Learn how to make the delicious, extra-crispy Chick-fil-A Chicken Sandwich at home. It’s perfectly crunchy on the outside and tender and juicy on the inside with incredible flavor. Serve on toasted hamburger buns with dill pickle chips and our homemade Chick-fil-A sauce for an epic meal that can’t be beaten!
Chick Fil A chicken sandwiches are a very popular crowd favorite for good reason! What could be better than a crispy, tender piece of chicken sitting between buttered toasted buns with two dill pickle chips and a smear of their signature sauce? Only one thing… a homemade version that’s so incredibly moist and juicy with a crispy coating that is light, crunchy flavorful, and even better than anything from a fast food restaurant.
Why you should make this recipe
- Easy: This DIY Chick-fil-A chicken sandwich takes just 15 minutes of prep time and 15 minutes of cook time and you can have dinner on the table in just 30 minutes! And don’t be intimidated by deep frying, it’s really simple!
- Tastes amazing: Just as delicious as the original, if not better! You’ll love the perfectly seasoned moist chicken covered with an amazing crispy, crunchy outside crust. This is definitely one of our favorite sandwich recipes.
- Kid-friendly: Adults and kids love this crispy chicken sandwich! Add a side of coleslaw, air fryer French fries, or potato chips to make this a complete meal.
Ingredients needed
You probably have most of the ingredients needed for this crispy chicken sandwich recipe already in your kitchen. Here’s everything you’ll need:
- Chicken: This recipe uses 2 boneless skinless chicken breasts cut in half lengthwise. You can also use boneless, skinless chicken thighs if you prefer.
- For the breading: You will need all-purpose flour, baking powder, paprika, garlic powder, salt, and pepper.
- Eggs & milk: Dredging the chicken breasts in an egg and milk mixture helps the seasoned flour to adhere to the chicken, creating a crispy coating.
- Oil: Use any neutral-tasting oil with a high smoke point for frying.
- For the sauce: The homemade Chick-fil-A sauce is made with a blend of mayonnaise, barbecue sauce, yellow mustard, honey, and lemon juice.
- Buns: Any favorite buns will work great for serving. We love soft, buttery brioche buns!
- Pickles: Don’t forget the signature dill pickle chips!
How to make this recipe
- Prep the chicken: First, pat dry the chicken breasts with a kitchen towel and set them aside.
- Mix the dry breading ingredients: Next, in a shallow bowl, combine flour, baking powder, paprika, garlic powder, ½ teaspoon salt, and ½ teaspoon ground pepper. Set this mixture aside.
- Combine the eggs & milk: In another shallow bowl, combine the eggs and milk, and whisk them together using a fork. Set this bowl aside.
- Dredge the chicken breasts: Dip the chicken in the flour mixture, ensuring both sides are coated. Then, dip them into the egg mixture, followed by another coating in the flour mixture. Make sure the chicken is evenly coated with flour.
- Fry the chicken: Meanwhile, heat a pan with oil suitable for deep frying. Fry the chicken breasts carefully until they turn crispy and golden on both sides. Once cooked, remove the chicken from the oil, allowing any excess oil to drain on a kitchen towel. Set the chicken aside.
- Make the Chick-fil-A sauce: In a small bowl, combine mayo, BBQ sauce, yellow mustard, honey, and lemon juice. Mix these ingredients until the sauce becomes smooth and creamy.
- Assemble the sandwich: Spread the prepared sauce over the toasted buns. Place the crispy chicken on the bun and top it with dill pickle chips.
- Serve: Finally, close the sandwich with the other half of the bun and enjoy it while still warm, accompanied by potato fries on the side.
Expert tips
- Double dip breading: Dredging the chicken in the flour mixture twice ensures a thick, crispy, flavorful outer layer. However, if you would prefer a lighter, thinner coating, you can simply dip the chicken once into the eggs, and then once into the flour.
- Keep the chicken warm: While frying in batches, place cooked cutlets on a wire rack and place in a 170-degree F oven to keep warm.
