Buttermilk Fried Chicken Sandwiches with Slaw

This Southern reminiscent classic is the most juiciest and deliciously-spiced crispy buttermilk fried chicken sandwich with creamy coleslaw, bread and butter pickles; all piled high on a toasty, buttery, pillowy soft brioche bun!

There’s a story behind me developing this specific recipe. You see, recently Popeyes took the world by storm, err, social media buzz for real clarification. As you may know, they came out with fried chicken sandwiches. Basically the internets were going crazy, people were standing in long ass lines, and I even heard of a couple physical altercations too!

All this just to get hangry hands on a fried chicken sandwich. Well, I too, wanted in on all the madness. I mean, I had to really see what was causing people to lose their entire chill over. Is the sandwich worth all of the hype? Sadly, every single one of my local Popeyes’ continues to be sold out of their famous sandwich.

Consequently, I found a way to curb my cravings with this here recipe. Like all of the recipes I develop, I’m always excited to share them. Buuutttt I’m lovin’ on this recipe just a smidge more. To be honest with you, recipes that have roots within Blackness or Southern food ways, always get me in my feels. Listen, some of *us* don’t play about our fried chicken, okay! So, I knew that I had to come correct on this one. And that, I surely did. BOOM.

Friends, this fried chicken sandwich is insanely good and I’d like to think that I made my ancestors rise and holla with this one, ha! If you’re a fan of some spiciness, be sure to also check out these hot chicken sandwiches that I developed too. Alright, alright now… enough of my ramblings, let’s get to it.

Fried Chicken Sandwich Ingredients:

• Chicken Parts: Two chicken breasts, then halved will give you four sandwiches in total.
• Buttermilk: This one is HUGE! It’s so important to always brine your chicken overnight in buttermilk for many reasons. A good buttermilk brine helps the chicken to stay moist and juicy. In addition, buttermilk tenderizes the chicken making it extra delicious. Also, the tanginess from the buttermilk adds great flavor.
• Spices: Well seasoned chicken adds flavor, contrast, and depth! Trust me, no one wants bland unseasoned chicken. Seasonings are added to buttermilk brine mixture and in flour dredge mixture too. Excellent fried chicken should have flavor penetrating the actual chicken as well and not just lie on the crispy outer parts.
• Coleslaw: I grab a bag of ready-to-go coleslaw in the grocery store that contains a trio mix of purple cabbage, green cabbage, and carrots. Paired with a good quality mayonnaise (every good Southerner knows that Dukes Mayo is #bae!)- the coleslaw adds nice texture, crunch, and creaminess to the fried chicken sandwich.
• Sandwich Buns: Brioche is a classic French yeasted bread that is made from a high content of eggs and butter. It is also a rich type of bread with a yellow-ish interior and a golden shiny outer crust.
• Pickles: Bread and butter pickles add a sweet tangy crunch!

How Do I Make These Fried Chicken Sandwiches?:

To prepare the chicken, using a sharp serrated knife, halve the chicken. Place the palm of your hand directly over chicken breast and while pressing down, cut through the chicken breast evenly. This will leave you with four chicken cutlets. Place chicken in a resealable bag with buttermilk and seasonings. Let chicken brine overnight.

Next, you’ll need a large dutch oven pot like the one shown above. Large enough so that when the oil heats and the chicken cooks, it will limit any stovetop mess with any splattering. Additionally, having a deep fry thermometer is handy because it’ll let you know when the oil has achieved optimal levels to start frying your chicken. Once the oil has reached about 350°F, you can begin frying.

Take chicken out of bag and place them on a plate, discard buttermilk. Set out two bowls or shallow pie plates for your dredge. One vessel will hold more buttermilk and hot sauce. The other vessel will hold the flour and seasonings. One at a time, dip chicken in flour then buttermilk then back in flour again. Work quickly and each time, make sure entire chicken is coated.

That Sounds Easy, What’s Next?:

See, you’re on your way to having the best fried chicken sandwiches, ever! Fry the chicken up and after each piece gets cooked, place the cooked chicken on a baking sheet with a rack to let excess oil drip off. I don’t recommend using paper towels to sop up the oil because they tend to increase the likelihood of having soggy chicken. The rack in place allows the chicken to naturally let go of oil along with air circulation and remaining its crispiness.

We’re ready to build and assemble our fried chicken sandwiches!

• toast buns and lightly butter them up if you like!
• get a nice smear of mayo on the buns if that’s your thing too!
• add super duper crispy chicken; directly top it with a few dollops of creamy coleslaw!
• load it up with bread and butter pickles!
• ketchup? mustard? other condiments? YOU. DO. YOU. BABE!
• bliss out and get your entire life with the best homemade fried chicken sandwich!

A pro-tip from me to you: I also bought two large russet potatoes and cut them into thick wedges to make homemade garlic parmesan french fries. Hey, it’s a good way to use up that oil that you already have nice and hot and they go perfectly with these fried chicken sandwiches!

REMEMBER TO LEAVE A ⭐️STAR RATING⭐️AND TAG ME ON THE ‘GRAM IF YOU MAKE ANY OF MY RECIPES! I ALWAYS LOVE TO SEE IT WHEN YOU DO!

Until next time…love and butter,

Q.

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