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Prepared air fryer chicken sandwich ready to be served.

The Best Air Fryer Chicken Sandwich (Better Than Chick-fil-A)

Jenni Cole
Level up your air fryer chicken sandwich with this perfectly crispy, tender, and juicy masterpiece. Sandwiched between two toasted brioche buns and topped with zesty sriracha mayo, crisp lettuce, and tomato.
5 from 3 votes
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Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 17 minutes
Marinate Time 20 minutes
Total Time 47 minutes
Course Healthy Air Fryer Recipes
Cuisine American
Servings 2 sandwiches
Calories 774 kcal

Equipment

Ingredients
  

  • 2 boneless skinless chicken breasts
  • ½ cup All-purpose flour
  • 2 teaspoons Garlic powder
  • 2 teaspoons Onion powder
  • 2 teaspoons Smoked paprika
  • ½ teaspoon Cumin
  • 1 teaspoon Salt
  • ½ teaspoon Black pepper
  • 1 cup Milk
  • ½ cup Pickle juice
  • Serve with brioche buns lettuce, sliced tomato, mayo, sriracha sauce, and sliced pickles.

Instructions
 

  • Preheat the air fryer to 375°F (190°C).
  • In a large mixing bowl, stir together the milk and the pickle juice. Add in the chicken breasts and cover, allowing the chicken to marinate in the brine for 20-30 minutes.
  • In a shallow dish, mix together the flour, garlic powder, onion powder, smoked paprika, cumin, salt, and black pepper.
  • Dredge each chicken breast in the flour mixture straight from the milk brine. Coat all sides very well in the flour.
  • Spray the chicken breasts with cooking spray on both sides and place them in the air fryer basket in a single layer.
  • Cook the chicken in the air fryer for 14-17 minutes depending on the thickness and size of the chicken breasts, until golden brown and crispy.
  • Assemble the sandwiches by spreading mayonnaise and Sriracha sauce (if using) on the bottom bun, then add a leaf of lettuce, a slice of tomato, and the crispy chicken breast. Top the other half of the bun with the mayo mixture. Alternately, assemble with mayo, pickles, chicken, and more mayo. Enjoy!

Notes

  • Do not skip the crucial step of marinating the chicken pieces in a mixture of milk and pickle juice. The longer the chicken is soaked in this brine, the better the taste will be. You can let it marinate overnight in the fridge and have it ready for dinner the following day.
  • In case you're short on time and unable to marinate the chicken in the brine, you can apply an egg wash to the chicken before coating it with flour. Although it won't have the same taste as the marinated chicken, this will assist in creating a crispy and crunchy outer layer.
  • Really make sure to spray a generous amount of cooking spray on the chicken in the air fryer. This will help the flour absorb the oil and cook, so you won't get odd patches of dry flour.
  • Make sure not to be stingy with the seasoning while preparing this dish. Bland chicken is one of the most unappetizing things, so it's important to give it enough flavor.
  • Using a meat thermometer, check the internal temperature of the chicken, which should be 165 degrees Fahrenheit.
  • If you don't like a mess in your air fryer basket, use perforated parchment paper on the bottom which will make for easy cleanup on the air fryer basket.

Nutrition

Calories: 774kcalCarbohydrates: 39gProtein: 105gFat: 19gSaturated Fat: 7gPolyunsaturated Fat: 3gMonounsaturated Fat: 7gTrans Fat: 0.1gCholesterol: 273mgSodium: 2916mgPotassium: 1952mgFiber: 2gSugar: 6gVitamin A: 1189IUVitamin C: 1mgCalcium: 205mgIron: 6mg
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