The Ultimate Spicy Fried Chicken Sandwich Recipe

Name: The Ultimate Spicy Fried Chicken Sandwich Recipe
Prep time: 30 min
Cook time: 35 min
Total time: 305 min
Yield: 9 servings
Cuisine: American
Ingredients: 1 1/4 cups buttermilk; 3/4 cup pickle juice (one with a low to zero sugar content); 1 large egg; 1 tablespoon Thai chili garlic sauce, or another hot sauce; 2 cloves garlic, crushed; 1 teaspoon kosher salt; 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper; 9 boneless, skinless chicken thighs (about 1 3/4 pounds); 1 cup all-purpose flour; 1 cup mochiko flour (glutinous rice flour); 1/2 cup cornstarch; 1 tablespoon garlic powder; 1 tablespoon onion powder; 1 tablespoon paprika; 1 tablespoon kosher salt; 1 teaspoon baking powder; Peanut or neutral oil, for frying; 1/2 cup reserved frying oil, more for frying the buns; 1/2 cup Thai chili garlic sauce, or other hot sauce; 2 tablespoons honey; 2 tablespoons gochujang; 1 teaspoon kosher salt, more to taste; 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder; 3/4 cup mayo; 2 tablespoons thinly sliced scallions; 2 tablespoons chili crunch, or chili crisp sauce; 1 tablespoon ketchup; 2 teaspoons lime juice; Kosher salt, to taste; Freshly ground black pepper, to taste

An East-meets-West fried chicken sandwich features Asian seasonings and chili sauce for a spicy kick, served on a bun with a unique aioli.

⭐ 4 (24 reviews) Prep: 30 minCook: 35 minTotal: 305 minYields: 9 servings

Category Tags:

Dinner Lunch Sandwich

Cuisine Tags:

American

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Ingredients

Brine

1 1/4 cups buttermilk
3/4 cup pickle juice (one with a low to zero sugar content)
1 large egg
1 tablespoon Thai chili garlic sauce, or another hot sauce
2 cloves garlic, crushed
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
9 boneless, skinless chicken thighs (about 1 3/4 pounds)

Fried Chicken

1 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup mochiko flour (glutinous rice flour)
1/2 cup cornstarch
1 tablespoon garlic powder
1 tablespoon onion powder
1 tablespoon paprika
1 tablespoon kosher salt
1 teaspoon baking powder
Peanut or neutral oil, for frying

Glaze

1/2 cup reserved frying oil, more for frying the buns
1/2 cup Thai chili garlic sauce, or other hot sauce
2 tablespoons honey
2 tablespoons gochujang
1 teaspoon kosher salt, more to taste
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

Aioli & Toppings

3/4 cup mayo
2 tablespoons thinly sliced scallions
2 tablespoons chili crunch, or chili crisp sauce
1 tablespoon ketchup
2 teaspoons lime juice
Kosher salt, to taste
Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
9 brioche buns
Whole dill pickles, sliced lengthwise
Shredded iceberg lettuce

Instructions

Combine buttermilk, pickle juice, egg, chili sauce, garlic, salt, and pepper; coat chicken pieces and refrigerate for 4 hours to overnight.
Allow chicken to return to room temperature for 15 minutes, re-coating in the brine.
Whisk both flours, cornstarch, garlic powder, onion powder, paprika, salt, and baking powder. Incorporate 3 tablespoons of the reserved brine into the flour mixture to create crunchy bits.
Dredge each chicken piece by dipping in the flour mixture, then the brine, and finally the flour mixture again, pressing to coat thoroughly.
Heat 1 1/2 inches of peanut or neutral oil to 350 F in a large Dutch oven or deep pan.
Fry chicken in batches for about 8 minutes per side until golden brown, turning occasionally and maintaining the oil temperature between 325 F and 350 F. Transfer fried chicken to a wire rack and reserve the frying oil.
Whisk 1/2 cup of the reserved frying oil with chili sauce, honey, gochujang, salt, and garlic powder to create the glaze.
Coat each piece of fried chicken with the prepared glaze.
Prepare the aioli by stirring together mayo, scallions, chili crunch, ketchup, and lime juice.
Toast halved brioche buns cut-side down in a skillet with a small amount of frying oil until golden.
Assemble sandwiches by spreading aioli on both bun halves, then layering pickles, glazed chicken, and shredded lettuce.

Nutritional Info (per serving)

Calories: 962 kcal

Carbohydrate: 76 g

Cholesterol: 155 mg

Fiber: 3 g

Protein: 32 g

Saturated Fat: 11 g

Sodium: 3366 mg

Sugar: 17 g

Fat: 60 g

Unsaturated Fat: 0 g