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RecipeChick-fil-A Copycat: Chicken Sandwich with Tangy Mustard Sauce

Nutrition Facts
Amount per Serving
  • Calories: 400
  • Protein: 38 g
  • Total Fat: 8 g
    • Unsaturated Fat: 7 g
    • Saturated Fat: 1 g
  • Cholesterol: 130 g
  • Total Carbohydrate: 39 g
  • Dietary Fiber: 6 g
  • Total Sugar: 4 g
    • Natural Sugar: 4 g
    • Added Sugar: 0 g
  • Sodium: 550 mg

Skip the food court and meet me in the kitchen for my joyful copycat version of a fast food favorite: the crispy chicken sandwich. It’s oven-baked, has fewer calories and is much healthier than the classic fried rendition we know and love. Staying true to the signature dish, I pile on pickles, lettuce, tomato and the tangiest BBQ mustard sauce. I typically use yellow mustard (because that’s what they use at Chick-fil-A) but you can swap in spicy brown or Dijon. As for the BBQ sauce? Use your favorite jarred version—sweet, smoky, spicy—because let’s face it, YOU are the boss of your sauce.

  • Prep time
  • Total Time
This recipe makes 4 hearty sandwiches
Ingredients:

Chicken Sandwich

  • • 2 skinless chicken breasts (1 pound total)
  • • 1 cup pickle juice*
  • • 1 large egg
  • • 2 tablespoons light mayonnaise
  • • 1 cup breadcrumbs, preferably whole grain**
  • • 1 teaspoon garlic powder
  • • 1 teaspoon onion powder
  • • 1 teaspoon paprika
  • • ¾ teaspoon kosher salt, more for sprinkling on top
  • • ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
  • • 4 whole-grain buns
  • • Lettuce, sliced tomato, pickles

Tangy mustard sauce (makes ½ cup)

  • • ¼ cup light mayo
  • • 2 tablespoons BBQ sauce
  • • 1 tablespoon yellow mustard
  • • 1 teaspoon lemon juice
  • • 1 to 2 teaspoons honey, optional

*You can swap in low-fat buttermilk

**You can swap in gluten-free or panko breadcrumbs

Preparation:

Place chicken breasts on a cutting board between large sheets of parchment or wax paper. Using a meat tenderizer or soup can, pound each chicken breast until it’s no more than ½-inch thick all around. Cut each piece into two, for a total of 4 pieces. Place in a plastic bag or bowl with pickle juice and marinate in the fridge for at least 30 minutes to overnight.

When chicken is done marinating, preheat oven to 450 and liberally mist a baking sheet with nonstick oil spray or line with aluminum foil. *If you have a wire baking rack, I recommend using it on top on the sheets for crispier chicken. Set aside.

Set up your dredging station:
In one shallow wide bowl, add the egg and mayo and mix until well combined. In a second shallow wide bowl, add the breadcrumbs and seasonings and mix until well combined. One at a time, lift each piece of chicken out of the pickle juice and shake off excess liquid.  Submerge into the egg-mayo.  Then, place into the breadcrumbs bowl and pat all over to fully coat. Place on the prepared baking sheet (or on wire rack, if using). Mist the breaded chicken tops with oil spray and lightly sprinkle on some additional kosher salt.  Bake in the oven for about 20 minutes or until chicken reaches an internal temp of 165 and the tops are crispy brown.

While the chicken is cooking, make the sauce by mixing all of the ingredients together in a small bowl (mayo, BBQ sauce, mustard, lemon juice and optional honey).

Remove chicken from oven and build your sandwich: layer your bottom bun with pickles, lettuce, tomato and then your chicken cutlet. Top with tangy mustard sauce and dig in!

A serving is 1 full sandwich with toppings and bun. Add 20 calories for each tablespoon of Tangy Mustard Sauce. 

Try these Oven Baked French Fries!