I Swear by This Copycat Popeyes Chicken Sandwich Recipe

I consider myself a fried chicken sandwich aficionado bordering on sommelier. Having eaten countless crispy cutlets, I can tell you that the Popeyes chicken sandwich ranks among the best. However, getting one of these delivered to your door is a gamble. The moisture that can build up in the bag really ruins some of its best qualities, including that much-appreciated crispiness. This is a risk you simply shouldn’t take. I consider it my great duty and honor to give you the secrets of how to make the best Popeyes chicken sandwich at home.

What is a Popeyes chicken sandwich made of?

The Popeyes chicken sandwich seems simple on paper. It’s breaded chicken breast fried on a soft bun with mayo (or spicy mayo) and a few sliced ​​pickles. However, greatness is achieved by two fundamental details. Chicken, obviously. It should be very juicy on the inside (this is easily achieved with a buttermilk marinade) with an uneven layer of crispy batter covering it. Less obvious is the importance of the bun. You might think that any hamburger roll will do, but there’s definitely a good choice here. At the end I will talk about this and how to properly prepare it.

The internet will strangle you with the secret recipe for marinade flavoring or the “right” combination of spices and hot sauce, but I truly believe these factors play a minimal role compared to the basic preparation of the chicken and the bun. Follow these steps and you’ll have a Popeye’s Chicken Sandwich that would make Popeye jealous. Let’s go.

How to Make a Popeyes Chicken Sandwich

1. Start with chicken breast.

Place a whole raw chicken breast, weighing about eight ounces, on a cutting board and slice it with a sharp knife to create two thinner pieces of chicken. If you leave the breast whole, it will take forever to cook when you fry it, it will most likely get too browned on the outside – and take my word for it, a whole roasted chicken breast is surprisingly too large for a well-balanced roasted chicken. sandwich. Believe me, I’m an FCS sommelier, remember? Next, let’s make the marinade.

2. For Popeye chicken, use buttermilk (in some quantity).

Popeyes suspiciously describes its chicken as going through a ” buttermilk system .” While I have no doubt there is something wrong with his “system”, I use a simple buttermilk marinade. I know as well as anyone: if a recipe gets too complicated or uses ingredients that are completely unavailable, then I won’t make it.

Pour about a cup of store-bought buttermilk into a deep container. Add some salt and hot sauce. Again, I don’t think it matters what kind of hot sauce you use. The important thing is that you like it. Buttermilk is the binding ingredient here. Lactic acid softens the proteins and makes the chicken breast truly juicy. All you have to do is try it once and you will feel the difference. Take the butter chicken breasts and toss them in the buttermilk. Place the covered container in the refrigerator for at least four hours, but it is best if they sit for 12 to 24 hours. Make sure they are submerged or just try turning them over halfway.

3. Achieving perfect breading

If you’re wondering why the crust of a Popeyes chicken sandwich gets so crispy, it’s because of how much the flour clumps together after a few pieces of marinated chicken are dipped into it. Drops of loosened liquid mix with flour and form small lumps and flakes. These pieces then stick to the next passing chicken, leaving you with patties with uneven clusters and bits of breading. They cook to create very crispy ridges and ripples.

There is an easy way to replicate this at home.

When you’re ready to fry, prepare the flour. I add mostly flour and then increase the starch content with a couple tablespoons of potato starch, but you can use cornstarch if you prefer. Add salt and spices such as cayenne pepper, paprika, garlic powder and onion powder. You can choose the savory spices you like or use my recipe below.

Remove the buttermilk chicken container from the refrigerator and add a few tablespoons of the buttermilk marinade directly to the jelly beans. Just liquid, not chicken yet. Add liquid to the mixture until you have a lot of flakes and chunks. ( You can use this technique with other copycat recipes or with my Hot Chicken Sliders recipe .)

Remove the chicken breast from the container, shake off some of the liquid, and place it in the flour mixture. Place the dry mixture on top of the chicken and press down for better contact. Turn the chicken as needed to coat any wet areas. You want a lot of lumps sticking to the chicken. Transfer coated chicken to a wire rack set over a baking sheet. Repeat with the other chicken breast. Leave the breaded chicken on the rack for at least 10 minutes. This will give the flour a chance to moisten and set on the meat.

4. Roast chicken

While you wait, heat about an inch of neutral frying oil (such as corn or vegetable oil) in a heavy saucepan or skillet. Use a thermometer to see when the chicken reaches 350°F to 360°F. Once hot, carefully lower the chicken into the oil. I fry them one at a time so the temperature doesn’t drop too low. Fry the chicken for about three minutes on each side. It should brown well and evenly. Use a meat thermometer to check the temperature of the thickest part of the chicken at 165°F as soon as the oil comes out. Place the chicken on a paper towel or other dripping material and let it cool on a different wire cooling rack (not the one the raw chicken was on).

