Equipment
Ingredients
Fiery Brine
- 4 boneless skinless chicken breasts, trimmed
- 240 ml buttermilk
- 30 ml Louisiana-style hot sauce
- 10 g salt
The Chip Crunch Dredge
- 200 g Spicy Kettle-Style Potato Chips, finely crushed
- 150 g all-purpose flour
- 30 g cornstarch
- 10 g cayenne pepper
- 10 g smoked paprika
- 5 g garlic powder
Assembly & Sides
- 1000 ml vegetable oil
- 4 brioche buns
- 60 ml Spicy Mayo
- 20 g pickled jalapeño slices
Nutrition (per serving)
Nutrition is estimated per serving. Nutrients without complete source data are omitted.
Full nutrition
- Calories
- 946 kcal
- Protein
- 53 g
- Carbohydrates
- 86 g
- Fat
- 38 g
- Fiber
- 6 g
- Sugar
- 7 g
- Sodium
- 1890 mg
- Saturated Fat
- 8 g
- Trans Fat
- 0 g
- Monounsaturated Fat
- 8 g
- Polyunsaturated Fat
- 13 g
- Cholesterol
- 135 mg
- Potassium
- 1630 mg
- Calcium
- 156 mg
- Iron
- 5.8 mg
- Magnesium
- 110 mg
- Phosphorus
- 630 mg
- Zinc
- 2.4 mg
- Vitamin A
- 161 mcg
- Vitamin C
- 47 mg
- Vitamin D
- 0.0 mcg
- Vitamin E
- 3.0 mg
- Vitamin K
- 29 mcg
- Vitamin B6
- 1.7 mg
- Vitamin B12
- 0.5 mcg
- Thiamin
- 0.56 mg
- Riboflavin
- 0.72 mg
- Niacin
- 21.6 mg
- Folate
- 92 mcg
- Water
- 189 g
Sources: Aggregated Public Data, USDA FoodData Central
Method
Place chicken breasts in a gallon bag and pound to an even 1.5cm thickness with a meat mallet.
Whisk buttermilk, salt, and 30ml hot sauce in a large bowl. Submerge chicken and marinate for at least 20 minutes.
Place the spicy kettle chips in a sealed bag and crush with a rolling pin until they are the size of coarse panko breadcrumbs. In a shallow dish, combine crushed chips, flour, cornstarch, and remaining spices.
Heat oil to 175°C (350°F). Dredge marinated chicken in the chip-flour mixture, pressing down hard to ensure the chip pieces adhere firmly. Fry for 3-4 minutes per side.
Toast buttered buns. Spread spicy mayo on both halves, add the chip-crusted chicken, and top with pickled jalapeños before serving.
Chef's Notes
- Using 'Kettle' style chips is crucial because they are thicker and hold their crunch better during frying than standard potato chips.
- If you want even more heat, drizzle the finished chicken with a mix of honey and cayenne (hot honey) before assembly.
Storage
Refrigerator: 2 days — The chip crust will soften significantly in the fridge.
Freezer: 1 month — Freeze cooked cutlets only.
Reheating: Air fry at 375°F for 5-7 minutes to bring back the chip crunch.
Cultural Context
A modern 'snack-core' twist on the Southern chicken sandwich, utilizing the high fat and salt content of potato chips to create an intensified crust.
