Air Fryer Chicken Sandwich (Chick-fil-A Copycat Recipe)

If you love Chick-fil-A sandwiches you are going to love this Air Fryer Chicken Sandwich recipe. Once cooked the chicken becomes crispy on the outside and moist and juicy on the inside.

Serve it in a bun and add two pickle slices and you have a classic fast food sandwich made right in your own kitchen. Not only will it save you money by making it yourself, but you will also be eating healthier.

Instead of pressure cooking the breaded chicken in peanut oil, it cooks in your air fryer instead. Although you will still need a little spritz of oil to get the breading nice and crispy, it is much less than when being cooked in a bath of peanut oil.

In addition, when you make the chicken at home you have eliminated the easy chance to order a side of waffle fries and a milkshake. Because who can resist the urge when you are in line at the restaurant?

Ever since I began making their Chicken Mini Breakfast Sandwiches in my air fryer, I rarely head through the drive thru line in the morning. And now with this recipe, I anticipate my future visits will only be a special treat when traveling.

However, in order to get the sandwich to taste just like the one at the restaurant there are a few key steps to follow. And it all starts with brining the chicken breasts.

Chicken Brine

Before breading the chicken breasts and putting them in the air fryer to cook, you must first allow the chicken to soak in a brine solution. Although many fried chicken recipes call for soaking the chicken pieces in buttermilk, including Oven ‘Fried’ Chicken, this recipe is a little different.

Instead of using buttermilk, the chicken sits in pickle juice before dredging it in the breading mixture. Although many people have the misconception this is how Chick-fil-A prepares the chicken, this isn’t the case.

According to the ingredients list, the chicken is brined in a salt-sugar solution that also contains MSG. This mixture is what helps to keep the chicken moist and flavorful.

The actual pickle flavor comes from the two dill pickle slices that are added to the sandwich. However, pickle juice does make the perfect brine mixture.

The salt in the pickle juice helps to draw water into the meat, making it more moist. It also helps to break down the meat fibers making the chicken nice and tender.

Therefore, it is vital that you don’t skip this step! Brining the chicken in pickle juice makes all the difference.

Best Breading For Air Fryer Chicken Sandwiches

Although there are a million different types of breading that you can use to coat chicken, this one is simple and easy to make.

All-purpose flour is used as the base. However, what really makes this breading delicious is that the flour is seasoned with a few basic spices and one surprise ingredient.

Garlic powder, paprika, salt, and pepper are used to season the flour to give it that iconic taste. However, the key ingredient that makes the Air Fryer Chicken Sandwich so tasty is Confectioner’s sugar.

The powdered sugar is used to add a hint of sweetness to the exterior coating. Although the sweetness in the sugar also enhances the other flavors in the seasoning.

Speaking of seasoning, if you order the spicy chicken sandwich, be sure to add cayenne pepper to the mix. The ground cayenne pepper will give you that kick that you are looking for!

Dredging Process

Once you have the flour, seasonings and sugar mixed together place the mixture in a shallow bowl or dish. It needs to be big enough that you can fit the chicken inside the dish easily.

Then in another shallow dish whisk an egg. Add milk to the whisked egg and mix until well incorporated. This mixture will be the binding agent so that the breading can stick to the outer surface of the chicken breasts.

You will first coat both sides of the chicken in the egg and milk mixture. Then the chicken will be transferred to the seasoned flour.

Coat both sides and shake off any excess flour. You can then put the chicken in the air fryer to cook.

This amount of breading is light and not too thick. However, if you would like to have a thicker coating, you can dredge the chicken twice.

Do this by coating the chicken in the egg and milk mixture and then in the flour. Then repeat the process one more time to give you a thicker outer coating which will be more similar to Chick-fil-A’s sandwiches.

Air Fryer Chicken Sandwich Recipe

*Specific measurements and complete recipe instructions are located in a printable recipe card at the bottom of this article. However, be sure to continue to read the tips and tricks to making this recipe below.

INGREDIENTS

• 2 chicken breasts, boneless, skinless
• 1 cup pickle juice
• 1/2 cup milk
• 1 large egg
• 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1/2 teaspoon paprika
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 1 tablespoon Confectioner’s Sugar
• 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper (optional)
• olive oil

For Serving

• 2 large hamburger buns
• 4 slices dill pickle chips

Copycat Chick-fil-A Sauce

• 1/4 cup mayo
• 2 tablespoons honey
• 2 teaspoons barbecue sauce
• 2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
• 1 teaspoon yellow mustard
• 1 teaspoon cornstarch
• 1 teaspoon water

INSTRUCTIONS

Place chicken breasts in a large resealable plastic bag. Pour the pickle juice in the bag and seal. Place the chicken in the refrigerator for 30 minutes.

Add the flour, paprika, garlic powder, salt, pepper, and Confectioner’s sugar to a large shallow bowl. Stir to combine.

In another large shallow bowl beat the egg. Add the milk and mix to combine.

Preheat the Air Fryer at 400°F (200°C). Even if your brand of air fryer doesn’t require you to preheat, it is important to do so to prevent the breading on the chicken from sticking to the air fryer basket.

Remove the chicken from the pickle juice and dredge the chicken in the beaten egg and milk mixture and then coat both sides in the flour, (repeat this process for a thicker outer coating if desired).

Spray or coat the air fryer basket with high heat cooking oil. I use olive oil, but you could use peanut oil or grapeseed oil as well.

Place the chicken in the air fryer basket. Spritz the top of the chicken with olive oil.

Air Frying Time

Air fry at 400°F (200°C) for 12 minutes.

Open the air fryer and carefully flip the chicken so that you don’t lose any breading. After you flip the chicken spray the top side of the chicken with olive oil.

Air fry for an additional 5-7 minutes or until the breading is crisp and the chicken is cooked at an internal temperature of 165°F when checked with an instant read digital thermometer.

Assemble The Air Fryer Chicken Sandwich

Butter and grill the bun. You can place the buns in the air fryer after you remove the chicken. Air fryer at 400°F for 2-3 minutes.

Place two pickle slices (or more) on the bottom bun. Then place the air fryer chicken on top and place the top bun over the chicken and enjoy your sandwich.

Optional: Chick-fil-A Sauce

Although you can now purchase the famous sauce at the grocery store, it is easy to make your own homemade sauce with just a few basic ingredients.

1. Combine the mayonnaise, honey, barbecue sauce, and both types of mustard in a bowl.
2. In a separate bowl mix 1 teaspoon cornstarch and 1 teaspoon cold water until the powder dissolves.
3. Add the cornstarch slurry to the other ingredients and stir.

Enjoy! Mary

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