Air fryer spicy chicken sandwiches are a delicious and healthy alternative to traditional fried chicken sandwiches. The chicken is coated with a crispy breading and cooked in the air fryer, resulting in a juicy and tender patty. You will love this recipe cause it's a Chik Fil A Dupe!
I have this new obsession and it's called Chik-Fil-A. Fargo didn't have one for the longest time and it's been open for over a year now. The lines were so busy when it opened up and I waited it out a couple of months to finally try them. My favorite thing to get at Chik-Fil -A is a Spicy Chicken sandwich
There's a level of spiciness I can tolerate and if the recipe involves one of those super hot peppers then no thanks. Mild is my highest level of spiciness that I will go to. The heartburn is just unbearable. There are times where I've been out grocery shopping and accidentally grabbed a super hot pico or salsa and my mouth was on fire.
The air fryer is one of my favorite kitchen appliances. Check out some of these recipes! Air Fryer Egg Rolls, Air Fryer Omelette with Parchment Paper, or Air Fryer Turkey Breast!
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Why You Will Love This Recipe
Chik Fil A fries a lot of their food in oil. Using an air fryer, you can totally skip all the extra added fat. I've never tried making breaded/crispy chicken with flour before in my air fryer because I was a bit skeptical at first.
I was thinking that the flour wouldn't get cooked but if you spray the chicken well enough it will cook. I was totally mind blown and this tasted pretty close to the real thing!
You can serve this Chick-fil-A a sandwich with Air Fryer Arby's Frozen Curly Fries or Air Fryer Alexia Sweet Potato Puffs cooked in your air fryer with a copycat version of their famous sauce!
Ingredients Needed
- Chicken breasts - split in half, lengthwise (This just means to butterfly the chicken breasts and split them in half.
- Pickle juice - You'd be surprised how pickle juice can make a great brine for chicken
- Flour - All-purpose flour
- Milk - I have not tested this with any non-dairy milks
- Hamburger Buns - I always like to get light hamburger buns to help reduce the calories
- Romaine lettuce - or any type of lettuce
- Tomato sliced - Roma or Beef Steak
See recipe card below for a full list of ingredients and measurements.
How to Make Air Fryer Chik Fil A Sandwich
Split your chicken breasts in half lengthwise. Add them to a zip lock bag and pour in the pickle juice. Let that marinate in your fridge for 1 hr.
In a shallow dish add the flour and spices. In another shallow dish add the eggs and milk and whisk them to combine.
Take your chicken breast out of the bag with a tong and dip them in the eggs and milk first and then the flour mixture.
Add your chicken to the air fryer basket and spray the top side of the chicken breast. Preheat your air fryer to 400 degrees. Set the timer to 7 minutes.
Once the 7 minutes is done, open up your air fryer and flip the chicken. Spray again and close the basket. Set the timer for another 4 minutes. Serve the chicken on a bun with lettuce and tomatoes.
Note: For the Chik Fil A Sauce it is equal parts equal parts mayo, honey, bbq sauce, and mustard.
Pro Tips
- Pound the chicken breasts to an even thickness so they cook evenly in the air fryer.
- Marinate the chicken in pickle juice for at least 30 minutes for that signature Chick-fil-A flavor. For even better results, marinate for up to 4 hours.
- Pat the chicken dry before breading so the coating sticks better.
- Spray the breaded chicken lightly with cooking spray before air frying to help create a golden, crispy crust.
- Do not overcrowd the air fryer basket. Cook in batches if needed for the crispiest results.
- Use an instant-read thermometer to ensure the chicken reaches an internal temperature of 165°F.
- Toast the buns for 1 to 2 minutes in the air fryer before assembling the sandwiches for extra flavor and texture.
- Serve immediately while the chicken is hot and crispy.
Storage
Store any leftover cooked chicken in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
To reheat, place the chicken back in the air fryer at 350 degrees F for 3 to 5 minutes, or until heated through and crispy again. Avoid microwaving if possible, as it can make the breading soft.
Serving Suggestions
Complete your homemade Chick-fil-A-inspired meal with your favorite side dishes and dipping sauces.
- Side Salad
- Air Fryer Frozen French Fries
- Air Fryer French Fries
- Air Fryer Alexia Sweet Potato Puffs
- Coleslaw
- Macaroni and Cheese
- Fruit Salad with Vanilla Pudding
- Dill Pickle Spears
Recipe FAQs
Yes you can, if the chicken or fries ever come to your house cold you can just reheat those in the air fryer for a bit until they get warmed up a bit.
Cosori 4 Qt Air Fryer- This air fryer doesn't require any preheating and has several different functions for cooking chicken, meat, frozen foods, etc. There are 5 different functions.
If you tried this Air Fryer Chik Fil A Sandwiches or any other recipe on my website, please please leave a 🌟 star rating and let me know how you go in the 📝 comments below. I love hearing from you! Follow along on Tiktok @jennarecipediaries
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Air Fryer Chik Fil A Sandwich
- Prep Time: 10min
- Cook Time: 7min
- Total Time: 17min
- Yield: 4 1x
- Category: Easy
- Cuisine: American
Description
Air fryer spicy chicken sandwiches are a delicious and healthy alternative to traditional fried chicken sandwiches.
Ingredients
- 2 chicken breasts - split in half, lengthwise
- ¼ cup of pickle juice (drain from jar)
- ½ cup of flour
- 1 tsp of garlic powder
- 1 tsp of paprika
- ¼ tsp of cayenne pepper
- 2 eggs
- ¼ cup of 1% milk
- 4 Lite Hamburger Buns
- 1 head of romaine lettuce
- 1 tomato sliced
Instructions
- Split your chicken breasts in half lengthwise. Add them to a zip lock bag and pour in the pickle juice. Let that marinate in your fridge for 1 hr.
- In a shallow dish add the flour and spices. In another shallow dish add the eggs and milk and whisk them to combine.
- Take your chicken breast out of the bag with a tong and dip them in the eggs and milk first and then the flour mixture.
- Add your chicken to the air fryer basket and spray the top side of the chicken breast. Preheat your air fryer to 400 degrees. Set the timer to 7 minutes.
- Once the 7 minutes is done, open up your air fryer and flip the chicken. Spray again and close the basket. Set the timer for another 4 minutes. Serve the chicken on a bun with lettuce and tomatoes.
Notes
myWW points: Blue 4; Green 6; Purple 4
Points are calculated with the WW recipe builder app and not using the nutrition info.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 sandwich
- Calories: 582
- Sugar: 7g
- Fat: 27g
- Saturated Fat: 8g
- Carbohydrates: 37g
- Fiber: 5g
- Protein: 52g
Jenna says
Top first. Recipe updated!
Mark Gray says
Which side of the chicken do you spray first? The visible side once it is in the air fryer?
Jenna says
All I mean by lengthwise is setting the chicken breast down and cutting it evenly in the middle of breast to form two pieces of chicken. Pounding would help as well. Thanks.
Nick says
Do you suggest pounding chicken for even thickness? Also, why cur lengthwise versus across? Would seem to fit bun better cutting across... Thanks!
Jenna says
Thanks Wendy!
Wendy says
This sandwich couldn’t have tasted any better! We served them on onion rolls with a swipe of mayo. Thank you very much for this recipe!
Jenna says
Pam cooking spray
Jane Uselman says
Jenna, I am so excited to have found your blog. As a WW'er I am always on the hunt for friendly recipes. I have not as yet made the Chix Fil A sandwich, but in reading through the recipe I am wondering about your direction to spray the chicken well before air frying, and then again when you turn the chicken. What are you using to spray on the chicken?