Crispy Fried Chicken Sandwich with Pickle Brine Recipe
This Fried Chicken Sandwich with Pickle Brine is a crispy, flavorful delight perfect for game day or any casual meal. The chicken is marinated in tangy pickle brine and buttermilk, then coated in a seasoned flour dredge and fried to golden perfection. Served on soft buns with fresh lettuce, tomato, and pickles, it’s a satisfying sandwich with an optional spicy hot butter sauce for an extra kick.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 10 minutes
- Total Time: 4 hours 30 minutes
- Yield: 8 sandwiches
- Category: Dinner
- Method: Frying
- Cuisine: American
Ingredients
For the Brine
- 1 cup buttermilk
- 1 cup dill pickle brine from a jar of pickles
- 1 teaspoon hot sauce (use a vinegar based hot sauce)
- 2 cloves garlic
For the Seasoned Flour Dredge
- 1 ¾ cups all purpose flour
- ¾ cup cornstarch
- 1 tablespoon onion powder
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- 2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon black pepper
- ½ teaspoon cayenne pepper
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
For the Chicken
- 8 boneless, skinless chicken thighs
- Kosher salt and freshly cracked black pepper, to taste
- 3 cups vegetable oil or peanut oil (for frying)
For Serving
- 8 soft hamburger buns
- 4 cups shredded iceberg lettuce
- 8 slices tomato
- 16 dill pickle chips
- 1 cup mayonnaise
For the Optional Hot Butter Sauce
- ¾ cup unsalted butter
- 2 tablespoons vegetable oil or peanut oil
- 3 tablespoons brown sugar
- 2 tablespoons honey
- 1 ½ tablespoons cayenne pepper
- 1 tablespoon hot sauce (vinegar based)
- 2 teaspoons salt
- 2 teaspoons paprika
- 2 ½ teaspoons garlic powder
- ¾ teaspoon freshly cracked black pepper
Instructions
- Brine the Chicken: In a large zip-top bag or bowl, combine buttermilk, pickle brine, hot sauce, and garlic cloves. Add the chicken thighs ensuring they are fully submerged. Squeeze out excess air, seal the bag (or cover the bowl), and refrigerate for at least 4 hours, ideally overnight for best flavor and tenderness.
- Prepare the Dredge: In a shallow baking dish, whisk together all-purpose flour, cornstarch, onion powder, paprika, kosher salt, black pepper, cayenne, and garlic powder until well combined. This seasoned flour mixture will give the chicken its crispy coating.
- Heat the Oil: Pour the vegetable or peanut oil into a Dutch oven or heavy-bottomed pot to a depth of 1 to 1 ½ inches. Heat the oil to 350°F (175°C) using a thermometer to maintain temperature, ensuring even frying and a crispy crust.
- Dredge the Chicken: Remove 4 chicken thighs from the brine, letting the excess liquid drip off. Coat each piece generously with the flour mixture, pressing the flour to adhere well. Drizzle a spoonful of the brine over the flour-coated chicken and toss again in the flour to create extra shaggy, crispy bits. Flip and repeat on the other side. Shake off any excess flour before frying.
- Fry the Chicken: Carefully place the dredged chicken thighs into the hot oil, frying 2 minutes per side, flipping as needed, until golden brown and the internal temperature reaches 165°F (about 8-10 minutes total). Transfer the chicken to a wire rack set over a paper towel-lined baking sheet. Season immediately with salt and freshly cracked black pepper. Repeat with the remaining chicken, keeping fried chicken warm in a 200°F oven if necessary.
- Optional Hot Butter Sauce: In a saucepan over medium heat, melt the butter with the oil. Stir in brown sugar, honey, cayenne pepper, hot sauce, salt, paprika, garlic powder, and black pepper. Bring to a simmer just until the sugar dissolves. Remove from heat and let cool slightly. Dip each fried chicken piece into the sauce before assembling if you want a spicy kick.
- Assemble the Sandwiches: Spread mayonnaise on both the top and bottom buns. Layer each with dill pickle chips, fried chicken thigh, shredded iceberg lettuce, and tomato slices. Top with the remaining bun and serve immediately while the chicken is hot and crispy.
Notes
- For best flavor, marinate chicken overnight in the pickle brine mixture.
- Use a thermometer to keep the oil temperature steady at 350°F for optimal crispiness.
- Do not overcrowd the pan when frying; fry in batches to avoid temperature drops in the oil.
- You can substitute chicken thighs for chicken breasts, but thighs yield juicier, more flavorful sandwiches.
- The hot butter sauce is optional but adds a delicious spicy-sweet layer to the sandwich.
- Leftover fried chicken can be refrigerated and reheated in a hot oven to retain crispiness.
