Pickle Juice Crispy Fried Chicken Sandwich

Upgrade your Crispy Fried Chicken recipe by brining everything in a blend of pickle juice and buttermilk! If you love yourself, you’ll make a batch ASAP.

Ya’ll, this is the BEST CHICKEN SANDWICH I’VE EVER HAD. Not kidding.

What makes it so extraordinary? First things first, I brined the chicken breasts in an equal mixture of pickle juice and buttermilk. The buttermilk helps tenderize the chicken, while the pickle juice gives it an awesome tangy essence. For the breading I went ahead and added a 1/2 cup of powdered sugar to the spiced flour mixture. The end result was a slightly sweet crunch on the outside… vinegar zap on the inside. Inspired by Frannie’s Food Truck in Dollywood, this Crispy Fried Chicken Sandwich is what dreams are made of.

MAKE SURE TO TRY MY PICKLE-JUICE AIR FRYER FRIED CHICKEN!

While Frannie’s Fried Chicken is served plain on a brioche bun, I added an extra punch with a habanero-garlic aioli and creamy coleslaw. 

I’m such a fan of various sauces and condiments, so I couldn’t resist the urge to add a punch of spicy goodness to this beast of a sandwich. Aioli is super easy to make, and can elevate recipes to a whole new level. My husband is a big fan of heat, so I chose to use a habanero sauce in our aioli. If you’re not comfortable with that amount of heat, feel free to substitute with your favorite hot sauce.

For the coleslaw, I made things simple and grabbed a pre-shredded bag at the grocery store. To make it feel more homemade, I thinly sliced part of a red onion, added a fresh jalapeño, and sprinkled-in some parsley. Voila,  easy-peasy homemade hack! I then dressed it with pickle juice (duh) and a drizzle of buttermilk.

When it comes to the most important ingredient in this recipe, I’ve decided to use pickle juice that’s made right here in my own kitchen. 

I first met the folks behind Pearl and Johnny while visiting a trade show in NYC earlier this summer. They make an incredible line of organic dip mixes and pickle kits… and I’m officially hooked. Once I tried Pearl and Johnny’s 10-minute Pickle Kits I simply couldn’t get enough.

Gimme all the pickles, please!

5.0 from 2 reviews

Pickle Juice Crispy Fried Chicken Sandwich

 

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Serves: 4 sandwiches

Ingredients

BRINE:

• 1 cup Pickle Juice
• 1 cup Buttermilk
• 4 Chicken Breasts

BREADING:

• 1.5 cups All Purpose Flour
• ½ cup Powdered Sugar
• 1 tbsp. Garlic Powder
• 1 tbsp. Smoked Paprika
• 1 tsp. Kosher Salt
• 1 tbsp. Freshly Cracked Black Pepper
• 2 Eggs
• ¼ cup Pickle Juice
• Vegetable Oil, for frying

BUTTERMILK SPICY COLESLAW:

• ¼ cup Pickle Juice
• ½ cup Buttermilk
• 4 cups Coleslaw Mix
• ¼ small Red Onion
• 1 Jalapeño, seeded and sliced
• ¼ cup loosely packed Parsley Leaves, chopped
• Salt, to taste

HABANERO-GARLIC AIOLI:

• 1 cup Mayonnaise
• 2 cloves Garlic, minced
• 1.5 tbsp. - 2 tbsp. Habanero Hot Sauce

FOR THE SANDWICH:

• 4 Brioche Hamburger Buns
• Pearl and Johnny Dill -icious Pickles, for garnish

Instructions

1. MARINATE: Place all brine ingredients in a bowl or ziplock bag. Allow to marinate in the refrigerator for 2 - 6 hours.
2. COLESLAW: Combine all ingredients for the Buttermilk Spicy Coleslaw in a large mixing bowl and set aside in the refrigerator.
3. AIOLI: Mix all ingredients for the Habanero Garlic Aioli in a medium serving bowl. Taste and add more hot sauce if you prefer. Cover and place in the refrigerator until you're ready to assemble the sandwiches.
4. BATTER: Mix first 6 ingredients of the breading in a large mixing bowl. Then whisk the eggs and pickle juice in a medium mixing bowl.
5. FRYING: Heat oil in a cast-iron pan or dutch oven to 350F. Take chicken out of the ziplock bag and shake off any excess liquid. Dredge each breast in the pickle-egg mixture, and then the flour. Once coated, place chicken in the hot oil to fry. Cook each breast for approximately 7 minutes on each side, or until internal temperature is 165F. Drain each breast on wire rack over a cookie sheet for at least 5 minutes.
6. ASSEMBLE: Slather the interior sides of the buns with the aioli, then top with fried chicken breast, coleslaw, and pickles. Enjoy immediately.

3.5.3251

RECIPE NOTES: 

• Feel free to make the coleslaw and aioli up to a day in advance.
• For those who prefer a thicker crust, double dredge the chicken breasts before frying (which is what I did).
• It is very important to not overcrowd the frying pot. If needed, work in batches to ensure each piece has the room it needs to fry properly.
• To create slider portions, simply cut each breast into smaller pieces before marinating, coating, and cooking.
• Additional toppings that would be epic include: crispy slices of bacon, provolone cheese, pickled jalapeños, or a light coating of buffalo sauce.

WANT MORE CHICKEN RECIPES? CLICK HERE!

This post is sponsored in partnership with Pearl and Johnny. Per the usual, all opinions here are mine alone and I would never recommend a product or ingredient that I did not immensely enjoy myself.

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