In light of recent events that made everyone’s favorite fried chicken sandwich a little bit tougher to swallow, we decided to fry up a version of our own. The buttered bun and pickles are crucial to this chicken filet slider sandwich, but without a doubt, the thing that makes this little guy so delicious is the chicken.
The perfect balance of crunchy and juicy, the secret lies in the way we mix a little of the egg wash in the flour, making it slightly clumpy before we dredge the chicken — a technique we also use in our regular bone-in fried chicken. These sliders will be great for your next football party, or anytime you want a tasty chicken sandwich without the political controversy.
Ingredients:
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3 tablespoons salt
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3 tablespoons sugar
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3 large boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut crosswise into 4 pieces each
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1 tablespoon paprika
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2 tablespoons black pepper
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1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
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1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
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1 cup milk
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2 large eggs
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1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
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4 tablespoons powdered non-fat milk
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1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
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1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
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2 quarts peanut or vegetable oil
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3 tablespoons unsalted butter
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12 mini burger buns
- 12 dill pickle chips
Directions:
Combine 3 tablespoons table salt and 3 tablespoons sugar with 1 quart room temperature water, whisk until dissolved. Add chicken and refrigerate for as little as 1 hour and up to 3. Combine paprika, black pepper, cayenne pepper and garlic powder in a small bowl. Set aside. Whisk together milk and eggs in a medium bowl. Set aside. Combine flour, non-fat milk powder, baking powder, 1 tablespoon kosher salt and 1 tablespoon of spice mixture in a large bowl and whisk to combine. Add 4 tablespoons milk/egg mixture into flour mixture and rub with fingertips until the flour mixture is coarse like wet sand.
In a large Dutch oven, preheat oil to 350°F. Remove chicken breasts from brine and pat dry with paper towels. Season on both sides with spice mixture. Dip in milk mixture, then transfer to flour mixture. Turn to coat, pressing on the chicken to get as much of the flour mixture as you can on the cutlet. Shake off excess flour, then place onto a rack set over a sheet pan. Repeat with remaining chicken until it is all coated. Cook, turning breasts occasionally until golden brown and crisp on all sides, and chicken is cooked through, about 2-3 minutes total. Transfer to a paper towel-lined plate. Melt 1 tablespoon of butter in a large skillet and toast split buns until golden brown, working in batches and adding more butter as needed. Plate a pickle on the bottom bun, cover with a piece of chicken and serve.
Recipe courtesy of Food Republic
