Southern Fried Chicken Sandwich with Crispy Crust

Delicious crispy fried chicken sandwich made with buttermilk brine, seasoned dredge, topped with spicy mayo, and served on a soft bun.

📝 Ingredients

• 4 6 oz Chicken Breasts
• 4 Sandwich Buns
• 3 cups Kefir Milk
• 1/4 cup Hot Sauce
• 1 tbsp Kosher Salt
• 1 tsp Black Pepper
• 2 Eggs
• 1 1/2 cups Water
• 1/2 cup Vodka
• 2 cups All-purpose Flour
• 1 cup Corn Starch
• 1 1/2 tsp Smoked Paprika
• 1 tsp Kosher Salt
• 1 1/2 tsp Black Pepper
• 1 tsp cayenne pepper
• 1/2 tsp Dried Thyme
• 1/4 tsp Ground Ginger
• 1/2 tsp Garlic Powder
• 1/2 tsp Nutmeg
• 1/2 tsp Dry Mustard
• 1/2 tsp Ground Sage (optional)
• 1 tsp Vinegar Powder (optional)

👨‍🍳 Instructions

1. 1--- Brine the Chicken ---
2. 2Combine the kefir milk, hot sauce, salt and pepper. Add the chicken and marinate at least an hour, but overnight preferred.
3. 3--- Make the dredge ---
4. 4Mix all the dry spices together in a small bowl or ramekin. Separately mix the flour, corn starch, and 3/4 of the dry spice mix in a shallow bowl. Set aside.
5. 5--- Make the Egg Wash (wet batter) ---
6. 6In a separate shallow dish or bowl, mix the water, vodka, and one egg. Add a quarter cup of the seasoned flour mixture and mix into a nice slurry.
7. 7--- Fry the Chicken ---
8. 8Preheat your deep fryer. Check the temperature of the oil and make sure it's 365 - 375 degrees F. While the fryer is heating remove the chicken from the marinade and allow the chicken pieces to warm to room temperature.
9. 9Allow the excess drip to drain off or rinse away with water. Add a piece of chicken one at a time to the egg wash and then dredge chicken. Add the breaded chicken to the hot oil and fry for 4-6 minutes depending on the thickness of the breasts. Remove the chicken and allow to cool on the cooling rack. This helps the excess oil to drip from the chicken. You can also collect the oil in a bowl line with paper towels.
10. 10--- Assemble the Chicken Sandwich ---
11. 11Toast your buns. Mix together mayo and your favorite hot sauce.