“Fried” Chicken Sandwich

Move over, Popeye’s! There’s a new “Fried” Chicken Sandwich in town, and this one is much healthier than the fast food version!

I’m not sure that there is a more beautiful food combination than crispy chicken, soft bread, creamy mayo, and tangy pickles. This hits all of the flavor and texture notes out there. So simple yet so delicious!

I tried to maintain all of the best parts of that traditional fried chicken sandwich, while cutting back on the fat and oil. Just small changes like turns something like this from an occasional treat into a weekly staple. We’ve already made these 5 times in the two weeks I’ve tested the recipe out!

The star, of course, is the chicken. My goal was to get as close to the coated texture of a deep fried version. I mean, it looks pretty close to me!

I’ve found that the key to getting that chunky kind of breaded coating is to add a bit of milk to your flour mixture. That creates clumps that mimic the thicker batter and fried quality.

I also opted for a thickened egg wash instead of a traditional buttermilk marinade. This makes for a thicker coating, as the buttermilk and flour combo tends to slide off if you’re not deep frying.

This is what my version looks like before it’s cooked.

The breading looks just like real fried chicken, thanks to those small hacks! Just coat with cooking spray, and then you’re ready to cook it up.

What is the best way to cook the chicken?

If you have an air fryer, that is definitely the best way to cook these up. Don’t worry if you don’t, though. I’ve tried making it in the oven and skillet. Both are doable!

The air fryer is the quickest, easiest, and most consistent method. The oven also works, though it takes longer and requires that you flip halfway through.

The skillet is my least favorite way to make these. It requires more oil and the breading can tend to cook unevenly. But you can definitely make it work!

Assembling the sandwiches

You have a lot of different options for making the sandwiches to your taste. We prefer spicy sandwiches in this house, so I add cayenne to the breading and hot sauce to the mayo. The pickles cut through the richness of the chicken, making for the perfect combo!

These are also great served burger-style, with regular mayo, lettuce, tomato, and onion. The points won’t change, and the macros will basically remain the same if you eat them this way.

The buns depend on what you like. Brioche buns are great here, but regular hamburger buns will obviously work, too. Sesame buns could add a little extra flavor and crunch.

We’re going to get creative with these in the future, too. We’ve talked about chicken parmesan sandwiches, Korean fried chicken sandwiches, Nashville hot chicken sandwiches. I mean, the list goes on! I’ll definitely share our (successful) experiments with you. For now, enjoy the classic!

I’d love to hear from you if you make this recipe! It makes my day when you share your pics on Instagram and tag me (@litecravings). Don’t forget to use #litecravingsrecipes to make sure I see it. If I don’t get a chance to scroll through my tags quickly enough, I won’t see your post. I always make a point to look through the hashtags, though, so I’ll see it there.

If you like fast food copycat recipes, you have to try out my Fast Food-Style Chicken Nuggets!