I love a good fried chicken sandwich and want to share my go-to recipe with you.  This Beer Battered Chicken Sandwich with Lime Coleslaw is crispy, juicy, and doesn’t disappoint.  The batter includes beer, giving it a light and crisp texture once fried, plus a slight beer flavor comes through in the crust and who doesn’t love that?

I suggest using a brown ale for the best batter flavor but any malty ale or heavier seasonal beer (such as Oktoberfest) will work.  You only use 2 cups of beer so you will have a little extra in the bottle to enjoy while you cook 🙂

The chicken is only fried once and then finished in the oven.  Once an internal temperature of 165 degrees is reached, you could fry the chicken again for a very short amount of time to maximize crunch.  I’ve never done this but if you like extra crispy fried chicken it’s absolutely something you could do right before serving!

I top the sandwich with a lime coleslaw that adds a really nice acidity to the sandwich while also being a little sweet.  It’s the perfect amount of crunch on top of the sandwich!  It’s also delicious on its own if you choose to not serve on the sandwich.

The recipe can be found here.

Start by adding oil to the base of a deep fryer, about 3 inches of oil, and heat to 350 degrees.  Prepare two baking sheets with a wire rack on each (I’ll explain why this is necessary below).

Remove the chicken from the fridge and let sit for about 30 minutes prior to battering.  This is to ensure the chicken cooks evenly and has great texture.

In a bowl, whisk together the flour, cayenne pepper, salt, and beer.  After 30 minutes has passed, dip each piece of chicken in the batter and transfer to one of the prepared baking sheets.  The wire rack allows excess batter to drip off.

Fry the chicken in batches (2-3 pieces at a time to not overcrowd the deep fryer).  Fry for about 8-10 minutes per batch, or until golden brown.  Be careful to not over-brown the chicken.  This is the hardest/longest part of the recipe – waiting for the delicious, crispy chicken to fry!  Your kitchen will start to smell amazing after the first batch is complete.

Use tongs to remove the chicken once done frying.  Place on the other prepared baking sheet.  The wire rack allows excess oil to drip off and not create a soggy bottom.  Continue to fry in batches until every piece of chicken is cooked.

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees.  Place the baking sheet with the cooked chicken in the oven and continue to cook until an internal temperature of 165 degrees is reached.  The reason for this step if the deep-frying process creates the crispy crust but isn’t necessarily long enough to cook the chicken through.  Baking the chicken after frying keeps the crispy crust but ensures the chicken is completely cooked and safe to eat.

While the chicken is in the oven make the lime coleslaw.  This is a super easy recipe and comes together in minutes.

Use a large mixing bowl to combine the mayonnaise, vinegar, mustard, sugar, lime zest, salt, and pepper.  Add the coleslaw, onion, carrot, and parsley to the bowl and toss to coat with the dressing.

Once the chicken is done place each piece on a hamburger bun, top with the coleslaw, and enjoy!  The chicken has a wonderfully crispy crust and perfectly juicy center, and the combination of chicken to coleslaw is a burst of flavors in your mouth!

The recipe can be found here.

Happy Cooking!

 

 

 

 

 

 

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