This year we have seen the chicken sandwich craze reach new levels of demand and excitement. If you somehow missed the news, Popeye’s chains added to their menu a new fried chicken sandwich that managed to sell out in a couple of weeks. This dish was so popular, one customer actually sold his at an unbelievable price of $350 on eBay. Having this menu item sold out was definitely a boomer for those who wanted to try it, which is why we decided to share with you some useful tips and advice on how to make a delicious crispy chicken sandwich at home.
Creating a Crunchy and Crispy Chicken Sandwich
One of the most important elements of making a delicious crispy chicken sandwich is by getting the right ingredients so that we can get the best results. In order to do this, we need brine chicken breasts and corn starch with flour and seasonings. We can then remove chicken from the brine, dip the dry dredge in, then dip the batter, and then again into the dry mixture. Frying this for 3 to 4 minutes per side will help us get the crisp we are looking for.
Frying the Chicken
If we want to make friend chicken crispy, the key is in the dredge and batter, which is made with cornstarch. This expands when it is added to a liquid, helping us create the perfect coating for our crunchy and crispy chicken sandwich. If we are using chicken breasts that are a bit too large, we might want to cut them in half. Once that’s done, we can dredge the chicken breasts into the dry mixture so that the batter can adhere. If we are using wet batter, make sure its consistency is just like that of pancake batter. Also, if we want to get an extra touch of flavor, we can dip the breasts into the dry mixture a second time.
Frying the chicken can be the trickiest part, so we recommend using a deep-fry thermometer to ensure oil is hot enough, keeping it at 350°F. We need to remember that oil temperature can drop when we add the chicken, so pay attention to this and adjust it accordingly. When we get the chicken out of the oil, we can drain it on paper towels, and if we are making several batches, we can keep them warm in an oven at 250°F.
The Chicken Sandwich Toppings to Include
When making the perfect crispy chicken sandwich, frying the chicken and getting the right texture and flavor are key. However, we should pay attention to the toppings we include in our recipe, too. We recommend trying thinly sliced sautéed yellow onions, as well as a spoonful of coleslaw. If we are looking for a creamy element, however, we recommend adding a slice of provolone or Swiss cheese into the mix.