- Make it spicy: Mix 1 tablespoon of hot sauce with the whisked egg and milk, and add 1/2 teaspoon of cayenne pepper to the flour mixture before dredging the chicken.
- Make it a deluxe sandwich: Simply add dill pickle chips, green leaf lettuce, tomato slices and American cheese when assembling your sandwich.
Frequently asked questions
What is the best oil for fried chicken?
We typically use vegetable oil for frying chicken, but any neutral oil with a high smoke point will work. Here are other options:
- Canola Oil
- Peanut Oil
- Safflower Oil
- Soybean Oil
- Corn Oil
- Sunflower Oil
- Cottonseed Oil
What temperature is best for frying chicken?
Heat the oil to between 350 and 375˚F before adding the chicken, and then be sure to keep the temperature between 300 and 325˚F while frying. Don’t overcrowd the pot or the oil temperature will drop quickly. A clip-on pot thermometer can be really helpful. If you don’t have a thermometer, check if the oil is ready by dropping a pinch of the flour mix into the pot. If it fizzes right away, then it’s ready to go.
How do you know when chicken is cooked?
Remove the chicken from the hot oil once it’s cooked through and browned, about 4 minutes if the oil is covering the entire chicken breast. As the chicken rests, the internal temperature will continue to rise and should reach 165˚F, so take the chicken out a few degrees sooner. We recommend using an instant-read thermometer to check the inside of the chicken.
Serving suggestions
These sandwiches go well with a variety of side dishes. Serve them with the classics, like waffle fries, French fries, potato wedges, tater tots, coleslaw, or macaroni and cheese. Other sides that would be great are air fryer Brussels sprouts, roasted cauliflower or zucchini fries.
Storage recommendation
If you have leftover chicken patties, store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. Reheat in the oven or in an air fryer until warm and crispy.
More sandwich recipes
- Popeyes Chicken Sandwich
- Cheesy Chicken Cheesesteak Sandwiches
- Chipotle Chicken Grilled Cheese
- Pesto Chicken Avocado Sandwiches
Chick-fil-A Chicken Sandwich
Ingredients
For crispy chicken
- 2 chicken breasts, cut into halves lengthwise horizontally
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon salt, divided
- 1 teaspoon ground pepper, divided
- 2 eggs
- ½ cup milk
- Oil, for frying
For Chick-fil-A sauce
- ½ cup mayonnaise
- ¼ cup BBQ sauce
- 2 tablespoons yellow mustard
- 2 tablespoons honey
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
For assembling sandwich
- 4 hamburger buns, toasted
- 12-15 dill pickle chips
Instructions
- First, pat dry the chicken breasts with a kitchen towel and set them aside.
- Next, in a shallow bowl, combine flour, baking powder, paprika, garlic powder, ½ teaspoon salt, and ½ teaspoon ground pepper. Set this mixture aside.
- In another shallow bowl, combine the eggs and milk, and whisk them together using a fork. Set this bowl aside.
- Dredge the chicken breasts in the flour mixture, ensuring both sides are coated. Then, dip them into the egg mixture, followed by another coating in the flour mixture. Make sure the chicken is evenly coated with flour.
- Meanwhile, heat a pan with oil suitable for deep frying. Fry the chicken breasts carefully until they turn crispy and golden on both sides.
- Once cooked, remove the chicken from the oil, allowing any excess oil to drain on a kitchen towel. Set the chicken aside.
- To prepare the Chick Fil A sauce, take a small bowl and combine mayonnaise, BBQ sauce, yellow mustard, honey, and lemon juice. Mix these ingredients until the sauce becomes smooth and creamy.
- To assemble the sandwich, spread the prepared Chick Fil A sauce over the toasted buns. Place the crispy chicken on the bun and top it with dill pickle chips.
- Finally, close the sandwich with the other half of the bun and serve it while still warm, accompanied by potato fries on the side.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
