sure to shake off the excess flour mixture before adding it to the buttermilk or before frying. This will help to ensure the breading doesn't get too thick.
- After breading the chicken, place it on a wire cooling rack or plate in a single layer so the chicken does not stick to each other.
- Use an infrared thermometer to check the oil temperature when deep frying to make sure it stays as close to 350˚ as possible.
- Depending on the size of the pot or fryer used, only fry 1-2 pieces of chicken at a time so it doesn't get overcrowded and bring down the temperature of the oil.
- Use a kitchen thermometer to make sure the chicken is cooked to an internal temperature 165˚.
- Let the chicken rest on a cooling rack or paper towel after frying to drain some of the excess grease.
🥡 Storage suggestions
These buttermilk fried chicken sandwiches will keep in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3-5 days and can be reheated in the oven or air fryer till heated through.
🍔 More tasty sandwich recipes
If you loved this buttermilk fried chicken sandwich recipe, check out these other tasty sandwich recipes that I know you will love too!
Recipe
Buttermilk Fried Chicken Sandwich
Ingredients
- 4 medium chicken breasts, 4-6 ounces each
- 2 ½ cups buttermilk
- 3 Tablespoons pickle juice
- 2 Tablespoons hot sauce
- 2 cups all purpose flour
- 2 Tablespoons cornstarch
- 1 Tablespoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1 teaspoon ground mustard
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- 4 cups vegetable oil, for frying
- 4 hamburger buns, or sandwich rolls
- mayonnaise
- dill pickle chips
Instructions
- First, place the chicken in a mixing bowl or shallow container and cover with the buttermilk, pickle juice and hot sauce.
- Toss to combine everything together, making sure the liquid still is covering all of the chicken. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate 1-2 hours to marinate.
- In another bowl or shallow container, mix the flour with the cornstarch, baking powder, garlic powder, onion powder, ground mustard, paprika, salt and pepper.
- When the chicken is done marinating, place the vegetable oil in a deep sided pot, pan or deep fryer and heat to 350˚.
- Working one piece of chicken at a time, remove it from the buttermilk and place it in the seasoned flour mixture to coat. Then, dip it back in the buttermilk mixture and then back into the flour mixture to coat it for the second time.
- Place the breaded chicken on a cooling rack or plate in an even layer and repeat with the remaining pieces of chicken.
- Fry the chicken one or two pieces at at time in the hot oil for approximately 4-5 minutes each side, until the internal temperature of the chicken reaches 165˚ when checked with a kitchen thermometer.
- When the chicken is done frying, let it rest on a cooling rack or paper towels to allow the excess oil to drain from it.
- Toast the buns under the broiler in the oven or in a toaster oven until lightly browned and then spread each side generously with mayonnaise.
- Place a piece of the fried chicken on the bottom bun, top with dill pickle chips and finish with the top bun.
Notes
- Make sure the chicken is completely covered in the buttermilk mixture for marinating.
- Allow the excess buttermilk to drip off the chicken before placing it in the flour and shake off the excess flour mixture before adding it to the buttermilk. This will help to ensure the breading doesn't get too thick.
- Use an infrared thermometer to check the oil temperature when deep frying to make sure it stays as close to 350˚ as possible.
- Depending on the size of the pot or fryer used, only fry 1-2 pieces of chicken at a time so it doesn't get overcrowded and bring down the temperature of the oil.
- Use a kitchen thermometer to make sure the chicken is cooked to an internal temperature 165˚.
Substitutions and Variations
- Chicken - Use thinly sliced chicken breasts that are similarly sized. Larger chicken breasts may be sliced in half or pounded thin. Chicken thighs may also be used.
- Buttermilk - Buttermilk can be substituted with 2 ¼ cups whole milk mixed with ¼ cup of lemon juice. Let the mixture sit for a little bit before pouring it over the chicken.
- Dairy Free - Use 2 ¼ cups unsweetened non dairy milk mixed with ¼ cup of lemon juice as a substitute for the buttermilk.
- Toppings - Hamburger buns, sandwich rolls or brioche buns, all would be great for this sandwich. Other toppings that could be added include, lettuce, tomato, onion, jalapeños, BBQ sauce, honey mustard, hot sauce or creamy coleslaw.
- Gluten Free - Use a cup for cup gluten free flour in place of the all purpose flour and serve the sandwiches on gluten free buns or lettuce wraps.
- Spicy - Add 1 teaspoon of cayenne pepper to the spice blend in the flour mixture and top the sandwich with extra hot sauce, if desired.
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