Raise your hand if you know this feeling: you’re craving a Chick-fil-a chicken biscuit, but it’s Sunday so they are closed!
Trust me, we have all been there! Okay, maybe not some of my friends up north who have just discovered the phenomenon that is Chick-fil-a. We will save that topic for your much needed therapy session.
For those of you who know the power of that insatiable chicken biscuit craving, and the disappointment of seeing the calendar and knowing the closed sign is up, have no fear! You can make these golden brown gems any time, right in your own kitchen.
Fried Chicken Secrets Revealed
If you have lived in the south long enough, you know there is a Chick-fil-a nearly everywhere. Drive by any shopping plaza, or walk into any mall food court and you’ll see the red sign.
Growing up in Georgia, I’d say 1 in 5 teens worked at a Chick-fil-a. Lucky for me, that means the trade secrets of their iconic fried chicken are floating around the rumor mill.
So, what makes their chicken biscuits so amazing? Rumor has it, they use two secret ingredients: dill pickle juice and powdered sugar.
Now I know that sounds odd, but think about it! Chick-fil-a slaps two dill pickles they slap on every sandwich. It makes total sense they would carry that flavor throughout. And if you notice, their breading has a slight sweetness to it, the perfect counter to the briney pickle juice.
Don’t believe me? Add those ingredients to your next chicken dredge, fry it nice and crispy in a cast iron pan, and slap it between one of my fluffy buttermilk biscuits. See if you are not instantly transported to your favorite fast-food chicken joint! I bet you won’t wake up on Sunday’s sad again!
Fried Chicken Biscuits
Ingredients
Buttermilk Biscuits
- 2 cups all purpose flour
- 1 tbsp baking powder
- 1 tsp kosher salt
- ½ cup unsalted butter, cold cubed
- ¾ cup buttermilk
Fried Chicken
- 2 breasts boneless skinless chicken (about 1 lb)
- 2 eggs
- ⅓ cup dill pickle juice
- ⅔ cup milk
- 1 ¼ cup all purpose flour
- ¼ cup breadcrumbs
- 3 tbsp cornstarch
- 3 tbsp powdered sugar
- 2 tsp salt
- 1 tsp ground black pepper
- 1½ tsp onion powder
- ⅓ tsp chili powder
- peanut oil (or vegetable)
Maple Butter
- ½ cup salted butter, softened
- ⅔ cup maple syrup
- 2 tbsp powdered sugar
- pinch of salt
Instructions
Fluffy Buttermilk Biscuits
Maple Butter
- Whip butter until light and fluffy
- Add half the maple syrup, sugar, and salt. Stir to incorporate.
- Slowly add the remaining maple syrup, tasting along the way until you reach the desired taste.
Fried Chicken
- Slice each chicken breast length-wise, and pound each piece out to about ½ inch thickness.
- Mix together eggs, pickle juice, and milk in a large bowl. Add in chicken and coat. Place in the fridge for at least 30 minutes.
- In a separate bowl, mix together flour, corn meal, sugar, salt, onion powder, and pepper.
- Dredge the chicken in the flour mixture, back in the egg mixture, and in the flour mixture once more. Let it sit on a baking rack for 5-10 minutes. Meanwhile, fill a cast iron skillet or saute pan with about ½-⅔ inch of oil and place over medium heat.
- Fry each piece of chicken for about 2-3 minutes per side, and drain on a paper towel or baking rack.
- Serve on a buttermilk biscuit with maple butter or honey.
