Ultimate Crispy Fried Chicken Sandwich. The recipe starts with juicy buttermilk chicken that’s seasoned and battered to perfection, then fried until it’s crispy and golden brown. Nestled between two soft potato rolls. This sandwich features a combination of flavors and textures, including creamy avocado slices, melty pepper jack cheese, and crisp lettuce and tomatoes. And to top it all off, I slathered it with a zesty Sriracha ranch. It really doesn’t get much better than this!
Elevate your summer lunch or dinner with this delicious Fried Chicken Sandwich.
The key to perfectly crispy chicken-
BUTTERMILK! Buttermilk is the key. With it’s slightly acidic properties, it helps tenderize the chicken while acting as the perfect wet batter. Along with the buttermilk, adding a little cornstarch to your dry batter will help the chicken get super crispy.
With any recipe, the longer you let it marinate the better. I usually like to marinate things the night before. But if you’re short on time or just don’t want to wait, let the chicken marinate for at least an hour. But highly recommend 4 hours or more. if you don’t have buttermilk add 1 tbsp of white vinegar to 1 cup of whole milk.
Tips to make this fried chicken sandwich-
- Be sure not to overcrowd the pan. Cook the chicken in batches. I recommend 2 pieces at a time.
- Add a little cornstarch to your dry batter to get it extra crispy.
- Make sure your oil is at least 350 degrees.
What you’ll need
Buttermilk- helps to tenderize the chicken. It’s also works as a great wet batter. If you don’t have buttermilk, use 1 cup of milk and 1 tbsp of vinegar.
Seasoning– I used a variety of pantry basics + cajun seasoning to season my chicken AND flour.
Flour– All purpose flour. Be sure to season it.
Oil– Use an oil with a high smoke point. I used canola oil to fry my chicken. Grapeseed is another great oil to fry chicken. Make sure it’s around 350 degrees or over medium heat.
Hot Sauce– use to your discretion. I love adding this to my wet batter to kick things up.
For the Sriracha Ranch
Restaurant Style Ranch Seasoning- make sure it’s the RESTAURANT style.
Dill- optional, fresh or dry. I always have dry dill because I never seem to use fresh dill in time.
Mayo– equal parts to sour cream.
Sour Cream– used for the ranch. equal parts to mayo.
Buttermilk– helps thin out the ranch to the right consistency. If you don’t have buttermilk, use 1 cup of milk and 1 tbsp of vinegar.
Sriracha- kicks things up a notch.
salt + pepper– to taste.
Spice it up-
If you’re looking to take things up a notch- toss the chicken thighs in a hot honey sauce.
Topping Ideas-
top your fried chicken sandwich with your favorite toppings including:
lettuce
Tomatoes
Pepper Jack Cheese
Pickles
Avocado
Looking for more sandwich recipes?
Caramelized Onion & Arugula Steak Sandwich
Ranch Grinder Sandwich
Fried Fish Sandwich
Jerk Meatball Sliders
If you make this Crispy Fried Chicken Sandwich, be sure to tag me on Instagram or use the hashtag #cookwithCi. I would love to see your recreations.
Fried Chicken Sandwich
Ingredients
- 4 boneless skinless chicken thighs
- 2-3 cups canola oil for frying
- 1 tbsp unsalted butter
Wet Batter
- 1 cup buttermilk
- 2 tsp hot sauce
- 1 tsp onion powder
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp Slap Ya Mama seasoning or Tony's Creole seasoning
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp paprika
Dry Batter
- 1 1/2 cups All purpose flour
- 1/3 cup cornstarch
- 1 tsp Slap Ya Mama seasoning
- 1 tsp onion powder
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp all purpose seasoning optional
- 1/4 tsp black pepper
- 1/4 tsp paprika
- cayenne pepper use to your discretion
For Serving
- lettuce
- tomato
- pepper jack cheese
- avocado slices
- Sriracha Ranch
Instructions
- Remove any excess fat from the chicken thighs. To marinate add cleaned chicken thighs to a bowl. Season with onion powder, garlic powder, salt, paprika, buttermilk, hot sauce and creole seasoning. Cover and marinate for at least 4 hours. Remove chicken 30 minutes before frying to bring it to room temperature.
- In a separate bowl, combine flour, cornstarch, onion powder, garlic powder, paprika, salt, pepper, all purpose seasoning, creole seasoning and cayenne pepper, if desired. Mix well.
- Dredge chicken thighs in the seasoned flour one at a time, until well coated. Shake off the excess flour and let it rest until you coat the second piece of chicken.
- Add oil to a large skillet over medium-high heat (350 degrees). Fry 2 pieces of chicken at a time. Cook 6-8 minutes on each side. Once cooked, carefully remove the chicken from the oil and rest on a wired rack. Internal temp should be 165 degrees F.
- Bring the temperature back up to 350 degrees before frying the next batch. Repeat steps until all the chicken is fried.
- Immediately add slices of pepper jack cheese to each chicken thigh. Add to the broiler for about 2 minutes, until the cheese is melted and bubbly.
To make the Sriracha Ranch
- Combine equal parts mayonnaise and sour cream. Stir in buttermilk until you get the desired consistency. Season with dill, and Restaurant style Ranch seasoning. Add in Sriracha, garlic powder and onion powder, salt & pepper if desired. Mix well. Refrigerate until ready to use.
- To assemble: toast potato rolls in a pan with unsalted butter. Add a layer of sriracha ranch, shredded lettuce, seasoned tomatoes, chicken thigh, sliced avocado, and more ranch. Add the top bun. Serve with your favorite sides- I did tater tots and enjoy!
Notes
Did you make it?
Tag @cookwithci on Instagram and hashtag #CookwithCi
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