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two copycat popeyes chicken sandwiches on a metal tray with fries
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Copycat Popeyes Chicken Sandwiches

Whip up these delicious Copycat Popeyes Chicken Sandwiches right at home and skip the drive thru! Featuring tender, perfectly breaded chicken on soft brioche buns and thick slices of pickles, you wind up with a sandwich that's better than takeout!
Prep Time15 minutes
Cook Time10 minutes
Marinade Time2 hours
Total Time2 hours 25 minutes
Course: Chicken, Dinner, Entree, Main Course, Sandwich
Cuisine: American, Cajun, Southern
Servings: 4 sandwiches
Calories: 895kcal

Ingredients

  • 4 boneless skinless chicken breasts
  • 1 cup buttermilk
  • 1 tbsp cajun seasoning or seasoned salt
  • 2 tsp fresh black pepper
  • 2 tsp garlic powder
  • 2 tsp onion powder
  • 2 tsp sugar
  • 2 1/2 cups flour
  • 1/2 cup cornstarch
  • vegetable oil for frying
  • 4 brioche buns
  • Mayo and pickles for garnish (optional)

Instructions

  • Pound out your chicken breasts lightly and trim any fat off them if needed.
  • In a small bowl combine the cajun seasoning, pepper, garlic powder, onion powder and sugar.
  • To your 1 cup of buttermilk add 1 tablespoon of the seasoning mix.
  • Pour the buttermilk mix over the chicken.
  • Let the chicken marinate 1 hour up to overnight.
  • When you are ready to fry combine the remaining seasoning mix with the flour and cornstarch and whisk to combine.
  • Take 3-4 tablespoons of the buttermilk marinade and stir it into the flour mix, you want to make chunky pieces of flour to give the chicken some good crispy bits.
  • Dredge the chicken in the flour mix and dip back into the buttermilk and dredge in the flour a second time. Really try to press any of the chunky flour pieces into the chicken.
  • In a large heavy pot or deep frying pan add 4 cups of oil or enough to cover the chicken ¾ of the way.
  • Heat the oil over medium high heat until a little flour dropped in the pan sizzles immediately.
  • Add 2 pieces of chicken to your oil and fry 5-6 minutes, flip and repeat with the other side. Thicker breasts might need more time and thinner might need less, use a meat thermometer to check and make sure your chicken is at 165 degrees.
  • Remove you chicken breasts to a cooling rack and repeat with the remaining chicken breasts.
  • Time to assemble the sandwiches.
  • You can put them right on the brioche buns and serve.
  • You can take it a step further and butter the buns and toast them in a pan.
  • If you like spread the buns with mayo and add some thick pickle slices.
  • Serve!

Notes

  • Make sure to really press the flour clumps onto the chicken. These clumps give you that delicious crunch.
  • Thicker breasts might need more cook time and thinner might need less, use a meat thermometer to check and make sure your chicken is at 165 degrees.
  • This needs to be marinaded AT LEAST 2 hours, but can be left to marinade up to overnight. The longer it marinates the more tender and juicy the fried chicken will be.

Nutrition

Calories: 895kcal | Carbohydrates: 121g | Protein: 44g | Fat: 25g | Saturated Fat: 13g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 1g | Trans Fat: 0.01g | Cholesterol: 223mg | Sodium: 584mg | Potassium: 664mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 5g | Vitamin A: 1720IU | Vitamin C: 2mg | Calcium: 148mg | Iron: 6mg