KFC Smoky Mountain BBQ Sandwich (Copycat)

The original: Smoky Mountain BBQ Sandwich · KFC →

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About

Smoky Mountain BBQ is a KFC flavour built around a sweet, smoky barbecue sauce. This home version puts it on a crispy fried chicken sandwich with pickles and crispy onions on toasted brioche.

The chicken is marinated in buttermilk with smoked paprika and salt for at least 30 minutes, or overnight for more tender meat, then dredged heavily in flour and cornstarch seasoned with garlic and onion powder. Pressing the coating on firmly is what gives the rough, craggy crust. Fry at 350°F for five to six minutes a side, to 165°F in the centre, and rest the fillets on a rack so the underside stays crisp. The sauce is barbecue sauce whisked into mayonnaise with honey, smoked paprika, garlic and a teaspoon of cider vinegar for tang. Spoon it on both under and over the chicken, with the pickles and onions in between.

Ingredients

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chicken

Chicken breast2 boneless chicken breast fillets
Buttermilk1 cup (240ml) buttermilk
Paprika1 tsp smoked paprika
Salt1 tsp salt
All-purpose flour1 cup (120g) all-purpose flour
Cornstarch2 tbsp cornstarch
Garlic powder1 tsp garlic powder
Onion powder1 tsp onion powder
Black pepper1/2 tsp black pepper
Vegetable oilvegetable oil, for frying

smoky mountain bbq sauce

Mayonnaise1/2 cup (120ml) mayonnaise
BBQ sauce1/4 cup (60ml) smoky BBQ sauce
Honey1 tbsp (15ml) honey
Paprika1 tsp smoked paprika
Garlic powder1/2 tsp garlic powder
Apple cider vinegar1 tsp apple cider vinegar
Saltpinch salt

assembly

Brioche bun2 brioche burger buns, toasted
Dill pickle6–8 dill pickle slices
Crispy fried onions1/4 cup (25g) crispy fried onions (optional but very authentic)
Butterbutter, for toasting buns

Recipe

1
Marinate the chicken. In a bowl mix buttermilk, smoked paprika, and salt. Add the chicken fillets and let them soak for at least 30 minutes, or up to overnight in the fridge. This gives the chicken that juicy, tender KFC-style texture.
2
Prepare the coating. In a shallow dish combine flour, cornstarch, garlic powder, onion powder, and black pepper. Remove the chicken from the marinade and dredge heavily in the flour mixture, pressing firmly so the coating forms rough, craggy bits that fry into a super crunchy crust.
3
Fry the chicken. Heat vegetable oil in a deep skillet to 350°F (175°C). Fry the chicken for about 5–6 minutes per side until deep golden brown with a crunchy crust and the internal temperature reaches 165°F (74°C). Rest the chicken on a wire rack for a minute so the crust stays crisp.
4
Make the Smoky Mountain BBQ sauce. In a bowl whisk together mayonnaise, BBQ sauce, honey, smoked paprika, garlic powder, and apple cider vinegar until smooth and creamy. Taste and adjust with a pinch of salt if needed. The sauce should be smoky, slightly sweet, and tangy.
5
Toast the buns. Spread a thin layer of butter on the cut sides of the brioche buns and toast them in a skillet until lightly golden and fragrant.
6
Assemble the sandwich from bottom to top: bottom bun, generous spoon of Smoky Mountain BBQ sauce, crispy fried chicken fillet, dill pickle slices, crispy fried onions, another drizzle of the smoky sauce, then the top bun. Serve immediately while the chicken is hot and crunchy.