Copycat Fried Chicken Sandwich Recipes

COPYCAT FRIED CHICKEN SANDWICH

Steps:

• Whisk buttermilk, salt, hot sauce, and ranch dressing mix together in a large bowl. Cut diagonal slits into the thick ends of chicken breasts and toss into marinade until well coated. Transfer to the refrigerator to marinate for 2 to 4 hours.
• Meanwhile, make the breading: Mix flour, cornstarch, salt, pepper, cayenne, and ranch dressing mix together in a shallow dish.
• Make the wash: Whisk egg, buttermilk, and milk together in another bowl until combined.
• Use a fork to pull chicken from marinade, letting any excess drip off. Dip into the breading to coat both sides; shake off any excess. Dip into egg wash mixture to saturate surface; return to breading to coat, shake off excess, and repeat once more. Let sit on a wire rack to dry, at least 15 minutes.
• Heat oil in a deep-fryer to between 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) and 375 degrees F (190 degrees C).
• Fry chicken breasts in the hot oil until golden, crispy, and no longer pink in the centers, 4 to 5 minutes, flipping halfway through. Transfer to a plate topped with crinkled up aluminum foil to prevent bottoms from getting soggy.
• Spread mayonnaise over hamburger bun halves. Stuff with pickles and chicken.

COPYCAT POPEYE'S CHICKEN SANDWICH

Steps:

• Gather the ingredients.
• Pound the chicken breasts with a mallet between two pieces of parchment paper until they are just under 1 inch in thickness.
• Cut the chicken breasts in half to fit the size of the bun. Poke the chicken breasts with the sharp end of a knife to make 4 to 5 punctures per side.
• In a large bowl, mix the buttermilk, hot sauce, paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, black pepper, and salt. Whisk until completely combined.
• Add the chicken and cover with plastic wrap. Place it in the fridge for at least one hour, or up to overnight.
• Gather the ingredients.
• In a shallow baking dish, whisk together the flour and cornstarch with all the dry spices and cayenne, if using. Add a 1/4 cup of the chicken marinade into the flour and whisk to combine.
• Take a piece of chicken out of the marinade and dip it into the flour mixture. Dredge both sides to coat completely. Dip it back into the buttermilk mixture and then back into the flour mixture, pressing the flour to help it coat the chicken. Repeat the process with all pieces and place them on a wire rack over a baking sheet to refrigerate for 10 minutes. This helps the batter stick to the chicken-if you don't have time, simply fry it right away. Add the oil to a cast-iron skillet, or another heavy-bottomed pan, until it reaches 350 F.
• Add the chicken pieces to the pan and fry for 3 to 5 minutes per side. The outside should be crispy and golden brown and the internal temperature should be 165 F. Remove from the oil and allow to drain on a cooling rack over a baking sheet or on a paper-towel-lined plate.
• Gather the ingredients.
• Whisk together the mayo with the dry spices in a small bowl. Reserve.
• Gather the butter, buns, pickles, and spicy mayo.
• Add 1/4 tablespoon of butter to a large skillet and heat on medium to high heat. Halve the buns and place each half bun cut-side down onto the pan and toast until golden brown. Keep adding 1/4 tablespoon of butter per half and toast all halves.
• Spread a tablespoon of the mayo onto both sides of the buns. Add 3 to 4 sliced pickles to the bottom side of the bun. Place the chicken on the bottom and close with the top slice.
• Enjoy hot!

COPYCAT CHICK-FIL-A CHICKEN SANDWICH

Steps:

• In a medium bowl whisk together wet ingredients, add chicken, making sure to coat evenly. Allow chicken to marinate for 20 minutes. Meanwhile, in a medium sized pot, over medium-high, heat oil to 350°F While oil heats, in a medium bowl, whisk together dry ingredients.
• Reserving the marinade, remove the chicken to a plate. Whisk the egg into the marinade. Dip the chicken into the egg mixture, one piece at a time, shaking off excess egg mixture. Dredge chicken piece in flour mix, making sure to coat evenly on both sides. Repeat the breading process (egg mixture to flour mix) one more time, set chicken aside. Line a baking sheet with paper towels.
• Once oil is heated, cook chicken until golden brown on each side, about 2 to 3 minutes a side. Chicken should be opaque in the center. Place cooked chicken on prepared baking sheet to drain.
• Brush toasted buns with butter, place two pickle slices on each bun and top with chicken.

FRIED CHICKEN SANDWICH

Steps:

• Place each chicken breast between 2 sheets of heavy plastic on a solid, level surface. Firmly pound chicken with the smooth side of a meat mallet to an even thickness. Cut each breast in half and place in a bowl. Pour pickle brine on top and let sit for 1 hour.
• Meanwhile, mix flour, powdered sugar, salt, paprika, pepper, celery salt, and basil in a bowl.
• Whisk eggs and milk together in another bowl.
• Drain liquid from the chicken and rinse off briefly. Shake any excess liquid from chicken.
• Heat oil in a deep-fryer or large skillet to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
• Dip each piece of chicken into the flour mixture, then into the egg-milk mixture, then coat again with the flour. Dip each piece again, if desired.
• Deep-fry chicken, 3 pieces at a time, until golden brown, 2 to 3 minutes per side. An instant-read thermometer inserted into the center should read at least 165 degrees F (74 degrees C).
• Let chicken rest on a cooling rack set over a baking sheet for 5 minutes. While chicken is resting, lightly butter each sandwich bun and toast them in a skillet.
• Add 2 pickle slices to the bottom of each bun, then a chicken piece, then top with the other bun. Repeat to make remaining sandwiches.

COPYCAT WENDY'S SPICY CHICKEN FILLET SANDWICH

Steps:

• In a large bowl, combine the chicken, jalapeño juice, buttermilk and hot sauce. Cover with plastic wrap and chill for at least 1 hour, more if you have the time.
• In a shallow bowl, whisk together the flour, salt, pepper, onion, garlic, and chili powder.
• To dredge the chicken, remove each piece from the buttermilk mixture and dip into the seasoned flour. Dip once again into the buttermilk and once more into the dry ingredients. Place the dredged chicken on a wire rack set over a baking sheet and continue coating the remaining chicken pieces. Allow the coated chicken to rest while you heat up the oil. This will prevent the coating from falling off during frying.
• Pour the oil into a large pot and heat up to 365 degrees F. Carefully lower the chicken into the hot oil, cooking it in batches to not overcrowd the pan. Fry until golden brown and the chicken reaches 165 degrees, about 4 to 6 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, remove the chicken from the oven and place on a clean wire rack, set over a baking sheet.
• Set a large pan or griddle over medium high heat, melt the butter and toast the buns, cut side down.
• To assemble the sandwiches, spread the buns with mayonnaise and place a chicken on each bottom bun. Top with lettuce and tomato and the top bun. Serve immediately.