Air Fryer Chicken Sandwich - Chick-fil-a recipe (2024)

Prepare a juicy air fryer chicken sandwich at home anytime, with the help of this copycat Chick-Fil-A recipe! When you are craving a crispy chicken sandwich, this recipe is easy to make with simple ingredients.

Plus, it’s one of those recipes that won’t get old. Change up the condiments, add cheese or tomatoes, and you can make a different delicious sandwich every week. Simple recipes don’t have to be boring!

Key Ingredients

For exact amounts needed see the recipe card below

Chicken breast cutlets –Thinly sliced cutlets are perfect for making sandwiches. If you have a full-sized chicken breast, cut it lengthwise to make two thin cutlets.

Pickle juice –Marinading in pickle juice helps keep the meat from drying out. You can use any type of pickle juice, although dill would be the most authentic.

Flour, milk, egg– These ingredients form the breading for the cutlets.

Spices– Season the flour with paprika, onion powder, garlic powder, salt, and black pepper. This seasoning flavors the breading. For a spicy sandwich, add cayenne pepper.

Spray oil– These sandwiches don’t need much oil, but misting them with a little bit will improve their crispiness.

Find More Air Fryer Recipes!

How to Make an Air Fryer Chicken Sandwich

1. Marinade

Put the pickle juice in a zippered bag or shallow dish and add the cutlets. Refrigerate for 30 minutes to 2 hours. If you keep the chicken in the marinade too long, it will get overly salty, so don’t marinate for more than 2 hours.

If you really, really hate pickles, you can skip this step or marinate it in buttermilk instead. But the pickle juice doesn’t flavor the meat much; it just keeps it juicy. So you won’t notice the taste in your finished sandwich.

2. Bread the Cutlets

You will need two separate bowls for breading. Combine the flour with paprika, onion powder, garlic powder, salt, and black pepper in one bowl. If you are using cayenne pepper, add it to the flour.

In another bowl, combine the milk and egg. Stir both bowls to mix everything. Then take the cutlets out of the marinade and pat it dry.

First, dip the piece of chicken into the egg and milk mixture. Let any excess drip back into the bowl. Then dip it into the bowl of flour, making sure it is well coated.

Put the chicken aside on a rack and let it rest for 5-10 minutes before cooking. Letting it rest helps the coating stick better.

3. Air Fry

Preheat the air fryer to 360 degrees F for 5 minutes. For recipes like this that involve breading, preheating is necessary.

Use spray oil to coat the air fryer basket and the meat with a bit of oil. I usually use olive oil or avocado oil. Chick-Fil-A uses peanut oil, so you can use peanut oil if you want your sandwiches to be extra authentic.

Don’t use commercial spray oil. It contains preservatives that can damage the nonstick finish of an air fryer basket. Buy an inexpensive spray bottle and fill it with oil.

Air fry the coated chicken for 6 minutes at 360 degrees F. Then flip it over and air fry for another 6 minutes.

Use an instant-read thermometer to verify that it has reached an internal temperature of 165 degrees F. If it hasn’t air fry for another 2-3 minutes, and check again.

Always use a meat thermometer to check the internal temperature, don’t try to cook based just on time. A thermometer is not expensive and the peace of mind they give you is priceless. Food poisoning is not fun! This is my favorite inexpensive meat thermometer, which you can buy on Amazon.

Melt Cheese (optional)

Once it is done, leave it in the air fryer basket and add a slice of cheese on top. Put the basket back inside the air fryer and let the residual heat melt the cheese.

Air Fryer Chick-Fil-A Chicken Sandwich

You can make any sandwich you like. Mix and match, and add your favorite toppings from barbecue sauce to hot sauce to mayonnaise or Chick-Fil-A sauce. But if you want to make one just like Chick-Fil-A here is how they create their chicken sandwiches:

• Original– For this, add two dill pickle chips and serve it on a toasted bun.
• Deluxe– Melt 1 slice of American cheese on the chicken patty. Then serve it on a toasted bun with 2 pickles, a slice of tomato, and lettuce.
• Spicy– Add 1/4 teaspoon of cayenne pepper to the flour mixture before air frying. Then serve the chicken on a toasted bun with two pickle chips.
• Spicy Deluxe– Add 1/4 teaspoon of cayenne pepper to the flour mixture before air frying. Once the chicken is cooked, melt a slice of Pepper Jack cheese onto the patty. Then serve it on a toasted bun with 2 pickle chips, a slice of tomato, and lettuce.

Serving Ideas

I like to serve these sandwiches with blue cheese coleslaw, potato salad, or baked beans. And, of course, waffle fries would be an excellent side dish!

If you are looking for an easy side dish that doesn’t take any cooking, simply cut up some fresh fruit or serve these with some pretzels. This is a great simple dinner for a busy night.

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