Homemade Chick-Fil-A Chicken Sandwich

A delicious homemade Chick-Fil-A sandwich is much easier than you think! Tender, juicy fried chicken with the perfect amount of crunch has all the flavor you’d expect from Chick-fil-A, without the drive-through wait.

I’ve also figured out the secrets behind Chick-fil-A nuggets, and Popeye’s Chicken Sandwich if you’re interested, but today is all about this homemade Chick-fil-A sandwich. 

The Secret Ingredients

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. 
• Brine: Skip the brine only if you’re short on time. Otherwise, I recommend soaking the chicken in a mixture of 1 quart of cold water, ¼ cup of kosher salt, and ¼ cup of sugar for 30 minutes to an hour.  Brining adds flavor and makes the chicken cutlets thicker and juicier.
• Milk and Eggs: Milk and eggs moisten the chicken, helping the breading to stick while cooking. 
• Flour: I’ve tested this recipe using regular all-purpose flour. 
• Milk Powder: Adds subtle richness to the breading and helps it develop a deep golden brown color as it fries. If you don’t have this, it’s ok to leave it out. 
• Seasonings: If you want the flavor of Chick-Fil-A, you will need smoked paprika, cayenne powder, garlic powder, black pepper, and salt. For a spicy Chick-fil-A sandwich, add more cayenne pepper or add hot sauce to the egg and milk mixture. 
• Oil for Frying: You can use vegetable oil, corn, sunflower, peanut, or canola. Basically, any neutral-tasting oil with a high smoke point will work for deep frying.
• Hamburger Buns. You will need 4 hamburger buns (I used brioche buns) Toast the buns with some butter.
• Toppings. Make a deluxe chicken sandwich with lettuce, tomato, dill pickle slices, American cheese, and some Chick-Fil-A sauce. Or, stick to the classic. All you’ll need is soft buns, pickles, and 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 until they are ½ inch thick.

How to Make Homemade Chick-Fil-A Sandwiches

• Make Your Spice Mix: In a small bowl, combine smoked paprika, cayenne, garlic powder, black pepper, and salt. Whisk to combine.
• Combine Wet Ingredients: In a different bowl, whisk the eggs with the milk, and set aside.
• Combine Dry Ingredients: In a separate dish, combine the flour with milk powder, baking powder, and the spice mix.
• Make Crust/Crumbles: To create a shaggy crust/crumbles, add 2 tablespoons of the egg-milk mixture to the dry flour mixture, and rub with your fingertips until the flour mixture is coarse.
• Preheat the Oil: In a Dutch oven or a deep fryer, preheat about 2 inches (if using a Dutch oven) of oil to 350°F (180°C). If you’re using a deep fryer, you need to fill enough oil to reach the “minimum” line, otherwise, be sure that you have enough oil in the pot so that the chicken can float, rather than rest on the bottom. 
• Coat the Chicken: To coat your chicken like Chick-Fil-A, dip each chicken cutlet in the egg/milk mixture, allowing any excess to drip off. Then, dredge the cutlets in the flour mixture, pressing down firmly for it to adhere to the chicken. Shake off excess. Be sure to coat both sides.
• Fry the Chicken: Carefully drop your chicken cutlets into the hot oil. Fry for 4 minutes or until the internal temperature registers at 165°F (74°C).
• Serve: Transfer to a wire rack or on paper towels, then top with cheese (American, Colby Jack, or Pepper Jack). To assemble, toast the hamburger buns with some butter, and spread the Chick-fil-A sauce on both sides of the bun. Top with pickles, lettuce, 2 tomato slices, fried chicken, and cheese. Close the sandwich, and there you have it: the best ever fried chicken sandwich that tastes even better than Chick-fil-A!

The Crumbles Are Key

I tested the breading for this sandwich a few different ways, and the winner is the method listed here. Before you bread the chicken, mix a little bit of the egg mixture into the flour with your fingers so that you create little bits of clumped-up flour. 

These crumbles add surface area to the breading, which results in extra crispiness without the breading being overly thick. 

Fry The Chicken Right After Breading

It might sound like a good idea to bread the chicken earlier in the day so that it’s ready to fry at dinner time, but if the chicken sits too long in the breading, it can get soggy and won’t crisp up as well. 

If you do need to fry your chicken a little bit ahead of time, go ahead! Keep the cutlets warm in a low oven. Place them on a wire rack so that they stay crispy. 

Deep Frying Vs. Shallow Frying

I recommend deep frying the chicken if you really want your sandwich to taste like Chick-fil-A. This means frying it in several inches of oil, either in an electric deep fryer or a heavy pot, like a Dutch oven.

Shallow frying can work, but you’ll need to flip the chicken over to cook both sides. I tried this myself, and I found it more difficult to get the breading crispy without overcooking the chicken. 

If you’d like to make a fried chicken sandwich with less oil, try using your air fryer like I do in my recipe for Nashville Hot Chicken.

What Do I Put Mn 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, but you can also use Colby jack or pepper jack.
• Chick-fil-A sauce

Are there Unbreaded Versions?

Chick-Fil-A does serve a grilled chicken sandwich that features the same toppings and flavors. You can use the seasonings from the breading mixture to flavor your chicken cutlets, and then grill or pan-sear them. 

You might also enjoy my copycat Chick-fil-A Cool Wrap.

What Is the Best Oil for Fried Chicken

Chick-fil-A uses peanut oil to fry their chicken and fries, but that’s not usually my go-to. 

Any type of neutral oil can be used for frying, as long as it has a high smoke point. I like to use vegetable oil, sunflower oil, or corn oil. 

Canola oil is also a good option, 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 use 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.

Reheated fried chicken isn’t quite as good as fresh, but it still makes a wonderful lunch the next day.