Crispy Buttermilk Chicken Sandwich (with Homemade Mayo)
Spicy, tender, crispy, delicious. This is the only buttermilk chicken sando recipe you will ever need. Pair it with some bubbly and some Netflix on a Friday night, and you've got the recipe for a perfect date night in.
Equipment
- Large, deep sided pot for deep-fat frying
Ingredients
For the Buttermilk Marinade
- 4 boneless, skinless chicken thighs
- 1 C buttermilk
- ¼ C hot sauce
- 2 teaspoon salt divided
- 1 teaspoon pepper divided
For the Breading
- vegetable oil for deep fat frying
- 1½ C flour
- ½ C cornstarch
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- 1 teaspoon garlic salt
- 1 teaspoon chipotle chili powder
Homemade Mayo
- 1 egg room temperature
- 1 egg yolk room temperature
- 1 C vegetable oil
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- 1 tbsp Dijon mustard
- 1 teaspoon salt
Toppings
- 4 Brioche buns
- 4 tablespoon mayo
- 2-4 pickles spiraled, or thickly sliced
Instructions
Marinade the Chicken in Buttermilk
- On a cutting board, place a piece of plastic wrap. Lay two chicken thighs out, and then place another piece of plastic wrap on top. Pound with a rolling pin or a meat mallet until the thighs are a fairly even thickness. Repeat with remaining thighs. Set aside.
- Combine the buttermilk, hot sauce, 1 teaspoon of salt and ½ teaspoon of pepper. Add the chicken thighs and cover. Refrigerate for at least 4 hours, up to 24 hours.
Dredging & Frying
- When you're ready to fry the chicken, take it out of the fridge and let it come up to temperature on the counter. Start heating your vegetable oil in a deep sided pot over medium-high heat. The oil should come halfway up the sides of the pot. While the oil is heating, make the breading.
- Combine the flour, cornstarch, paprika, garlic salt, chipotle chili powder, and remining 1 teaspoon of salt and ½ teaspoon of pepper in a shallow dish or pie plate. Whisk to combine.
- Let the excess buttermilk drip off the chicken. Dredge in the flour mixture, making sure it gets into all the cracks and crevices. Now, dip it back in the buttermilk and hot sauce mixture (it's ok that the other chicken thighs are still in there). Coat it once again in flour, and set aside. Repeat for remaining chicken thighs.
- When the oil is at 350°F, add two of the chicken thighs. Fry until golden brown on the outside, while reaching an internal temperature of 165° internally. Remove to a wire rack over a baking sheet. Fry the remaining chicken thighs. Let the chicken rest for 10 minutes before building the sandwiches.
Build the Sando
- Spread Brioche buns with mayo. Layer on the pickles, and add the chicken thigh. Top with the rest of the bun, and serve.
For the Homemade Mayo
- Add all the ingredients to a high sided bowl. Using an immersion blender, slowly work your way from the top to the bottom of the ingredients, until smooth and creamy. Can be made ahead.
Video
Notes
Use a meat thermometer to check the temperature of the oil - don't try and guess. I have done this. It ends in disaster.
Make sure you let the chicken rest! It's important for the crispy process!
Don't let the chicken rest on paper towel, use a wire rack.
Nutrition
Serving: 1sandwichCalories: 425kcalCarbohydrates: 94gProtein: 39gFat: 37gSaturated Fat: 15gPolyunsaturated Fat: 8gMonounsaturated Fat: 5gTrans Fat: 1gCholesterol: 263mgSodium: 3072mgPotassium: 482mgFiber: 2gSugar: 4gVitamin A: 1128IUVitamin C: 13mgCalcium: 155mgIron: 4mg
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!