5. The Importance of Buttered Buns

The last thing you need to do is handle your bun properly. Sure, there are pickles and mayonnaise, but it’s this detail that really sells the Popeye-copycat chicken sandwich. Take two brioche hamburger buns. Euroclassic make some great models that are the perfect size and I can usually find them in six packs at my local Shoprite.

Add a knob of butter, about a quarter tablespoon, to the pan and melt it over medium-low heat. Sprinkle with a pinch of salt. Using a pastry brush, rub the salted butter all over the pan. Divide the brioche bun and place both sides, cut side down, in the pan. Brown the bottom and use a pastry brush to brush off any excess oil from the top. Once the slices have acquired color, remove them from the mold. Repeat with the other bun.

6. Build a Popeyes chicken sandwich.

Now comes the second most fun part! (Food is number one.) Spread a spoonful of mayonnaise on both cut sides of a buttered, toasted brioche bun. If you want it to be more reminiscent of a spicy Popeye chicken sandwich, simply mix a teaspoon (or more, for extra fun) of your favorite hot sauce with two tablespoons of mayonnaise. Place one perfectly seared chicken breast on the bottom bun and layer with your favorite pickles. I would walk 500 miles for half sour Grillo , that’s what I used. Press the buttery top bun on top. Take a deep breath and dive.

This is a tower of fried chicken perfection. Crunch. Juicy chicken. A pan-toasted bun that gently but thoroughly masks any remaining buttery flavor with rich, salty butter.

Aside from the benefits of not having the sandwich delivered—steamed, jerky, and cold—making your own Popeyes fried chicken sandwich will probably always be better. Perhaps even better than eating it in the store. It’s as fresh as it gets, you sourced the ingredients yourself, and you can customize it in a way that a fast food chain never can. For example, I basically adjust the ratio of chicken to pickles, ounce to ounce. Have fun and add a slice of pepper jack cheese, a fried egg, or pickled jalapeño.

Popeyes Classic Chicken Sandwich Recipe

Ingredients:

• 8 ounces raw chicken breast (for two sandwiches)

• 2 brioche hamburger buns

• 1 tablespoon butter (for toasting the buns)

• Pinch of salt

• 4 tablespoons mayonnaise

• Sliced ​​pickles

• Neutral vegetable oil for frying is sufficient.

For the marinade

• 1 cup buttermilk

• 1-3 teaspoons hot sauce

• ½ teaspoon salt

For breading

• 1 cup flour

• 2 tablespoons potato flour

• ½ teaspoon salt

• ¼ teaspoon MSG

• 1 teaspoon paprika

• ½ teaspoon cayenne pepper

• ½ teaspoon garlic

• ½ teaspoon onion powder

• ½ teaspoon mustard powder

1. Butterfly the chicken breast to create two thinner pieces, about four ounces each. Pour the marinade ingredients into a container. Submerge the chicken pieces in the marinade. Cover the container and refrigerate for a minimum of four hours and a maximum of 24 hours.

2. In a large bowl, thoroughly mix all breading ingredients. Place a wire rack on a baking sheet nearby. Remove the container with the chicken from the refrigerator. Scoop two or three tablespoons of buttermilk into the flour mixture. Using your fingers, work the liquid into the flour to form breadcrumbs.

3. Remove one piece of chicken breast from the marinade, shake off any excess, and place in the flour mixture. Coat the chicken thoroughly with the breading, pressing a generous amount of the flakes into the chicken. Transfer the breaded chicken to a wire rack. Repeat with the other chicken breast. Let the breaded chicken dry for 10-15 minutes.

4. Meanwhile, heat an inch of neutral oil in a heavy saucepan or skillet. Aim for a temperature between 350°F and 360°F. Fry the breaded chicken in oil for about 3 minutes on each side. The chicken should be nicely browned. Use a meat thermometer to check the temperature of the thickest part at 165°F. Repeat with remaining chicken.

5. Melt about a quarter to a half tablespoon of butter in a frying pan with a pinch of salt. Spread the butter throughout the pan. Open one hamburger bun and place cut side down in pan. Brush the top with oil while the bottom is browning. When the bottom turns color, remove it. For the next bun, add more butter and salt.

6. Assemble the sandwich by spreading mayonnaise on both sides of the bun. Place a piece of buttermilk fried chicken on the bottom bun, top with pickle slices, and press the top bun on top. Your copycat Popeyes chicken sandwich is ready.

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