imitator. [tempura fried chicken sandwich w. fresno chili coleslaw, pickled onions & honey mustard sauce]
Anyone who has tried Free Range LA‘s famous fried chicken sandwich knows how delicious it tastes. I’ve wanted to recreate the sandwich for a while, so I decided to give it a shot–and I gotta say, my version tasted pretty dang similar!
tempura fried chicken sandwich w. fresno chili coleslaw, pickled onions & honey mustard sauce
Prep time:
Cook time:
Total time:
Serves: 4
Ingredients
- Sandwich recipe:
- 2 large chicken breasts, cut in half
- ½ head Napa cabbage, thinly sliced
- ¼ cup cilantro, chopped
- 1-2 Fresno chilis, thinly sliced and seeded
- Pickled red onions (recipe below)
- Honey mustard sauce (recipe below)
- 4 kaiser rolls, toasted
- Vegetable oil
- Tempura batter recipe:
- 1 cup flour
- 1 tbsp. cornstarch
- 1½ cups seltzer water
- Salt
- Picked red onions recipe:
- ½ large red onion
- ¾ cup red wine vinegar
- ¼ cup plus 2 tbsp. sugar
- Honey mustard sauce recipe:
- 1 cup mayonnaise
- ¼ cup Dijon mustard
- 2 cloves garlic, crushed
- 3-4 tsp. honey
- Salt and pepper, to taste
Instructions
- For the tempura batter: Combine all ingredients in a medium bowl and whisk together. Set aside until ready for use.
- For the pickled red onions: Cut off the top and bottom of the onion and cut lengthwise in half. Remove and discard the outer layer. Cut a V-shaped wedge from the bottom of one half to remove the roots and the very center pieces of onion. Put the onion cut side down on a cutting board and slice lengthwise into ⅛-inch-thick slices, following the natural lines on the outside of the onion; cutting with the lines, or grain, rather than across them will help the onions soften more quickly in the pickling liquid. Pack the onions into a canning jar; reserve any slices that don't fit.
- Combine the vinegar and sugar in a small saucepan and bring to a boil, stirring to dissolve the sugar. Pour the hot vinegar mixture over the onions. Once the onions begin to wilt, you can add any remaining onion slices to the jar, gently pushing them down into the liquid to submerge them. Let cool to room temperature, then cover and refrigerate for at least 24 hours, or for up to 1 month.
- For the honey mustard sauce: Combine all ingredients in a small bowl and whisk to combine. Refrigerate until ready for use.
- For the slaw: In a large bowl, mix together the sliced cabbage and cilantro.
- For the fried chicken: Pour vegetable oil in a small pot to a depth of 2-3 inches. Heat oil over medium-high heat.
- Dredge chicken halves in the tempura batter, shaking to remove any excess.
- Working in batches, transfer chicken to pot using tongs and fry until golden brown and cooked through, about 5 minutes. Remove chicken from oil and transfer to a paper towel-lined plate or wire rack; lightly season with salt.
- For assembly: Spread honey mustard sauce on the bottom half of the toasted bun, then top with one piece of fried chicken, a generous portion of slaw, pickled red onions, and a few Fresno chili slices. Spread additional honey mustard sauce on the top bun and place on sandwich. Serve.
