Pickle Fried Chicken Sandwiches
The Ultimate Chicken Sandwich For Pickle Lovers
These Pickle Brined Fried Chicken Sandwiches are a pickle lover’s dream. Imagine sinking your teeth into a fried chicken sandwich that’s been elevated to new heights by an overnight soak in tangy pickle juice.
It can be a reality.
These sandwiches do take some time to marinate, but they are worth the wait.
The Perfect Bite
This sandwich is a harmonious blend of juicy, tender chicken and the refreshing zest of pickles. It’s all encased in a golden, savory breading and the chicken boasts a satisfying crunch that gives way to succulent meat within.
With each bite, you’re greeted by a burst of flavor that dances on your palate, leaving you craving another taste. This sandwich is a testament to the magic that happens when simple ingredients are treated with care and creativity.
Need Help Finding and Saving The Recipe?
There is a full, printable recipe card at the end of this post.
You can also hit the print button for the recipe to come up on one screen. From there you can screenshot to save it to your phone.
I also have added a Pinterest button that you can use to save this recipe to your Pinterest page. If you would like to follow me on Pinterest, you can find me there as The Tipsy Housewife.
Some Tips To Preparing Your Chicken
You will see on the recipe card that you can cut your chicken breasts any size you prefer. There are two things you need to keep in mind when cutting up your chicken.
The first is that the thicker the chicken, the longer it takes to fry in the oil. I like to have my chicken cut on the smaller, flatter side so that it cooks quickly and the breading does not get too dark.
If you have smaller chicken pieces, continue on to my next tip.
The smaller and the thinner the chicken pieces, the less time it needs to marinate. In fact, if they are very small and thin pieces and they are left in the salty brine too long, they will start to “cure” and harden.
Be sure to adjust BOTH your marinating time and your frying time based on the size of your chicken pieces.
Size Matters For Frying
The size of your chicken pieces will also affect the cook time. The thicker the chicken, the more time it will need to fry.
It is best to use a meat thermometer for this process of cooking so that you can get it just right. I like to keep my pieces about 4 to 6 inches long and close to one inch thick for frying.
This allows for good cook time and good marinating time without having to worry too much about the chicken not coming out right.
What Is “Shingling” On Chicken?
You’ll see that I use the term “shingling” in the instruction on the recipe card. When you batter this chicken and then let it rest, you will see the flour mixture start to crease and get lines in it.
That is shingling and it is what makes the chicken fry up like you see above. This recipe is a slight labor of love, but it is worth the process.
The Perfect Side To These Fried Chicken Sandwiches
I have a wonderful potato salad recipe that would pair perfectly with these Pickle Chicken Sandwiches. My Spring Potato Salad is creamy and delicious.
It is also really easy to make and tastes better the longer it sits.
Pickle Fried Chicken Sandwiches
Imagine sinking your teeth into a fried chicken sandwich that's been elevated to new heights by an overnight soak in tangy pickle juice. Each bite is a harmonious blend of juicy, tender chicken and the refreshing zest of pickles. Encased in a golden, savory breading, the chicken boasts a satisfying crunch that gives way to succulent meat within. With each bite, you're greeted by a burst of flavor that dances on your palate, leaving you craving another taste. This sandwich is a testament to the magic that happens when simple ingredients are treated with care and creativity.
Ingredients
- 3 Large Boneless, Skinless Chicken Breasts, trimmed, cut into smaller , thinner pieces. I prefer smaller pieces for quicker frying.
- For The Brine
- 3 C of Pickle Juice + 3 T, I used two large jars of pickles, drained the juice for this recipe and filled the jar back up with vinegar to preserve the pickles.
- For The Breading & Batter
- 3 C of Flour
- 4 T of Corn Starch
- 4 eggs whisked
- 1 C of Milk with 3 T of Pickle Juice whisked in.
- Salt, Pepper, Garlic Powder, Onion Powder, Paprika, Dried Parsley, all to taste. I used about a Tablespoon of each.
- For The Frying
- 4 to 6 C of Veggie Oil for Frying
- Any sandwich fixings you prefer. I chose brioche buns, lettuce, tomato, pickles and mayo.
Instructions
*This recipe does take some time to marinate. I recommend about 4 hours for the chicken to sit in the brine. The amount of time in the brine depends on how think your chicken is. If your chicken is very thin, the brine will start curing the chicken so keep and eye on it to make sure that isn't happening. Here are the steps you need to take to make the Pickle Brined Fried Chicken Sandwiches:
- Prep your chicken breasts by slicing them into thinner, more manageable pieces. I also cut the excess fat off of mine and any skin.
- Place the chicken in a ziploc bag and pour the pickle juice into the bag. Seal and place in the fridge for about 4 hours. I would not let the chicken marinate longer than 6 hours as the saltiness of the brine will start to cure your breasts. *see the post for more info on the size of your chicken pieces and your marinating and cook time.
- While the chicken marinates prepare your flour by adding the corn starch, salt and pepper and all the dry spices.
- Whisk your eggs.
- Combine your milk with pickle juice.
- Make a breading station with three separate bowl holding the eggs, milk and flour.
- After your chicken has brined, drain it and pat it really dry with paper towels.
Now it is time to batter your chicken. Follow this chicken dipping process. Dip the chicken in milk, then the flour, then the egg, then the flour, pressing the flour into the chicken. Repeat this twice on each breast. - Place the chicken on a foil lined cookie sheet and allow the chicken to rest for about 30 minutes until you see the coating sort of "shingling". You can keep the chicken in your fridge or out. Just make sure it is out of the fridge for about 15 minutes before frying so that it fries properly.
- I use a cast iron skillet for frying, you need to use a deep skillet. Add your oil and heat your skillet until it is very hot but not smoking. You can test the readiness of the oil by throwing in a little bit of batter, if it fries up quickly and floats to the top it is ready. BE VERY CAREFUL.
- Add chicken 2 or 3 pieces at time. Do not crowd the pan or add too much at once or this will cool the oil and your chicken will be greasy.
- I flip the chicken very carefully once halfway through cooking. Each piece will fry for about 10 to 15 minutes each, but this depends on the thickness of your chicken. You can use a thermometer and take the chicken out at 155 degrees, remember it will continue to cook another ten degrees outside the oil.
- When you remove the chicken have it drain on a rack over some paper towels.
- Work in batches until all your chicken is fried.
- Assemble your sandwiches or enjoy the chicken on it's own.
Looking for another simple and delicious chicken dish? My Spicy Chicken is a crowd favorite.