Do you love Chick-Fil-A? I love their juicy chicken and their delicious sauce, but I don’t like the prices that come with eating out. Because my family loves Chick-Fil-A, and it’s my favorite sandwich, I love making my own homemade Chick-Fil-A sandwich. I have an easy recipe for copycat Chick-Fil-A Chicken Nuggets too! Also try my delicious Nashville Chicken Sandwich and this Copycat Popeye’s Chicken Sandwich. Growing up, we didn’t eat out much. It wasn’t necessarily that we couldn’t afford it, but there are other things we can do with our money than eating out. Instead, my mom used to whip up these delicious homemade restaurant-style meals. One of these was this Chick-Fil-A Deluxe Sandwich. And boy, does it really taste like Chick-Fil-A! Combine it with my homemade Chick-Fil-A sauce or spicy mayo and your family won’t even know the difference. This recipe is great for whipping up for dinner, but it’s also a great dish to take with you to social gatherings including potlucks, family get-togethers, and cookouts! Additionally, this Chick-Fil-A recipe can be served with a variety of sides. I tend to throw in some fries, but you can also serve your chicken sandwiches with mashed potatoes, salad, tater tots, pasta salad, or anything your heart desires. Looking for something slightly healthier? Try my copycat Chick Fil A Cool Wrap recipe! I will absolutely make this again when I get a chance. Thank you so, so much for sharing this recipe!!! 😀 Moonwatcher101
Why You’ll Love this Crispy Chicken Sandwich
It’s a Chick-Fil-A copycat and that’s enough for me to love it, but here are a few more reasons why you will love this recipe too:
Ingredients Used
This recipe uses some rather basic ingredients, but all of them are crucial in making your sandwich taste just like Chick-Fil-A. Make sure you have these things on hand:
Chicken breasts: You want to use chicken breasts sliced into thin cutlets. If you have chicken thighs, you can use them as well but I personally prefer white meat for fried chicken sandwiches. Milk and Eggs: Milk and eggs moisten the chicken; helping the breading to stick while cooking. Flour: If you need gluten-free flour, I like This Gluten-Free All-Purpose Flour because it doesn’t sacrifice quality or taste. Seasonings: If you want the flavor of Chick-Fil-A, you will need smoked paprika, cayenne powder, garlic powder, black pepper, and salt. Oil. I always use Crisco Frying Oil because it’s literally the best for fried foods. You can use vegetable oil, corn, sunflower, peanut, or canola. Basically any neutral-tasting oil with a high smoke point. Hamburger Buns. You will need 4 hamburger buns (I used brioche buns) Chick-fil-a’s multigrain bun is also nice so you can use that. Make sure to toast the buns with some butter. Toppings. Make a deluxe chicken sandwich with lettuce, tomato, dill pickles American Cheese, and some Chick-Fil-A sauce.
Complete list of ingredients and amounts can be found in the recipe card below.
How to Make Cutlets?
The hardest part about this recipe is cutting your chicken breasts into cutlets. You will need a sharp chef’s boning or fillet knife. To make cutlets from your breasts, place the breasts on a cutting board and hold them flat with the palm of your hand. Then, using the other hand, slice the chicken breasts horizontally into two even pieces. This is easier if you cut close to the edge of the cutting board. If needed pound the chicken cutlets with a meat mallet into ½ inch thickness.
How to Make Homemade Chick-Fil-A Sandwiches
It doesn’t take much to make these famous copycat Chick-Fil-A sandwiches. Follow these steps for Chick-Fil-A without leaving your house. For the breading, I like to use this breading set that I love (It’s not a must-have, but nice to have). It comes in 3 compartments, so I use one for dry ingredients, one for wet ingredients, and put the breaded chicken in the last one!
Tips and Tricks
Obviously, Chick-Fil-A is my favorite crispy chicken sandwich, and with that being said, I wanted my copycat to be as close to Chick-Fil-A as possible. So, to get it just perfect, here are a few tips and tricks I have learned along the way:
Brine the chicken. If time allows, I always recommend brining the chicken so it’s juicier and thicker. Let chicken cutlets sit in 1 quart of cold water, ¼ cup of kosher salt, and ¼ cup of sugar mixture for 30 minutes to an hour. Or use pickle juice for the brine if you have it. Add more or less spice. To make it a spicy deluxe, just add more cayenne or hot sauce. However, if you are making it for kiddos, you can just skip the cayenne. Fry right after breading. If you let the breaded chicken sit for long, the breading will become soggy and won’t crisp up very well. Always deep fry it. To make it as close as possible to Chick-Fil-A, you will want to deep fry the chicken. If you want to shallow fry the chicken, it will still work but won’t be super crispy. You can also Air Fry the chicken like I did in my Air Fryer nashville hot chicken recipe. Keep warm in the oven. While frying other cutlets, place done cutlets on a wire rack and place in the oven to keep warm. But make sure you’re using an ovenproof wire rack that does not melt in the oven. Add more deliciousness. To make this sandwich even tastier, add bacon, extra cheese, or even 2 cutlets of chicken per sandwich!
What Do I Put on my Sandwich?
Because I went with the deluxe version of a fried Chick-Fil-A sandwich, I used the following toppings:
Dill pickle chips. Green leaf lettuce leaves. Large tomatoes – sliced into rings. American cheese, Colby Jack, or Pepper Jack.
Are there Unbreaded Versions?
I made the Chick-Fil-A deluxe sandwich. It’s a little different from the classic because it adds lettuce, tomato, and cheese. However, there is a grilled chicken version as well at Chick-Fil-A. Instead of breading your chicken, you can use the seasoning and grill it.
What Is the Best Oil for Fried Chicken
I always recommend using an oil with a high smoke-point for deep frying, it also must have a neutral taste for the best tasting fried chicken (avoid olive oil!). I like to use vegetable oil, sunflower oil, corn oil, or peanut oil. Canola oil is also great, but sometimes the fishy scent that canola oil produces when frying puts me off. But keep in mind that it does not change the flavor of the chicken at all so you can totally canola oil if you like.
Storing Tips
If you have leftovers, store the fried chicken in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. Reheat in the oven or in the Air Fryer until warmed up and crispy.
Other Chicken Recipes I Love
Chicken is so versatile that you can literally use it to make a variety of different dishes! Here are a few of my favorite chicken recipes to check out:
Air Fryer Nashville Style Hot Chicken Oven Baked Crispy Chicken Tenders Creamy Lemon Chicken Pasta Garlic Butter Chicken Tenders Teriyaki Chicken Stir Fry
I don’t care what anyone says; there’s no better way to make a chicken sandwich than the Chick-Fil-A way! If you love Chick-Fil-A as much as I do, you are going to love making your own at home. Don’t forget to pin this recipe to Pinterest for others to enjoy! © Little Sunny Kitchen
