Spicy Chick-fil-A Sandwich Recipe (with Air Fryer instructions!)
This copycat version of the Spicy Chick-fil-A chicken sandwich is so succulently tender from the tangy pickle brine and it packs a hefty kick of heat! Blanketed in a slice of pepper jack cheese, topped with crunchy lettuce and ripe tomato and then sandwiched between a buttered and toasted brioche bun.
Servings: 4 sandwiches
Ingredients
- 2 chicken breasts pounded to 1/4" even thickness and halved
- peanut oil enough for frying or spritzing
- 4 brioche hamburger buns
- 4 slices pepper jack cheese
- Toppings: dill pickle slices, green leaf lettuce, tomato
Chicken Brine
- 1 cup pickle juice
- 1 cup buttermilk
- 1-2 tablespoons hot sauce like Louisiana or Crystal
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon granulated sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Wet Chicken Coating
- 1 cup milk
- 1 egg
Dry Flour Coating
- 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- 3 tablespoons cayenne pepper
- 2 tablespoons powdered sugar
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 2 teaspoons paprika
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
- 3/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Instructions
Marinate Chicken
- Combine and whisk together all the marinade ingredients in a medium bowl; pickle juice, buttermilk, hot sauce and seasonings. Submerge the chicken into the bowl, cover tightly with plastic and marinade for at least 4 hours, ideally overnight.
Prep Coating
- In a shallow dish, combine all the breading ingredients; flour, baking powder, powdered sugar, seasonings and cayenne. In a medium bowl whisk together milk and egg until smooth. If frying, add 5-6 cups oil into a skillet and heat oil to 350 degrees.
Coat Chicken
- Remove chicken from marinade and dunk directly into the egg-milk mixture to coat well. Then transfer each drippy piece of chicken into the flour coating, pressing in the flour mixture to all sides of the chicken coating it well. **For extra crunchy chicken, you can "double dip" by placing it back into the egg mixture and again into the flour coating. Shake off excess flour.
Pan Fry or Air Fry
- Pan Frying: Place a few pieces of chicken at a time into the hot oil, cooking about 3-4 minutes per side or until the internal temp reaches 165 degrees. Remove and drain on a cooling rack.
- Air Frying: Place chicken in air fryer basket that's been sprayed with oil. Spritz or brush the tops of each chicken breast several times with peanut oil. Cook for 4-5 minutes at 400 degrees, flip and repeat by spritzing with oil and cooking another 4-5 minutes or until it's a crispy golden brown and the internal temp reaches 165 degrees.
Assemble Spicy Chicken Sandwiches
- Toast the brioche buns (I like to use a little butter), then assemble the sandwiches by adding pickles, lettuce, and tomato and place on the spicy chicken breast and top with a slice of pepper jack cheese.