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breaded chicken sandwich on a bun with french fries
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5 from 8 votes

Air Fryer Chicken Sandwich (Chick-fil-A copycat recipe)

Air fried chicken sandwich - crispy, golden, delicious.
Prep Time25 minutes
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: American
Keyword: air fryer chicken sandwich, air fryer recipes, air fryer, fried chicken
Servings: 2
Calories:

Equipment

  • Air fryer
  • Meat thermometer (not necessary but helpful)

Ingredients

  • 2 4-6 ounce each boneless skinless chicken breasts
  • 1/2 cup dill pickle juice leftover liquid in pickle jar
  • 1 large egg
  • 1/4 cup buttermilk see body of post re: how to make buttermilk
  • 3/4 cup all purpose flour
  • 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
  • 1 teaspoon paprika
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon pepper
  • 3 tablespoons cornstarch
  • 2 tablespoons powdered sugar
  • cooking spray

Optional Toppings:

  • lettuce
  • sliced tomato

Copycat Chick-fil-A Sauce:

  • 1/4 cup mayonnaise
  • 1 teaspoon yellow (ballpark style) mustard
  • 1 tablespoon barbecue sauce any kind you have on hand
  • 1 tablespoon honey
  • small pinch salt

Instructions

Prepping the chicken:

  • If your chicken breasts are extra thick in the middle, pound them to an even thickness so they cook evenly. Place them in a gallon size zip top bag, remove most of the air then pound the thickest part a few times using a meat mallet, rolling pin or even a wine bottle!
  • Add the dill pickle juice to the zip top bag then seal and refrigerate 15-20 minutes.

Dredging station:

  • Bowl #1: Whisk the egg and buttermilk together. (see body of post for How to Make Buttermilk if don't have any).
    Bowl #2: Combine the flour, garlic powder, paprika, salt, pepper, corn starch and powdered sugar.
  • Remove the chicken from the refrigerator, drain and discard the pickle juice.
    Dredge the chicken in the flour mixture shaking off excess. Next dip the chicken into the egg mixture letting it drip off then back into the flour gently pressing to make sure it’s completely coated. Basically: flour, egg, flour.

Air frying:

  • Preheat the air fryer to 400° then spray the air fryer basket with cooking spray.
    Place the chicken in the air fryer basket then spray the top of each breast with cooking spray.
  • Air fry 10 minutes then carefully turn them over. Spray any exposed flour spots then continue air frying 2-4 more minutes or until the internal temp of the chicken is 165° on a meat thermometer. Cook times vary with air fryer models so adjust as necessary.

Assembly:

  • To toast your buns (optional), place them face down in the air fryer at 400° for 2-3 minutes or until lightly golden.
    Remove the buns from the air fryer and assemble the sandwich with your favorite toppings - lettuce, tomato, pickle chips and a slather of sauce.

Chick-fil-A Sauce:

  • Whisk the ingredients together in a small bowl until smooth. Slather on your sandwich or serve as a side for dipping.