This Buttermilk Fried Chicken Sandwich is juicy and delicious! Chicken thighs are soaked in homemade buttermilk, then coated in seasoned flour, fried until crispy and simply topped with lettuce, dill pickle slices and mayo.
These are the best fried chicken sandwiches ever and make a great lunch, dinner, or impressive date night meal for two.
Buttermilk is a popular ingredient when making Southern-style fried chicken. The slightly acidic buttermilk helps tenderize the chicken by breaking down some of the proteins in the meat. If you don’t have buttermilk on hand you can make a homemade version, use milk and add 1 teaspoon of lemon juice or vinegar per cup of milk. This is a great substitute for buttermilk and it’s the method we use for this recipe.
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How to make Buttermilk Chicken Sandwiches
For the chicken and homemade buttermilk
Mix together the milk and vinegar. This makes homemade buttermilk.
In a large plastic bag, combine the chicken thighs and buttermilk. Seal the bag and refrigerate for at least 1 hour.
Meanwhile, in a shallow bowl, whisk together the flour, garlic powder, smoked paprika, cayenne pepper, salt and black pepper.
Add the cooking oil to an electric skillet until it’s about 1 inch deep and pre-heat to 350 degrees F (180 C). Click for an electric skillet.
Let some of the buttermilk drip off of the chicken and then coat it in the flour mixture. Make sure it is very well coated on both sides.
Carefully add the chicken to the hot oil and cook for about 3 – 5 minutes per side, until golden brown and the chicken is cooked through.
Remove the chicken to a wire rack to drain. Click for a wire rack.
To assemble the Fried Chicken Sandwiches
Layer the buns or sandwich rolls with lettuce, fried chicken, sliced dill pickles, and mayo. Serve warm.
You may also enjoy
- Pan Fried Chicken Strips
- Pan Fried Chicken Parmesan
- Fried Chicken Bacon Sandwich
- Easy Fried Chicken without Buttermilk
Buttermilk Fried Chicken Sandwich
Equipment
Ingredients
For the Chicken:
- 2 boneless, skinless chicken thighs (or breasts)
- ½ cup milk
- 2 tsp vinegar
- ½ cup all-purpose flour
- ¼ tsp garlic powder
- ¼ tsp smoked paprika
- ⅛ tsp cayenne pepper
- 2 tsp salt
- ¼ tsp freshly ground black pepper
- Cooking oil, for frying
To serve:
- 2 hamburger buns or sandwich rolls
- Lettuce (leaf or shredded)
- Sliced dill pickles
- Mayonnaise
Instructions
For the chicken:
- Mix together the milk and vinegar. This makes homemade buttermilk.
- In a large plastic bag, combine the chicken thighs and buttermilk. Seal the bag and refrigerate for at least 1 hour.
- Meanwhile, in a shallow bowl, whisk together the flour, garlic powder, smoked paprika, cayenne pepper, salt and black pepper.
- Add the cooking oil to an electric skillet until it’s about 1 inch deep and pre-heat to 350 degrees F (180 C). Click for an electric skillet.
- Let some of the buttermilk drip off of the chicken and then coat it in the flour mixture. Make sure it is very well coated on both sides.
- Carefully add the chicken to the hot oil and cook for about 3 – 5 minutes per side, until golden brown and chicken is cooked through.
- Remove the chicken to a wire rack to drain. Click for a wire rack.
To serve:
- Layer the buns or sandwich rolls with the lettuce, fried chicken, sliced dill pickles, and mayo. Serve warm.
Video
Nutrition
Hi and welcome. I’m Zona and I have a passion for recipes. I share recipes, tips, tricks, and resources to help you cook for two. Eat, drink, and enjoy!
JuJu
Friday 1st of January 2021
Didn't have dill pickles so mixed may with dill relish and it made a great sandwich. I also buttered and grilled my brioche buns.
Alex
Tuesday 14th of April 2020
Zona I made these for dinner tonight and they were amazing! Super easy to make and clean up, too. Thank you!
Zona
Wednesday 15th of April 2020
Hi Alex, so glad you enjoyed them! Thank you :)
Cranberry Almond Chicken Salad Wraps Dinner for Two • Zona Cooks
Monday 23rd of September 2019
[…] They are perfect for lunch or a nice filling dinner for two. If you want to make the chicken homemade, follow the chicken portion of the instructions in this Fried Chicken recipe. […]
Jenna
Tuesday 14th of May 2019
Yum! These fried chicken sandwiches would be perfect for home date night. I could also see taking them on a picnic.
Zona
Tuesday 14th of May 2019
You are so right! We love these for date night and great idea to bring them on a picnic! Thanks Jenna :)