Description
This Chicken Chopped Sandwich with Alabama BBQ Sauce piles crispy seasoned chicken onto a toasted roll with crunchy lettuce, pickles, red onion, and a creamy, tangy Alabama white BBQ sauce. It’s crispy, juicy, fresh, and seriously satisfying.
Ingredients
Scale
For the Crispy Chicken
- 4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts or cutlets
- 1 cup buttermilk
- 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
- 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
- Vegetable oil, for frying
For the Alabama White BBQ Sauce
- 3/4 cup mayonnaise
- 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
- 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
- 1 tablespoon prepared horseradish
- 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon honey, optional
For the Chopped Topping
- 3 cups shredded romaine lettuce
- 1/2 cup chopped dill pickles
- 1/3 cup finely diced red onion
- 2 green onions, thinly sliced
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
For Serving
- 4 hoagie rolls or sandwich buns
- 1 tablespoon butter, for toasting
Instructions
- Marinate the chicken: Place the chicken in a bowl with the buttermilk. Cover and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes.
- Make the Alabama BBQ sauce: Whisk together mayonnaise, apple cider vinegar, Dijon mustard, horseradish, Worcestershire sauce, garlic powder, black pepper, salt, and honey. Refrigerate until ready to use.
- Prepare the coating: In a shallow bowl, combine flour, paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, salt, black pepper, and cayenne.
- Coat the chicken: Remove each piece of chicken from the buttermilk, allowing excess to drip off. Coat thoroughly in the seasoned flour, pressing gently so the coating sticks.
- Fry the chicken: Heat about 1 inch of vegetable oil in a heavy skillet to 350°F. Fry the chicken in batches until golden, crispy, and the thickest part reaches 165°F, about 4–6 minutes per side depending on thickness. Transfer to a wire rack or paper towel-lined plate.
- Make the chopped topping: Combine lettuce, pickles, red onion, green onions, and parsley. Add a few spoonfuls of Alabama white BBQ sauce and toss until lightly coated.
- Toast the rolls: Butter the cut sides of the rolls and toast them in a skillet until lightly golden.
- Assemble: Place crispy chicken on each toasted roll. Pile on the creamy chopped lettuce mixture and drizzle with extra Alabama BBQ sauce. Close the sandwich and serve immediately.
Notes
- For extra-crispy chicken, press the seasoned flour firmly onto the chicken and let the coated pieces rest for 5–10 minutes before frying.
- Keep the oil near 350°F. Oil that is too cool can make the coating greasy, while overly hot oil can brown the crust before the chicken is fully cooked.
- The Alabama white BBQ sauce can be prepared up to 3 days ahead and stored covered in the refrigerator.
- For the best texture, don’t toss the lettuce mixture with the sauce until you’re ready to assemble the sandwiches. Nobody invited soggy lettuce to this party.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 20 minutes
- Category: Main Course / Sandwiches
- Method: Frying
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 sandwich
- Calories: 820 kcal
- Sugar: 8 g
- Sodium: 1480 mg
- Fat: 44 g
- Saturated Fat: 8 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 33 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 70 g
- Fiber: 4 g
- Protein: 38 g
- Cholesterol: 105 mg