southern style chicken sandwiches

I am finally out of a cooking rut, and I have these Southern style chicken sandwiches to thank for that.

Actually, I have Phi to thank for that. Because without her new cookbook, Fast and Easy Five-Ingredient Recipes, my family would still be eating hot dogs for dinner and we wouldn’t know that these delicious slider sandwiches exist. And we also wouldn’t know that there are so many delicious recipes we can make with just five ingredients.

So thank you, Phi. My finally-hot-dog-free dinner menu thanks you, too.

If you haven’t had a chance to check out Phi’s blog, Sweet Phi, now is the time to do so. And when you do, you can get even more excited about the release of her new cookbook, which is available tomorrow right a-here. Like her blog, Phi’s new book is chockfull of goodness, including these Southern style chicken sandwiches but also the sweet potato fries we served with them for dinner, as well as soy sauce shrimp and grits, graham cracker cookie truffles and sun-dried tomato breakfast pizza. And cheesy chicken enchilada pasta, which is SO HAPPENING. And they’re all five ingredients. Can you even.

There are a few things that make these sandwiches extra special: First, the marinade. You marinate the chicken in pickle juice. For someone who capital-L LOVES pickles for their sourness, this is a plus. And it’s a very smart way to keep the recipe efficient, because you can use the pickle juice that comes with the pickles you end up putting on the sandwiches themselves.

Second, the chicken. You pound the chicken into thin pieces that are dredged in flour and salt, and then cook them in a buttery skillet. So simple, and yet so delicious. And that pounding not only tenderizes the chicken but also helps it cook more uniformly in the skillet, leaving you with a crispy golden brown skin all around.

Third, the rolls. Phi suggests using Hawaiian-style sweet rolls, and that’s just what I did. The soft, sweet rolls are a perfect match to the crunchy pickles and the crispy, salty chicken. You can also toast the rolls in the skillet that you cooked the chicken in, which I highly recommend.

These Southern style chicken sandwiches and the cookbook they come from are definitely going to make regular appearances in our house from now on. So move along, humdrum hot dogs – Southern sliders are here to stay.

Psst – Don’t forget to order your copy of Fast and Easy Five-Ingredient Recipes!

Southern Style Chicken Sandwiches

• Author: Adapted from Fast and Easy Five-Ingredient Recipes: A Cookbook for Busy People by Philia Kelnhofer
• Prep Time: 25 mins
• Cook Time: 10 mins
• Total Time: 35 mins
• Yield: 12 sliders 1x

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Ingredients

• 1 lb boneless skinless chicken breast
• 1/2 cup bread and butter pickles, 1/2 cup pickle juice reserved
• 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 3 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 12 sweet slider rolls (such as King’s Hawaiian brand)

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Instructions

1. Place chicken breasts between 2 sheets of plastic wrap. Use meat pounder, rolling pin or any canned good wrapped in plastic wrap to pound meat to 1/4-inch to 1/2-inch thick. Cut breasts into quarters (12 pieces total).
2. Pour reserved pickle juice in large bowl or dish. Place flattened chicken pieces in juice. Let sit 15 minutes at room temperature (or up to 2 hours in refrigerator, covered).
3. In shallow bowl, whisk flour and salt.
4. In large skillet over high heat, melt 1 tablespoon butter. Dredge 1 chicken piece in flour mixture on both sides, then place in skillet. Repeat with remaining chicken, cooking in batches and adding remaining butter as needed. Cook chicken about 5 to 6 minutes per side until golden and crispy (a meat thermometer inserted in center should read 165°F).
5. Remove chicken from skillet. Toast rolls in skillet 1 to 2 minutes. To assemble, place 1 chicken piece on bottom bun and top with 1 or 2 pickles. Top with top bun. Repeat to make all sandwiches, and serve.