The compliments were never-ending when I made my version of Chick-fil-A’s Spicy Chicken Sandwich! The hubs said that the chicken was SO good, that he wanted it “plain” with just cheese, so that the flavor wouldn’t be “watered down” with lettuce, tomato, and sauce! It doesn’t get any better than that!
My hubby said, that these were hands-down, the best, fried chicken sandwiches I’ve made yet!! And coming from him, considering his mom was a southern cook and made legendary fried chicken, that’s a compliment not to be taken lightly!!
But unlike the restaurant’s, mine were enormous! I simply butterflied them this time. So if you want to, you can butterfly them and separate them into 4 pieces instead of just two.
*You may want to double the seasoned flour, though, or you might not have enough to double-dip them. (You can use the leftover seasoned flour to coat fries for extra fun!) And fry those, too! (Baking them not really recommended.)
Once you butterfly them, marinate them for little while in some lemon water, then double coat them well on each side. (Seasoned flour, then spicy egg bath, then back into the flour.)
Let them rest to dry a little while you heat up your oil.
Then fry them according to my directions below. (My “lid off, flip, lid on, flip, lid off” method!) You’ll see below in the directions. And don’t worry! It’s super easy!
They will be absolutely GORGEOUS when done! Just look at that breading and color!!
Transfer them to a cooling rack placed over a baking sheet, and top them with slices of cheese. Then place them into a warm oven while you get the rest ready. The cheese will melt on it’s own. No need to broil or anything.
Then place them onto a buttered and toasted bun with a few pickles if you’d like. I like, but the hubs…not so much. He wanted his super plain!
Then just top with the buttered and toasted bun lid, with or without my CopyCat Chick-fil-A Mayo Sauce, and you’re ready to go!
*If you want to make it “deluxe”, add some lettuce and tomato to the bottom bun, (along with the pickles)!
So, if you’re a fan of spicy fried chicken sandwiches, this Copycat Chick-fil-A Spicy Fried Chicken Sandwich will knock you sideways!
It truly is perfection on a bun! Hope you all enjoy!
*Those tasty-looking fries will be coming SOON! You’ll definitely want to make these, too!!
My Copycat Chick-fil-A Mayo Sauce {here}.
Ingredients
For Chicken:
- 2 boneless skinless chicken breasts, butterflied
- 1/3 cup cold water
- 1 Tbl. lemon juice concentrate
For Egg Bath:
- 2 extra-large eggs well beaten
- 1 tsp. hot sauce, I used Louisiana Hot Sauce
For Seasoned Flour:
- 1 cup flour
- 1 Tbl. powdered sugar
- 1 Tbl. cayenne powder
- 1 Tbl. regular black pepper
- 2 tsp. regular table salt
- 1 1/2 tsp. garlic powder
- 1 1/2 tsp. Slap Ya Mama Cajun Seasoning
- 1 tsp. sweet smoked paprika
- 1/2 tsp. onion powder
- 1/2 tsp. celery salt
- 1/2 tsp. ground rosemary powder
- 1/2 tsp. dried dill weed
- 1/2 tsp. Mexican chipotle powder
- 1/4 tsp. dried basil
- 1/4 tsp. poultry seasoning
- 1/4 tsp. dried thyme
- 1/4 tsp. celery seeds
- 1/4 tsp. ground turmeric
Rest of Ingredients:
- peanut or canola oil, enough until pan is 1/2" deep
- 2 hamburger buns, buttered and lightly toasted
- 1/2 stick softened Minerva Dairy Real Butter, (4 Tbl.)
- 6 dill pickle slices, 3 per sandwich
Instructions
Butterfly each chicken breast and trim any fat.
In bowl or ziplock baggies, marinate chicken pieces in lemon water while you prepare the rest of your ingredients.
In pie dish, beat eggs, beat in hot sauce until well combined.
In doubled brown paper lunch bags, add flour and seasonings, twist top closed and shake until well combined.
In large deep frying pan, heat oil to about 350º F.
Drop each piece, one at a time, into seasoned flour mixture, twist top closed, and shake coating well. Shake off excess flour.
Dip each piece of chicken into the egg mixture, coating both sides well and letting excess drip off. Then coat again well in flour mixture. Place each as you go along onto a cooling rack placed over a baking sheet, sprinkle with a little more of the flour mixture, pressing on, and let rest while you heat up the oil to 350º F. in frying pan over medium heat.
Place chicken pieces, pretty side up into hot oil over Medium heat and fry until golden on bottom, about 5 minutes, with lid OFF. Turn pieces over, COVER with tight fitting lid, reduce heat to LOW immediately, and fry for 5 minutes. Remove lid, turn pieces back over, return heat to Medium, and fry 5 more minutes with lid OFF.
Place cooked pieces onto a cooling rack placed over a baking sheet. Top with slices of cheese if desired, and pop into a warm oven to rest.
Spread insides of sliced buns well with butter and place onto flat griddle or frying pan, buttered sides down, and "fry" until lightly toasted. OR, place buttered side up onto baking sheet and broil, watching carefully, until lightly browned on top. Place 3 dill pickle slices onto each bun bottom, top with chicken filets, place top buns on. *Serve with my Copycat Chick-fil-A Mayonnaise spread on inside of top bun if desired.
Enjoy!!
Notes
*To make it "Deluxe", onto bottom bun place pickles, then lettuce leaf, 2 tomato slices, hot chicken filet, and a slice of cheese. Top with hot buttered and toasted bun. (Or any variation of ingredients.) Mayo if desired.
**Chick-fil-A offers the following cheeses: American, Co-Jack, *Pepper Jack* (*recommended for this sandwich*), and sometimes Provolone. You can also place the chicken on a whole wheat bun, too, if you choose.
So make it how you like it!