Crispy Chicken Sandwich with BBQ Sauce

4 servings (1 sandwich per person)

Try my crispy chicken sandwich with BBQ sauce! A favorite all over the US, crispy fried chicken is a meal that it seems everyone touts that they have the best. I have always loved crispy chicken, but have found most places are inconsistent in how they season and fry. For...

... this reason, I spent years perfecting my crispy chicken recipe, which is made even better turning it into this scrumptious sandwich.

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Tom the Chef Founder

January 19, 2024

45 min.
75+ min.
2/5

Ingredients:

Crispy chicken:

4 PCS of chicken thighs - skinless and boneless (about 1 LB, or 2 boneless chicken breasts – each cut into 2 pcs lengthwise *)
1 cup of milk
2 cloves of garlic - peeled and grated (or pressed)
1 TSP of ground paprika
1 TSP of chili powder (seasoning)
1 TSP of ground cayenne pepper - ground
1 TSP of pepper - ground
1 TSP of salt
2 TSP of baking powder
4 cups of all-purpose flour
3 egg

The rest of the sandwich:

4 PCS of burger buns (store-bought or recipe here)
4 TBSP of mayonnaise (adjust if needed)
4 TBSP of BBQ sauce (store-bought or recipe here, adjust if needed)
8 slices of cheddar cheese
8 slices of tomato
1 cup of lettuce of your choice - roughly chopped

Final touch:

salt - ideally freshly ground

* In my opinion, boneless chicken thighs with skin on are perfect for this sandwich since they are moist and have more flavor. However, if you prefer a leaner meat, chicken breasts are a great choice too.

Tools:

1x Measuring Cups
1x Measuring Spoons
1x Chef’s knife
1x Cutting Board
1x Medium Mixing Bowl (3 – 4 QT)
1x Small Hand Grater or Garlic Press
1x French Whisk
1x Silicone Spatula
1x Plastic Wrap
1x Large Mixing Bowl (8 QT +)
1x Tongs
1x Baking Sheet
1x Deep Fryer or Pot and Thermometer
1x Food Thermometer (probe)
1x Cooling Rack or Paper Towels

Recipes

Best served with:

Coleslaw Salad

Oven-Roasted Potato Wedges

Side Salad

a sandwich with lettuce, tomato and mayo.

Directions:

1. Marinade:

1.1. Place these ingredients into a medium mixing bowl:

1 cup of milk
2 cloves of garlic – grated
½ TSP of paprika (½ of total amount)
½ TSP of chili powder (½ of total amount)
½ TSP of ground cayenne powder (½ of total amount)
½ TSP of ground black pepper (½ of total amount)
½ TSP of salt

Whisk together until incorporated (about 1 – 2 minutes).

2. Meat preparation:

2.1. Make sure that the boneless chicken thighs are properly rinsed under cold water.

Notes:

Do not cut thighs into pieces – each sandwich will get one thigh.
I prefer to leave the skin on, but you can optionally remove it and dispose of it.

2.2.

Place thighs into a medium mixing bowl with the marinade and stir with a spatula until the chicken thighs get coated with marinade.

2.3.

Cover with a plastic wrap and marinate in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes (or preferably overnight).

2.4.

Cover with a plastic wrap and marinade in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes (or preferably overnight).

3. Preheat frying oil:

3.1.

Please read the the directions about deep frying below before proceeding.

3.2.

Set to preheat your oil at 320°F.

Kitchen Guide

Deep Frying

October 17, 2023

Deep frying is a very popular cooking method. Unfortunately, it is also considered unhealthy since deep fried food represents higher calorie intake when compared to non-fried food. With frequent consumption it can lead to unwanted weight gain. Even though deep frying sounds for some people almost scary, it is simply submerging food in hot oil which leads to instantly cooking the surface while moisture is trapped in the food and keeps cooking the food from the inside.

Tom the Chef Founder

4. Flour mixture:

4.1. Place into the other large mixing bowl:

4 cups of all-purpose flour
½ TSP of paprika (other ½ of total amount)
½ TSP of chili powder (other ½ of total amount)
½ TSP of ground cayenne powder (other ½ of total amount)
½ TSP of ground black pepper (other ½ of total amount)
½ TSP of salt
2 TSP of baking powder

Thoroughly stir with a whisk until fully incorporated (about 1 – 2 minutes).

5. Bread the meat:

Important:

To create very even results, I prefer to complete each of the following steps with all thighs before moving to other steps.
However, I always complete each step working with each thighs one by one.
Never grab multiple tenders at one time.

5.1. Using tongs, place all thighs from the marinade into the flour mixture (let the liquid drip off for a couple of seconds before placing in the flour mixture).

Notes:

Make sure that they are not directly touching each other in the mixture: cover each piece in the flour mixture with your hands.
When all pieces are in the mixture, shake the bowl to improve the coating.

5.2. Create an egg wash mix by adding into the bowl with the marinade that was left after you took the chicken out:

3 large eggs

Whisk until fully incorporated (about 1 – 2 minutes).

5..3.

Place all thighs into the egg wash mix using tongs.

5.4. Place all thighs back into the flour mixture using tongs (let each drip the liquid off for a couple of seconds).

Important:

Make sure that they are not directly touching (the same process as in step 5.1).
When all pieces are in the mixture, shake the bowl well to improve coating.

5.5. From now on, touch the thighs only with your hands (no tongs) since the coating is fragile. Gently shake off the excess flour from the mixture and place each thigh on a baking sheet.

Important:
Make sure that they are not touching.

6. Deep fry:

Note:
Work in two or more batches (based on the size of your deep fryer).

6.1.

Make sure that the oil is preheated to 320°F.

6.2.

Carefully place the thighs into the fryer one by one.

6.3.

Fry immersed in oil until a nice golden color is reached, and the meat is fully cooked (about 5 – 7 minutes from each side). *

6.4.

When done, remove to a cooling rack or plate with a paper towel and let the excess oil drip off (about one minute).

6.5.

Sprinkle with salt.

7. Assemble sandwiches:

7.1.

Cut each of the 4 buns into halves. Optionally, toast the buns in a toaster or spread a fine layer on the cut part of the buns and briefly sear on a medium burner until crispy.

7.2.

Spread mayonnaise on each half (about 1 TBSP each half).

7.3.

Place the roughly chopped lettuce on the bottom half of each sandwich (about ¼ Cup for each sandwich).

7.4.

Place 1 piece of chicken on the top of chopped iceberg lettuce.

7.5.

Spread 1 TBSP of BBQ sauce on the top of each piece of chicken.

7.6.

Add 2 slices of cheddar and 2 slices of tomato on top of the chicken.

7.7,

Cover with the top part of the bun and serve.

* Check with a food thermometer to make sure that you have reached the minimum recommended safe serving temperature for poultry of 165°F.