Popeye’s Chicken Sandwich

When my boys were little, I was room mother for both of them. One of the field trips that we took was to the local McDonald’s where we got to go behind the scenes to see how their hamburgers were made. That was one of the most traumatic experiences of my life. After seeing those five gallon buckets of oil and fat, not to mention how that food was handled in a restaurant with a grade “A” rating, I vowed never to go back there again, and I didn’t. In fact, I try to avoid fast food restaurants as often as I can. That’s not to say that I don’t enjoy it, but I have found that it is possible to enjoy it, but make a healthy version of my own.

 This recipe that I found online is a darned good one! In fact, in my opinion, it puts the Popeye’s restaurant chain to shame. The marinade is wonderful; the breading is spicy and delicious. I plan to use it for chicken wings and chicken drumsticks at some point in the future. It takes a little bit to put this together, but you save yourself some time if you want to skip making the spicy mayo, and just buy some of the Chick-fil-A sauce that they sell at the market. All components can be made ahead, the chicken can be breaded, covered and refrigerated overnight if need be, and it reheats beautifully. Enjoy it as a sandwich, and then enjoy it cut in slices on top of a chef salad. This is a keeper.

Popeye’s Chicken Sandwich

As seen on easychickenrecipes.com

 For the Marinade

2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts

1 c. buttermilk

2 T. Frank’s RedHot Original Hot Sauce

1 t. smoked paprika

1 t. garlic powder

1 t. onion powder

1 t. ground black pepper

1 t. kosher salt

 For the Breading

1 c. flour

½ c. cornstarch

1 T.  smoked paprika

1 T. garlic powder

1 T. onion powder

1 t. cayenne pepper

1 t. kosher salt

1 t. ground black pepper

 For the Spicy Mayo

½ c. Duke’s mayonnaise

2 t. Frank’s RedHot Original Hot Sauce

1 t. honey

½ t. garlic powder

 For Assembly

4 c. vegetable oil for frying*

2 T. unsalted butter

4 brioche buns

16 dill pickle slices

 Place a chicken breast on a cutting board and cover with a piece of plastic wrap. Use a meat mallet or rolling pin to pound the chicken into an even thickness. Remove the wrap and cut the chicken in half to fit the bun. Repeat with the second chicken breast.

 In a large bowl, whisk together the buttermilk, hot sauce, paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, pepper, and salt. Add in the chicken and toss to coat. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 1 hour and up to overnight.

In a shallow bowl, whisk together the breading ingredients. Add in ¼ cup of the buttermilk mixture from the chicken and use a fork to stir until small clumps form.

Bread the chicken in the flour mixture, pressing it into the chicken to create a thick crust. Refrigerate for 10 minutes.

While the chicken chills, heat the oil in a Dutch oven or other heavy-bottomed pot until it reaches 350°F.

Fry the chicken, in batches if needed, until crisp and golden on both sides and the chicken is cooked through, about 3-5 minutes. Set on a paper towel lined plate to drain.

While the chicken cooks, stir together the ingredients for the spicy mayo.

 Melt the butter in a large skillet over medium high heat. Toast the buns until golden.

To assemble, spread spicy mayo on the bottom bun, top with pickles, fried chicken, and another drizzle of spicy mayo. Add the top bun and enjoy!

*I used about 2 cups in the bottom of a deep 10” sauté pan, frying one at a time.

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