Buttermilk Fried Chicken Sandwich

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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.

Can you make fried chicken without buttermilk?

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.

boneless chicken thighs marinating in buttermilk

Meanwhile, in a shallow bowl, whisk together the flour, garlic powder, smoked paprika, cayenne pepper, salt and black pepper.

flour, garlic powder, smoked paprika, cayenne, salt, and pepper in a bowl

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.

chicken thigh getting coated in flour and seasoning mixture

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 assemble the Fried Chicken Sandwiches

Layer the buns or sandwich rolls with the lettuce, fried chicken, sliced dill pickles, and mayo. Serve warm.

Two Buttermilk Fried Chicken Sandwiches with a side of chips — Buttermilk Chicken Sandwich

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Prep Time 10 minutes

Cook Time 10 minutes

Chill Time 1 hour

Total Time 1 hour 20 minutes

Ingredients

For the Chicken:

2 boneless, skinless chicken thighs (or breasts)
1/2 cup milk
2 tsp vinegar
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 tsp garlic powder
1/4 tsp smoked paprika
1/8 tsp cayenne pepper
2 tsp salt
1/4 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: