Air Fryer Pickle Chicken Sandwiches
This lightened up chicken sandwich is crispy on the outside, juicy on the inside and has all of the flavors of one of our favorite appetizers: Fried Pickles. Set your marinade up in the morning and have perfectly seasoned sandwiches for dinner. Air Fryer Pickle Chicken Sandwiches are a must try!
Equipment
- 1 air fryer
- 1 shallow dish
- 1 medium bowl
- 1 pair of tongs
Ingredients
- 1 lb chicken breast boneless, skinless
- 1/2 c dill pickle juice
- 2 T butter
- 1 T dill pickle juice
- 1 c panko bread crumbs
- 1/4 t garlic powder
- 1/2 t cayenne pepper
- 1 T shredded cheddar cheese
- 1 T fresh dill chopped
- 1 T dill dip like my homemade version or a store bought veggie dip like this
- 8 pickle slices
- 1 c shredded lettuce
- 4 hamburger buns
Instructions
- Using a pair of kitchen shears, trim any access fat off of your chicken breasts. Cut the breasts in half width wise, and place the chicken halves into a large ziploc bag. Seal it.
- Using the flat side of a meat tenderizer, pound them thinner. This will help them cook faster and more consistently.
- Open the bag and use a fork to poke several holes into each of the pieces of chicken. This will allow the pickle juice to permeate into the chicken. Be careful not to poke holes in the bag.
- Pour 1/2 c of dill pickle juice into the bag and let the chicken brine for several hours. Ideally, you will want to let chicken sit in the juice for 6-12 hours or even overnight. Minimally, you will want it to marinate for at least an hour. Do not let it sit in the pickle juice for longer than 24 hours.
- Preheat your air fryer to 375 degrees. If your air fryer does not have a preheat function (mine doesn’t) then just let it run empty at 375 degrees for 4-5 minutes to heat it up.
- In a medium bowl, melt 2T of butter. Add 1T of pickle juice and mix. Set it aside.
- In a shallow dish, combine 1c Panko breadcrumbs, 1/4t garlic powder, 1/2t cayenne, 1T shredded cheddar cheese and 1T fresh dill. Use a fork to stir until everything is combined. Set it aside.
- Remove the flattened chicken breasts from the pickle juice and set them on a plate. One at a time, take each breast and place it in the bowl of butter. Make sure it gets completely covered on both sides.
- Use a fork to transfer the buttered breast to the breadcrumb mixture. Use a spoon to help evenly coat the outside of the chicken in the breadcrumbs. Transfer back to plate.
- I have a large air fryer so I am able to do all 4 pieces of chicken at a once. If you have a smaller one, just cook two pieces at a time so that you do not over crowd your basket.
- Place the breaded chicken in the basket and cook at 375 degrees for 5 minutes.
- Open the fryer drawer and use tongs to flip the chicken to the other side. Cook the chicken an additional 5 minutes or until its cooked though.
- Spread 1T dill dip on each hamburger bun. A thin ranch dressing will run all over, so make sure you use a thicker creamier dill dip like my homemade version or a store bought veggie dip like this.
- Place a chicken breast on each bun. Top with shredded lettuce and pickle slices.
Notes
Store leftover chicken in an air tight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
To reheat the chicken, preheat your air fryer to 350. You want it to be a lower temperature than when you cooked it. Add the chicken to the basket and cook 4-5 minutes until chicken is warmed though.
Serve sandwiches with these sides:
- french fries or tater tots
- fruit
- veggies and Ranch Dip
- chips or pretzels and Pretzel Dip
- pasta salads like Bow Tie Pasta Salad or Easy Pasta Salad with Spaghetti Noodles
- potato salad
- coleslaw
- Best Ever Side Salad
- baked beans
Nutrition
Serving: 1sandwichCalories: 388kcalCarbohydrates: 36gProtein: 31gFat: 13gSaturated Fat: 6gPolyunsaturated Fat: 2gMonounsaturated Fat: 3gTrans Fat: 1gCholesterol: 92mgSodium: 1128mgPotassium: 558mgFiber: 2gSugar: 5gVitamin A: 477IUVitamin C: 3mgCalcium: 126mgIron: 3mg
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!