Chef Austin’s Ultimate Chicken Sandwich

CSSI Staff Post - April 27, 2021

If you know me well enough, you know that fried chicken holds a very special place in my heart. It's one of those foods that's so simple yet so easy to mess up. It's also one of those things that provide a mouthful of pure bliss if executed perfectly. It's like cooking an egg: some folks may have been eating subpar omelets all their life because they were unaware that the authentic flavors came from the preparation and execution versus the number of ingredients you put in it. 

I call it a "hobsession." Some people enjoy collecting things; I enjoy obsessing over the best chicken sandwich. Ever since Chick-fil-A and Popeyes had a couple of rounds in the ring, it started to dawn on me how iconic fried chicken sandwiches are to the modern consumer.

The recent chicken sandwich feuds have led me to a revelation! What if there was no perfect chicken sandwich—at least not yet? What if the best chicken sandwich is a culmination of components and techniques extracted from several builds? I like the sauce from this build and the breading from that sandwich, and so on.

I decided to Frankenstein ingredients, components, and techniques I learned from all the chicken sandwiches I have tried in my professional career to bring you my version of the perfect chicken sandwich.


The Ultimate Chicken Sandwich
Yield: 4 Chicken Sandwiches

Buttermilk Marinated Chicken

1 Cup – Buttermilk
½ Tbsp – Smoked Paprika
½ Tbsp – Garlic Powder
1 tsp – Kosher Salt
½ tsp – Ground Black Pepper
4 Each – 4 oz. Boneless, Skinless Chicken Breast

Cajun Aioli

½ Cup - Mayonnaise
1 ½ Tbsp - Hot Sauce
1 tsp – Smoked Paprika
½ tsp – Garlic Powder
½ tsp – Granulated Sugar
½ tsp – Kosher Salt
¼ tsp – Ground Black Pepper

Fried Chicken
As Needed for Deep Frying – Canola Oil
1 ½ Cups – AP Flour
½ Cup – Cornstarch
1 ½ Tbsp – Paprika Powder
1 Tbsp – Garlic Powder
1 Tbsp – Cayenne Pepper 
1 tsp – Kosher Salt
½ tsp – Ground Black Pepper
3 Tbsp – Buttermilk Marinade
4 Each – Buttermilk Marinated Chicken

Additional Assembly Ingredients

4 Each – Brioche Buns, Butter Toasted, Reserved Warm
12 Each – Dill Pickle Coins


Directions

For Buttermilk Marinated Chicken:
1. Combine all ingredients except for the chicken breast in a medium mixing bowl.
2. Whisk ingredients together until spices are well incorporated.
3. Add chicken breast to the mixing bowl and mix until chicken breast is fully coated in the marinade. 
4. Cover and refrigerate for 1 hour.

For Cajun Aioli:
1. Combine all ingredients in a medium mixing bowl and whisk until spices are fully incorporated. 

For Fried Chicken: 
1. Add canola oil to a large saucepan (enough to deep-fry). Pre-heat the oil to 375° F.
2. Combine all dry ingredients into a large mixing bowl. Whisk dry ingredients together until spices are well incorporated.
3. Add buttermilk marinade to the mixing bowl. With a fork, continue to mix for an additional 15 seconds or until little flour balls are visible throughout the mixing bowl.
4. Working one piece at a time, transfer the chicken breast into the flour mixture. 
5. Evenly coat both sides of the chicken breast with flour, shake off the excess and transfer to a parchment-lined sheet pan.
6. Repeat steps 4-5 until all chicken is breaded.
7. Without overcrowding the pan, gently add the breaded chicken to the hot oil and fry for 6 minutes or until the chicken reaches an internal cooking temperature of 165° F and is golden brown. With a pair of tongs, periodically flip each piece of chicken while cooking to prevent sticking.
8. Using a pair of tongs, transfer the cooked chicken onto a sheet pan lined with paper towels to soak up excess oil.  

Assembly: 
For each sandwich, assemble the ingredients in the following order:
1 Each - Toasted Brioche Bun, Bottom Half
1 Tbsp - Cajun Aioli
3 Each - Dill Pickle Coins
1 Piece - Fried Chicken
1 Tbsp - Cajun Aioli
1 Each - Toasted Brioche Bun, Top Half

Austin Vaziri
Senior R&D Chef

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