Chick-fil-A Crispy Chicken Sandwich Copycat

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If you're familiar with Chick-fil-A you will know that fans of this fast food chain are passionate!  So many people, my husband Jeff included, are completely fanatical about their chicken sandwiches! We love them so much that I make this copycat version whenever we get a craving.

I found that the key to getting an extra crispy and delicious coating on the chicken is double-dipping. That's right, “double dipping” in this instance is allowed and encouraged! You'll see what I mean when you read the recipe.

I hope you all enjoy this tasty fried sandwich as much as we did.  And, the homemade Chick-fil-A sauce we smothered all over it is a must.  That stuff is out of this world!

Here's how to make your own AMAZING Chick-fil-A Sandwich, at home!

1. Marinate the chicken. Place chicken breast halves in pickle juice/water marinade, in the refrigerator for 30 minutes.

2. Combine dry ingredients. Combine flour, powdered sugar, paprika, black pepper, chili powder, salt, and baking powder.

3. Make egg wash. In another bowl mix the milk, and egg.

4. Coat the chicken: Dip the marinated chicken into the egg mixture, and then coat in the flour breading mixture. Then repeat this step and dip that same chicken tender back into the egg mixture and then back into the flour again! Yep, this double dipping is how we're making a super yummy, crispy sandwich.

5. Pan Fry. Place chicken in hot oil in a sauce pan and fry for 3-4 minutes on each side. Remove to paper towel to dry.

6. Assemble Sandwich. Toast the sandwich buns. Grab the Chick-fil-A sauce and smooth it on both sides of the buns. Top with lettuce, cheese, and crispy chicken! Enjoy!

Homemade Chick-fil-A Sauce:

All you need to make homemade Chick-fil-A sauce is:

• Mayonnaise
• Dijon mustard
• Yellow mustard
• Honey
• BBQ sauce
• Garlic powder
• Paprika
• Lemon juice

Make the Chick-fil-A sauce by combining all ingredients in a bowl. Mix well and set aside.

Air Fryer Chick-fil-A Sandwich:

Preheat fryer to 370ºF. Grease the inside basket/rack of the air fryer and place two coated chicken breasts in the air fryer.  Lightly spray the top of the chicken.  Cook the chicken for 11-13 minutes, flipping halfway through cook time.  Assemble sandwich as instructed below.

Baked Chick-fil-A Sandwich:

Preheat oven to 450ºF.  Place a wire cooling rack on top of a baking sheet.  Place your coated chicken breasts on the wire rack and spray both sides lightly with olive oil. Bake the chicken for 12 minutes, flip and bake for another 15 minutes or until it's cooked through.

For a Spicy Chick-fil-A Chicken Sandwich:

We love spicy chicken at our house!  If you'd like to add a little heat to your chicken sandwich, add 1-2 teaspoons of cayenne pepper to the flour mixture when making the breading.  I like to coat my kids sandwiches in the flour first, then add the cayenne for spice, and make mine and my husbands.

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Chick-Fil-A Crispy Chicken Sandwich Copycat

Author: Lauren Allen

This Chick-Fil-A crispy chicken sandwich with homemade Chick-Fil-A sauce is the perfect copycat recipe of the classic sandwich we all love!

Prep: 30 minutes mins

Cook: 10 minutes mins

Total: 40 minutes mins

Servings: 4 sandwiches

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Ingredients 

US CustomaryMetric

 

0.5x1x2x?

• ▢ 4 chicken breast halves
• ▢ 1/2 cup pickle juice
• ▢ 1/4 cup water
• ▢ 1/2 cup milk
• ▢ 1 large egg
• ▢ oil for frying
• ▢ 4 hamburger buns
• ▢ Pickle, lettuce, tomato and cheese slices, , for topping

For the breading:

• ▢ 1 cup all-purpose flour
• ▢ 3 Tablespoons powdered sugar
• ▢ 1/2 teaspoon paprika
• ▢ 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• ▢ 1/2 teaspoon chili powder
• ▢ 1/2 teaspoon salt
• ▢ 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• ▢ 1-2 teaspoons cayenne pepper , *optional, for a spicy chicken sandwich

For the Chick-fil-A-sauce

• ▢ 1/2 cup mayonnaise
• ▢ 1 teaspoon dijon mustard
• ▢ 3 teaspoons yellow mustard
• ▢ 2 teaspoon barbecue sauce, (hickory tastes the best)
• ▢ 2 Tablespoons honey
• ▢ 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
• ▢ 1/2 teaspoon paprika
• ▢ 1 teaspoon lemon juice

Instructions 

• Marinate the chicken: combine the pickle juice and water in a ziplock bag. Add the chicken breast halves and marinate for 30 minutes. 
• Make the sauce: Make the Chick-fil-A sauce by combining all ingredients in a bowl. Mix well and set aside.
• Next, in a large bowl mix the breading ingredients together: flour, powdered sugar, paprika, black pepper, chili powder, salt, and baking powder.
  
• In another bowl mix the milk, and egg.
  
• Add 2-3 cups of oil to a large saucepan and heat oil to about 350 degrees F. 
  
• Coat the chicken: Dip the marinated chicken into the egg mixture, and then coat in the flour breading mixture. Now "double-dip" by repeating this step and dipping that same chicken tender back into the egg mixture and then back into the flour again!
  
• Pan fry: Place chicken in hot oil and fry for 3-4 minutes on each side. Remove to paper towel to dry. 
• Assemble Sandwich: Toast the sandwich buns. Grab the Chick-fil-A sauce and smooth it on both sides of the buns. Top with lettuce, cheese, and crispy chicken! Enjoy!
  

Notes

Air Fryer Chick-Fil-A Sandwich:

Preheat fryer to 370ºF. Grease the inside basket/rack of the air fryer and place two coated chicken breasts in the air fryer.  Lightly spray the top of the chicken.  Cook the chicken for 11-13 minutes, flipping halfway through cook time.  Assemble sandwich as instructed below.

Baked Chick-Fil-A Sandwich:

Preheat oven to 450ºF.  Place a wire cooling rack on top of a baking sheet.  Place your coated chicken breasts on the wire rack and spray both sides lightly with olive oil. Bake the chicken for 12 minutes, flip and bake for another 15 minutes or until it's cooked through.

For a Spicy Chick-Fil-A Chicken Sandwich:

We love spicy chicken at our house!  If you'd like to add a little heat to your chicken sandwich, add 1-2 teaspoons of cayenne pepper to the flour mixture when making the breading.  I like to coat my kids sandwiches in the flour first, then add the cayenne for spice, and make mine and my husbands.

Gluten-free Adaptations: use gluten-free BBQ sauce, all-purpose flour, and buns.

Nutrition

Calories: 579kcal, Carbohydrates: 62g, Protein: 21g, Fat: 27g, Saturated Fat: 4g, Cholesterol: 88mg, Sodium: 1286mg, Potassium: 391mg, Fiber: 2g, Sugar: 15g, Vitamin A: 525IU, Vitamin C: 1.7mg, Calcium: 147mg, Iron: 3.7mg

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

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Recipe adapted from here.

The material in this blog post references the trademarked brand “Chick-fil-A.” The use of this trademark is for informational and editorial purposes only and does not imply sponsorship or endorsement by Chick-fil-A, Inc.

I originally shared this recipe May 2013. Updated November 2019 with process photos and improved instructions.