The founder of Chick-fil-A, Truett Cathy, claims that he invented the chicken sandwich, and while we can’t be sure he was the first person to put chicken between bread, we can give him credit for turning his own version into a cult phenomenon. People — including a few editors at Food Network Magazine — are fanatical about the chain’s simple sandwich: a piece of fried chicken breast served with two pickle chips on a buttered, toasted bun. Apparently, the secret’s in the seasoning, as the chefs in Food Network Kitchens discovered while re-creating the recipe. This one’s for Karina Wang from Perris, CA, and all the other readers who have been begging for the recipe.
| Level: | Intermediate |
| Total: | 30 min |
| Active: | 30 min |
| Yield: | 4 sandwiches |
Ingredients
- 2 skinless, boneless chicken breasts (about 6 ounces each)
- Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- Peanut oil, for frying
- 1 large egg
- 1/2 cup nonfat milk
- 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
- 1/4 cup whole-wheat flour
- 1 tablespoon malted milk powder
- 1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon confectioners’ sugar
- 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/4 teaspoon dry mustard
- 1 sour pickle, cut into 8 slices, plus 1 tablespoon pickle juice from the jar
- 2 teaspoons white vinegar
- 4 soft hamburger buns, split
- 1 tablespoon unsalted butter, softened
Instructions
- Cut the chicken breasts in half horizontally to make 4 thin cutlets. Place the cutlets between 2 pieces of heavy-duty plastic wrap and pound to 1/8-inch thick with a mallet or heavy skillet. Season the chicken with 1 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon each pepper and paprika.
- Heat about 2 inches peanut oil in a heavy-bottomed pot over medium heat until a deep-fry thermometer registers 325 degrees F. Meanwhile, whisk the egg, milk and 2 tablespoons water in a baking dish. Whisk both flours, the malted milk powder, confectioners sugar, baking soda, dry mustard, the remaining 1/2 teaspoon paprika and 1 teaspoon each salt and pepper in another dish. Toss the pickle slices, pickle juice and vinegar in a bowl and set aside.
- Working in batches, dip the chicken in the egg mixture, turning to coat, then dredge in the flour mixture and shake off any excess. Fry the chicken in the hot oil until golden brown, about 4 minutes, adjusting the heat as needed. Drain on paper towels.
- Heat a large skillet over medium heat. Spread the cut sides of the buns with some of the butter and lightly toast in the skillet, buttered-side down; spread with more butter. Put 2 pickle slices on each bun bottom; top with a piece of chicken and cover with the bun tops.
Nutrition Facts
| Serving Size | 1 of 4 servings |
| Calories | 721 |
| Total Fat | 44 g |
| Saturated Fat | 9 g |
| Carbohydrates | 51 g |
| Dietary Fiber | 3 g |
| Sugar | 8 g |
| Protein | 30 g |
| Cholesterol | 117 mg |
| Sodium | 631 mg |
Reviews
I am the world’s biggest Chick-fil-A fan, and I was afraid to make this because honestly I have tried countless times to make copycat recipes and they never really taste like the real thing. This is the closest to the original that any copycat recipe has come. I need a better bun for it, standard burger buns just don’t cut it. The chicken is terrific, followed the recipe as written and the 2nd time I added some msg to the breading and it was perfect.
i want to make this bc my grandkids love Chick-Fil-A but i don’t really want buy wheat flour since it doesn’t last long enough for me to use even a small bag. could anyone comment on whether i should just forget about this recipe? thanks
Truth – I honestly REALLY don’t like Chick-Fil-A. However, my brother basically worships it, so I made this for his birthday. Goodness, am I glad I did! This was absolutely DELISH! I will definitely make again.
Tastes great. Dipped the chicken in the flour combo before the egg mixture, then flour again. Didn’t have a any problems with the coating falling off.
Made these as per the instructions. They were tender and good, a hit with the family. The worst part is dumping a whole bottle
Of oil into a skillet and then having to dispose of it. This will keep us from having this recipe often.
Of oil into a skillet and then having to dispose of it. This will keep us from having this recipe often.
Delicious!!!
My daughter and I made this it was fantastic! We used 2% because that is what we had in hand. Also, we used Perdue perfect portions chicken breasts and new were able to skip the step of cutting the chicken into cutlets. It was the perfect size!
This makes excellent chicken nuggets also! Delicious .
Easy and fun week night dinner!
This was a huge hit in my house! My husband thought it was just as good as Chick-fil-A’s sandwiches. It was very easy to make. It’s important to make sure it’s super thin chicken BC it cooks thicker and the bread bun ratio is perfect!