Chicken Sandwich with Chick-fil-A Sauce (Air Fryer)

This Chick-Fil-A crispy chicken sandwich with homemade Chick-Fil-A sauce is the perfect copycat recipe of the classic sandwich we love when in the States. Synce they don't have franchises in Canada, we have created a homemade copycat version.

Chicken:
4 chicken breast halves
½ cup pickle juice
¼ cup water
½ cup milk
1 large egg
oil, for frying

Breading:
1 cup all-purpose flour, unbleached
3 Tbsp. confectioners' sugar
½ tsp. paprika
1 tsp. black pepper, freshly ground
½ tsp. chili powder
½ tsp. sea salt
½ tsp. baking powder
1-2 tsp. cayenne pepper, optional

Chick-fil-A Sauce:
½ cup mayonnaise
1 tsp. Dijon mustard
3 tsp. yellow mustard
2 tsp. hickory barbecue sauce
2 Tbsp. pure honey
½ tsp. garlic powder
½ tsp. paprika
1 tsp. lemon juice, freshly squeezed

To Serve:
4 hamburger buns
pickles
lettuce
tomatos
cheese slices

Marinate the Chicken:
combine the pickle juice and water in a ziplock bag. Add the chicken breast halves and marinate for 30 minutes.

Make the Sauce:
Make the Chick-fil-A sauce by combining all ingredients in a bowl. Mix well and set aside.

Next, in a large bowl mix the breading ingredients together: flour, powdered sugar, paprika, black pepper, chili powder, salt, and baking powder.

In another bowl mix the milk, and egg.

Add 2-3 cups of oil to a large saucepan and heat oil to about 350°F (180°C).

Coat the Chicken:
Dip the marinated chicken into the egg mixture, and then coat in the flour breading mixture. Now "double-dip" by repeating this step and dipping that same chicken tender back into the egg mixture and then back into the flour again.

Pan Fry:
Place chicken in hot oil and fry for 3-4 minutes on each side. Remove to paper towel to dry.

Assemble Sandwich:
Toast the sandwich buns. Grab the Chick-fil-A sauce and smooth it on both sides of the buns. Top with lettuce, cheese, and crispy chicken.

Cook's Notes:

Air Fryer Chick-Fil-A Sandwich:
Preheat fryer to 375°F (190°C). Grease the inside basket/rack of the air fryer and place two coated chicken breasts in the air fryer. Lightly spray the top of the chicken. Cook the chicken for 11-13 minutes, flipping halfway through cook time. Assemble sandwich as instructed below.

Baked Chick-Fil-A Sandwich:
Preheat oven to 450°F (230°C/210°C fan, Gas Mark 8). Place a wire cooling rack on top of a baking sheet. Place your coated chicken breasts on the wire rack and spray both sides lightly with olive oil. Bake the chicken for 12 minutes, flip and bake for another 15 minutes or until it's cooked through.

For a Spicy Chick-Fil-A Chicken Sandwich:
We love spicy chicken at our house. If you'd like to add a little heat to your chicken sandwich, add 1-2 tsp. of cayenne pepper to the flour mixture when making the breading. I like to coat my kids sandwiches in the flour first, then add the cayenne for spice, and make mine and my husbands.

Nutrition:
Calories: 579kcal, Carbohydrates: 62g, Protein: 21g, Fat: 27g, Saturated Fat: 4g, Cholesterol: 88mg, Sodium: 1286mg, Potassium: 391mg, Fiber: 2g, Sugar: 15g, Vitamin A: 525IU, Vitamin C: 1.7mg, Calcium: 147mg, Iron: 3.7mg