Fueled Up Game Day Crispy Chicken Sandwiches

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Ingredients

 

Crispy Chicken

2 large chicken breasts

I6 ounces of Sprite

1 tablespoon of kosher salt

2 teaspoons of fresh ground pepper

1 tablespoon of smoked paprika

1 tablespoon  of garlic powder

1 tablespoon of onion powder

2 tablespoons of sugar

1 ½ cup of buttermilk

9 ½ ounce bag of barbeque potato chips, crushed

1 ½ cups of self-rising flour

4 lightly beaten eggs, 2 of the yolks reserved

Butter and oil blend as needed in pan to fry

3 tablespoons of melted butter

8 small bakery fresh hamburger rolls

 

Southern Style Slaw

1/2 cup of diced Vidalia onions or shallots

2 tablespoons of butter

3 ounces of Smokehouse beef jerky

16 ounces of Peach ice tea

2 tablespoons of peach preserves

1 cup of mayonnaise

2 tablespoons of diced pickled Jalapeños

1/3 cup of thinly sliced red bell peppers

3 cups of packaged cole slaw mix

½ cup of diced dill pickle

½ cup of roughly chopped honey roasted peanuts

 

 

Directions

Cut chicken breasts in half horizontally. Cut each section in half, creating eight pieces of chicken. Pound out with meat mallet if necessary to create a consistent thickness of about ½ inch. Combine sprite with kosher salt in a zipper sealed bag to create a brine. Add chicken and brine for twenty minutes.

While chicken is brining, it is a good time to create your slaw. In a large saucepan add onions and butter. Cook over medium high heat until onions start to caramelize, about 3-4 minutes. Add jerky and peach tea. Adjust temperature to high, and reduce mixture until only 2 tablespoons of liquid remains in pan. Remove and cool slightly. Stir in reserved egg yolk,  peach preserves, jalapenos and mayonnaise to create dressing.  In a bowl, combine red bell peppers, coleslaw mix, pickle and peanuts. Set aside until needed.

In a small bowl , combine pepper, paprika onion powder, sugar and  garlic powder. When chicken is done brining, season with 2/3 of mixture, reserving the remaining seasoning blend. Place chicken in a shallow dish and cover with buttermilk.

To create a breading station for chicken, place crushed chips on a plate, reserving ½ cup of chips for the crispy buns. Place the eggs in a shallow dish and flour on another plate.  Add enough butter and oil to create ½ inch in the bottom of a cast iron pan. Heat oil in pan to medium high heat. To create the perfect crispy fried chicken, remove chicken from buttermilk and dip into crushed chips. Then dip into egg and then into flour, shaking off any excess. Place chicken on a cooking sheet and repeat until all chicken pieces are coated. Carefully lower chicken into pan. Cook four pieces at a time, not to overcrowd the pan. Cook about 4-5 minutes per side or until chicken is cooked through and coating is golden brown, adding additional butter and oil mix as needed. Chicken can also be fried in a deep fryer set at 325 for 8 minutes. Place on a paper towel lined plate to drain off excess oil.  Immediately sprinkle with reserved spice mix.

Cut buns in half if needed. Brush cut side and tops of buns with butter.  Sprinkle bun tops with the reserved chips. Place buns cut side down into cast iron pan to toast over medium high heat.

To assemble sandwiches, toss slaw with the prepared dressing. Place a piece of chicken on the bottom portion of each bun, followed by a portion of the slaw. Finish by adding the crunchy bun top portion.

 

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