Crispy Chicken Sandwich (Taco Bell copycat)
.JPG "Crispy Chicken Sandwich (Taco Bell copycat)")
Ingredients:
Buttermilk jalapeno marinade- 1 cup buttermilk
- 1⁄2 cup pickled jalapeno liquid
- 3 tablespoons of your favorite hot sauce
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon black pepper
- 1 large chicken breast cut into four even pieces
Seasoned flour/tortilla chips
- 1 cup all purpose flour
- 1⁄2 cup crushed tortilla chips
- 1 tablespoon kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon black pepper
- 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- peanut oil for frying (2 inches high in your large pan)
Sandwich Taco assembly
- 4 puffy flatbread (see notes for substitutions)
- My spicy chipotle sauce (or store bought)
- My pickled jalapenos (or store bought)
Directions:
In a medium sized bowl add buttermilk, pickled jalapeno liquid, hot sauce, kosher salt and black pepper and whisk to combine. Put chicken in a zip top bag or bowl with a lid. Pour buttermilk jalapeno marinade over chicken and store in fridge for at least an hour or overnight.
Make seasoned flour by combining flour and crushed up tortilla chips with all the spices, salt and pepper in a bowl, plate or pan.
Remove one piece of chicken at a time from the marinade and dredge in the seasoned flour mixture until thoroughly coated on all sides. Press firmly to make sure there are no dry spots on the chicken. Place fully coated chicken onto a piece of parchment or the rack of a sheetpan to rest.
Heat 2 inches of peanut oil in a skillet to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
Fry each piece of chicken for 5 to 6 minutes or until it reaches 165 degrees internal temperature. You'll probably want to fry for 3 minutes on the first side and then flip it to make sure you're getting the level of browning that you want. Continue cooking on the other side.
After frying, place finished chicken on a cooling rack over paper towels to drain some of the oil away.
Assemble each of your Crispy Chicken Sandwich Tacos with a good squirt of your spicy chipotle sauce on the puffy flatbread. Add a piece of fried chicken on top and garnish with four or five pickled jalapenos.
Serve and enjoy
Notes:
If you don't make the puffy flatbread, you could buy super soft tortillas or even buy store bought naan and cut it to the shapes that you need with a knife.