Description
A scrumptious and easy-to-make fried chicken sandwich featuring buttermilk marinated, crispy fried chicken, spicy aioli, and pickles served on buttery brioche buns. Customizable with your favorite toppings and gluten-free friendly.
Ingredients
Scale
Chicken Marinade
- 4 pieces chicken thighs (boneless and skinless)
- 1½ cup buttermilk
- ¼ cup hot sauce
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp onion powder
- 2 tsp paprika
- 2 tsp sugar
- 2 tsp fine sea salt
- 1 tsp ground black pepper
Coating
- 1 cup potato starch (use as needed, can substitute with cornstarch or a mix of cornstarch and flour)
- Oil to deep fry
Spicy Aioli
- 1 cup mayonnaise (store-bought or homemade)
- 3 garlic cloves (black garlic preferred if available)
- 3 tbsp hot sauce
- 2 tbsp balsamic glaze (or balsamic vinegar as alternative)
- 1 tbsp whole grain mustard
Assembly
- 4 brioche burger buns (or any burger bun, gluten-free alternative optional)
- Pickles
- Lettuce (optional: tomatoes or cheese)
Instructions
- Prepare the marinade: In a large bowl, whisk together buttermilk, hot sauce, garlic powder, onion powder, paprika, sugar, sea salt, and ground black pepper. Add the chicken thighs and fully submerge them in the marinade. Cover and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes to 1 hour to tenderize and infuse flavor.
- Make the spicy aioli: In a blender or food processor, combine mayonnaise, garlic cloves, hot sauce, balsamic glaze, and whole grain mustard. Blend until smooth and creamy. Refrigerate until ready to use.
- Prepare the coating: Place the potato starch in a shallow dish. Remove each piece of chicken from the marinade, allowing excess to drip off, and dredge thoroughly in the potato starch to create a thick coating.
- Heat the oil: Pour enough oil into a deep frying pan or pot to submerge the chicken pieces. Heat the oil to 350°F (175°C) for deep frying.
- Fry the chicken: Carefully place coated chicken pieces into the hot oil. Fry for about 8-10 minutes per side or until golden brown, crispy, and cooked through with an internal temperature of 165°F (74°C). Remove and drain on paper towels.
- Toast the buns: Lightly toast brioche buns in a dry skillet or oven until golden and slightly crisp.
- Assemble the sandwiches: Spread a generous amount of the spicy aioli on the bottom half of each bun. Add a fried chicken thigh, top with pickles, lettuce (or tomatoes/cheese if desired), and finish with the top bun.
- Serve: Serve the sandwiches immediately while warm with your choice of sides or dipping sauces.
Notes
- For an extra crispy coating, use a mix of potato starch and cornstarch or flour.
- If black garlic is unavailable, use regular garlic cloves in the aioli for flavor.
- This recipe is gluten-free friendly when using gluten-free buns and coating substitutes.
- Marinate chicken longer (up to 4 hours) for more tender and flavorful results.
- Customize toppings to your preference: tomatoes, cheese, or different pickles.
- Use a thermometer to ensure perfect frying temperature and avoid greasy chicken.
- Leftover spicy aioli will keep in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 sandwich
- Calories: 438 kcal
- Sugar: 7 g
- Sodium: 1432 mg
- Fat: 16 g
- Saturated Fat: 3 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 11 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 60 g
- Fiber: 3 g
- Protein: 10 g
- Cholesterol: 55 mg
