Crispy Fried Chicken Sliders with Chipotle Aioli and Toasted Brioche
By Ethan Parker
Prep
40 min
Cook
20 min
Total
60 min
Servings
6
Level
Medium
These fried chicken sliders take 1 hour to prepare and cook, with 40 minutes of preparation time and 20 minutes of cooking time. I make six sliders for a casual dinner, topped with fried chicken, chipotle aioli, dill pickle slices, and buttered brioche. I like the fried chicken as a base for the aioli.
I use a 2:1 ratio of flour to cornstarch in the breading mixture and stir in 2 tablespoons of brine to make clumps. Clumps in the breading will result in lumps on the final chicken product. The chicken is coated with flour and buttermilk, dredged in flour, and then fried. The second dredging in flour results in a lumpy coating on the fried chicken.
Oil temperature should be kept at 350 degrees. Wait at least 1 minute between batches when the oil temperature is below 325 degrees. Otherwise, the breading will soak up oil and be greasy. Put fried items on a wire rack over a baking sheet or other surface to avoid soggy bottoms. I use a Dutch oven when frying food.
For serving, three crinkle-cut dill pickles per slider and jalapeño slaw or canned baked beans as a side dish are recommended. The sauce is thick but stays on the chicken; consider adding an additional 1 or 2 tablespoons of mayonnaise to thin the sauce. Spicy garlic beef croquettes are a suggested appetizer.
What makes this special
- Serves six without other sandwich ingredients. Chicken pieces measure 3 inches and work well in brioche buns.
- Most of the preparation time is devoted to breading. Cooking time is 5 to 7 minutes per batch.
- Dutch oven and meat thermometer are good options. Wire rack is also good. You do not need a countertop fryer.
- Sauce recipe includes mayonnaise and minced chipotles. No other cooking equipment or ingredients are required to prepare the sauce.
- Three crinkle-cut dill pickle slices per slider add consistent tartness to sliders.
- Cut and present on a wooden board as a finger food appetizer. Serve generous portions.
Ingredients
- •1 ½ lb boneless skinless chicken thighs (cut into 3-inch slider-sized pieces)
- •1 ½ cups buttermilk
- •2 tbsp hot sauce
- •salt (a pinch)
- •2 cups all-purpose flour
- •½ cup cornstarch
- •1 tbsp smoked paprika
- •garlic powder
- •onion powder
- •cayenne
- •1 quart neutral frying oil (peanut, canola, or vegetable oil)
- •2 tbsp melted butter
- •6 brioche slider buns
- •1 cup mayonnaise
- •2 tbsp chipotle peppers in adobo (minced)
- •18 slices crinkle-cut dill pickles (3 per slider)
Instructions
- 1
Cut the chicken thighs into 3-inch slider-sized pieces.
- 2
Whisk the buttermilk, hot sauce, and a pinch of salt in a large bowl. Submerge the chicken, cover, and refrigerate for 30-60 minutes.
- 3
Mix the flour, cornstarch, smoked paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, and cayenne in a shallow dish.
- 4
Drizzle 2 tablespoons of the buttermilk brine into the flour mixture. Work it with a fork until small clumps form.
- 5
Press each chicken piece into the flour mixture, dip it in the buttermilk, then press it into the flour mixture a second time.
- 6
Heat the frying oil to 350°F (175°C) in a heavy-bottomed pot or Dutch oven.
- 7
Fry the chicken in batches for 5-7 minutes, until deep golden-brown and 165°F (74°C) inside.
- 8
Transfer the fried chicken to a wire rack set over a baking sheet.
- 9
Brush the brioche buns with the melted butter. Toast them cut-side down in a hot skillet until shiny and lightly toasted.
- 10
Stir the mayonnaise and minced chipotle peppers together to make the chipotle aioli.
- 11
Set out the bottom buns, add the fried chicken, then top each one with 3 pickle slices and a generous drizzle of chipotle aioli. Add the top buns and serve immediately.
FAQ
Nutrition (per serving)
Calories
485
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