Copycat Chicken Sandwich!
Today we're looking into a new series within the Cooking with Cass show! The #Makeithalal series will be a variety of short videos that focus on inspired recipes based on various restaurants and making them Halal. Our first video is the Copycat Chicken sandwich, and I have to tell you I am extremely excited for this recipe.
This sandwich is hands down one of my favorites I've ever made for this channel, and the best part? It's so easy to make! Not to mention that this recipe is extremely versatile. I chose to fry it this time but you could bake it as well. I must warn you though, if choose to bake it you will have to add a step or two, but I'll get to that part in moment. Let's start by discussing the secret ingredient...
Pickle Juice. I know. In fairness, it's not really juice, it's the pickling liquid that the cucumbers marinate in. It sounds a little questionable, but this step is often the secret to perfectly fried chicken in a variety of forms. Now, pickle juice isn't always used, milk is more common in my experience, but the pickling liquid adds a distinct flavors that is hard to get otherwise. Now, I made this for the office, and for my family and the general consensus was that marinating for 15 minutes gave the chicken just enough of that flavor, without making it overwhelming, whereas the 30 marinade was too overpowering. Personally, I really like both but it's circumstantial. If I'm going to drown it in ketchup, or other condiments, I don't mind the 30 minute because the flavor from the pickle juice shines through a little more. If I was making chicken nuggets rather than a sandwich though, I would use the 15 minute method to make sure they didn't too pickle-y and end up disappointing. Also, I like my chicken sandwich with mayo and pickles, but you do you.
Finally, let's talk baking. So, I had to shoot this twice, the first time I thought I'd try and push the, "make it yourself at home, it’s healthier" angle but the breading fell apart and it was not... pretty. After doing a little research, I found that the reason the bread fell off was due to a moisture issue. When you remove the chicken from the marinade you want to pat it down so it's dry, then dredge it in the egg mixture, then flour, then repeat. I did not do that. Because I didn't do that, the egg adhered to the pickle juice, not the chicken. I haven't had time to make this recipe again, but I really believe this should fix the issue. Other than that, the only difference in the recipe is that you place it on a baking sheet lined with aluminum foil, spray both sides with nonstick spray and then you bake at 450° for 15 minutes, then flip and cook for another 10-13 or until the chicken is looking more golden brown.
And that's it! Check out our first short below, or keep scrolling for the full recipe!
Ingredients:
1 lb Halal chicken cut into sandwich sized pieces
1/2 cup pickle juice
1/4 cup water
1 large egg
1/2 cup milk
oil for frying
hamburger buns
pickle and mayo
(for the breading)
1 cup flour
1/2 tsp paprika
1/2 tsp chili powder
1/2 tsp salt and pepper, or to taste
1/2 tsp baking powder
3 tbsp powdered sugar
Instructions:
1) Prepare chicken, place in a zip top bag with pickle juice and water. Marinate for 15-30 minutes depending on taste.
2) While marinating, combing all breading ingredients in a large mixing bowl and whisk thoroughly to combine. in another mixing bowl, combine milk and egg, whisk thoroughly with a fork.
3) Remove chicken from marinade and discard remaining marinade. With gloved hands dip the chicken into the egg mixture with one hand, then the breading mixture with the other. This will prevent large globs of breading from sticking on your fingers. repeat this process then move to the next piece of chicken. In total you want to have two layers of of egg mixture and 2 layers of breading.
4) In a Dutch oven, pour about 2 inches of oil. Heat to 350° and fry chicken in small batches, making sure that the chicken doesn't touch one another. Flip chicken after 3-4 minutes or once the submerged edges start to turn golden brown. Remove to a paper towel lined plate and let cool for 3-5 minutes. Note: If you're going to season with salt, pepper, or any other dry ingredient season at this stage. As the chicken cools it will adhere to chicken preventing the seasoning from falling off.
5) Serve chicken on hamburger buns with pickles, mayo, and waffle cut French fries.