Copycat McDonald's Crispy Chicken Sandwich Recipe

The next time you're daydreaming about a juicy chicken sandwich, we have just the recipe for you: this copycat McDonald's Crispy Chicken Sandwich. Chef and recipe developer Angela Latimer of Bake it with Love says, "This sandwich is incredibly good [and] fresh ... so much better than the McDonald's version."

We have to praise McDonald's for the inspiration, because without their Crispy Chicken Sandwich, there would be no sandwich to make this copycat recipe from. The beautiful thing about this sandwich is its simplicity. On the McDonald's website, the fast food chain lists the ingredients as nothing more than a crispy chicken fillet, a potato roll, crinkle cut pickles, and salted butter.

We know there's more to it than that, though. And thanks to Latimer's recipe, the secret in this copycat recipe really comes down to the herbs and spices you use in the breading, in addition to the careful prep of the chicken breasts. Just resist the temptation to stray from the recipe or add anything extra, because this sandwich really is a delight as-is.

Once your DIY chicken sandwiches are prepped, however, feel free to complete this meal with your favorite sides. "Fries are good," Latimer says,"but step outside and enjoy some sunshine with a nice big hunk of watermelon to really enjoy this sandwich to its fullest!"

If you try to make this sandwich using only a crispy chicken fillet, a roll, crinkle cut pickles, and salted butter as per the McDonald's website, well ... good luck! In Latimer's copycat recipe, there are additional ingredients that go into the delicious breading.

You'll need a good deal of frying oil (canola or vegetable oil, e.g.), boneless, skinless chicken breasts (pounded thin and trimmed to shape), water, a beaten egg, all-purpose flour, yellow cornmeal, salt, onion powder, black pepper, garlic powder, a pinch of sugar, some salted butter, hamburger buns, and lots of pickle slices.

If you're deep-frying the chicken, begin to heat about 4 cups of your frying oil in a deep fryer, Dutch oven, or a large heavy-bottom frying pan, and warm it all the way up to 375 F. When frying in a pan, you'll need at least a 1-inch depth of oil, which will be about 2 cups of oil for most pans.

Meanwhile, combine the water and beaten egg in a shallow bowl, a pie pan, or any dish that will fit your chicken breasts. In a second shallow dish, combine the all-purpose flour, yellow cornmeal, salt, onion powder, black pepper, garlic powder, and sugar.

Finally for this step, if your chicken breasts are thick, cut them butterfly-style in half or use a meat tenderizer and pound them thinner by placing the chicken between two sheets of plastic wrap and, beginning at the center, hammer your way toward the edges.

Once the chicken breasts are sliced or pounded to the right thickness, trim them to be just a bit bigger than the buns. Next, dredge then bread the prepared chicken breasts. Starting in the egg and liquid mixture, coat both sides of each chicken breast, then transfer the chicken into the flour mixture, pressing it down into the seasoned flour.

Once both sides of the chicken are coated in the breading, the breasts can be placed onto a tray or rack while you cook the meat in batches, if needed, based on the side of your frying pan. Deep-fry the chicken pieces for eight to 12 minutes or pan fry the breasts for three to five minutes per side, regardless being sure to cook until the chicken has an internal temperature of 165 F. 

Now, remove the fried chicken to a paper towel-lined plate or tray and let the excess oil absorb onto the towel.

Melt the salted butter in a frying pan, rolling the pan from side to side so the whole surface is coated, and then briefly toast the buns in a the pan, letting them cook just until they take on a bit of light brown sear on the bottom.

Next, assemble your sandwiches by placing the chicken breast on the bottom bun, topping the chicken with four pickle slices, then closing the sandwich with the top bun. You can now enjoy it with French fries, as per standard McDonald's operating procedure, with watermelon as per Latimer's idea, with a green salad, or just as-is. You really can't go wrong with a sandwich so right!