McDonald’s crispy chicken sandwich is a boneless chicken breast pounded thin, dredged in egg wash and seasoned flour with yellow cornmeal, fried at 375F until 165F inside, then served on a butter-toasted bun with pickle slices. Twenty minutes, serves 4.
Yellow cornmeal in the flour is the ingredient that gives the coating its gritty, fast food crunch. Straight flour gives you a smooth, even shell. Cornmeal adds coarse texture that catches oil and crisps into something rougher and louder when you bite through it. Two tablespoons across a cup of flour is enough to hear the difference without making the coating sandy.
Pounding the chicken breast thin and trimming it to fit the bun before it touches the breading is the step that makes this a sandwich instead of a fried chicken breast balanced on bread. The breast needs to be just slightly wider than the bun since it shrinks during frying. Too thick and the outside burns before the centre hits 165F. Too wide and the overhang breaks off in the oil.
McDonald’s Crispy Chicken Sandwich
Course: DinnerCuisine: AmericanDifficulty: Easy4
servings10
minutes10
minutes520
kcalWhole boneless chicken breasts pounded flat, dredged through egg wash and a seasoned flour and cornmeal coating, deep fried at 375F until golden and 165F inside, then served on a butter-toasted bun with crinkle cut pickles. Four ingredients on the sandwich, six in the breading.
Ingredients
4 boneless skinless chicken breasts, pounded thin and trimmed to bun size
1 cup water
1 large egg, beaten
1 cup all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons yellow cornmeal
2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon onion powder
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
Pinch of sugar
3 to 4 cups frying oil
1/2 tablespoon salted butter
4 hamburger buns
16 pickle slices
Directions
- Heat the oil:Bring frying oil to 375F in a deep fryer, Dutch oven, or heavy-bottomed skillet. You need at least 1 inch of depth.
- Set up the dredge:Whisk the water and beaten egg in one shallow dish. In a second dish, combine the flour, cornmeal, salt, onion powder, pepper, garlic powder and sugar.
- Bread the chicken:Dip each breast in the egg mixture, coating both sides, then press into the flour mixture on both sides. Set on a rack while you work through the batch.
- Fry:Deep fry for 8 to 12 minutes or pan fry for 3 to 5 minutes per side until the internal temperature reaches 165F. Drain on paper towel.
- Toast and build:Melt the butter in a skillet and toast the buns cut-side down until light golden. Place the chicken on the bottom bun, top with 4 pickle slices, close with the top bun. Serve immediately.
FAQs
How is this different from the McChicken?
Completely different sandwich. The McChicken uses a ground chicken patty dipped in batter. This uses a whole chicken breast dredged in seasoned flour with cornmeal. The McChicken has mayo and lettuce. This has butter-toasted buns and pickles only. Different texture, different toppings, different menu item.
Why does the recipe include cornmeal?
Cornmeal adds a coarse, gritty texture to the coating that straight flour does not give you. It crisps harder in the oil and creates a rougher surface that stays crunchy longer after frying. Two tablespoons is subtle enough that you feel it more than taste it.
Can you air fry this instead?
Yes. Spray the breaded chicken with oil and air fry at 375F for 12 to 15 minutes, flipping halfway. The cornmeal in the breading helps it crisp in the air fryer better than flour alone, but it will not match the deep fried version.
What should you serve alongside this sandwich?
Fries are the standard pairing. Fresh watermelon or a green salad on the side balance the fried chicken. Pickles on the sandwich already cover the acid, so you do not need extra condiments unless you want hot sauce or mayo.
How do you store and reheat leftovers?
Separate the chicken from the bun before storing. The breast keeps in the fridge for 2 to 3 days. Reheat in a 375F oven for 8 to 10 minutes to re-crisp the coating. Toast the bun fresh and rebuild. Microwaving makes the cornmeal coating soggy.
