The new sandwich at popeyes caused a massive uproar this year. People from everywhere have been jumping onto this new sensation trying the sandwich and giving popular feedback resulting in this massive amount of attention, bringing it front and center.
A large factor for it becoming so popular was the debate between Chick Fil A vs Popeyes for the best chicken sandwich. The chicken sandwich at Popeyes was said to contain better quality ingredients and more flavor as it has a spicy aioli that really puts it over the edge.
Any restaurant can throw together a sandwich but if homemade it could totally be more customized and have better flavors that work together if you’re lazy, then go get your plain and dull sandwich, but if you are willing to put in a little time to get that perfect bite, then this is the perfect recipe for you.
The overall idea for this recipe is to make a more sophisticated version of the sandwich with more flavor. The ingredients are as follows: 2 boneless chicken breasts, 1 cup buttermilk, 1 teaspoon of salt, pepper, garlic powder, and paprika for the marinade. Feel free to add some other spices as it can really add something special to a home cooked meal vs a restaurant.
For the breading you will need 1 cup of flour, 1⁄2 cup of cornstarch, 1 tablespoon of paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, cayenne powder, and 1 teaspoon of salt and pepper.
Now for the star of the dish the spicy mayo. You will need 1⁄2 cup of mayo, 1 teaspoon of hot sauce of your choice, 1 teaspoon of paprika or cajun spice, 1⁄2 teaspoon of garlic powder of you can use freshly minced garlic for a much stronger flavor.
To finish it off, we will need about 4 medium to large brioche buns, mayonnaise, sliced pickles (if you like pickles), and 3 cups of canola oil for frying. Adding other flavors can really make this delicious so experiment with flavors that are similar to this style of food.
First we need to pound out our chicken between two pieces of parchment paper or plastic wrap. Then cut it crosswise so that you get two pieces of chicken that are roughly the size of the brioche buns. Then in a large bowl add buttermilk, paprika, garlic powder, salt and black pepper.
Place the chicken into the bowl cover and let sit in the fridge for 24 hours to allow the enzymes to breakdown some of the tissues in the chicken to make it more tender or you can use it immediately if you like a more firm piece of chicken, either way it’s good.
To cook the marinated chicken use a large skillet or frying pan add oil and let it raise to temperature on medium heat if it starts to smoke, add in some more oil to bring the temperature down. It should be around 350 but if you flick some water into the oil and it hard sizzles it’s about right.
In a medium sized bowl that is shallow whisk together flour, cornstarch, and spices. Drizzle 2-3 tablespoons of the buttermilk batter into the flour mixture and mix it thoroughly with a fork. Working with only one piece of chicken at a time dredge it in the mixture pushing the flour onto the chicken with your hands to get a good thin crust. Transfer immediately to the hot oil and let it cook for 3-5 minutes each side or until golden and crispy.
The final step in all of this is to assemble the gorgeous sandwich. Start by melting 1 tablespoon of butter (optional adding garlic into the butter will give you a really strong pleasant flavor that really adds to the chicken and bread) in a large saucepan and toast buns face down until golden and crisp. Whisk all the ingredients for the mayo in a small bowl and spread a generous layer of mayo on each bun. Top with pickles and chicken. Enjoy hot!
