Food Recipes Dinner Poultry Dishes Super-Crispy Fried Chicken Sandwiches 3.5 (6) 8 Reviews Seasoning boneless, skinless chicken thighs with a classic Southern fried chicken spice blend and dill pickle brine makes for the juiciest, crunchiest fried chicken sandwiches. By Mary-Frances Heck Mary-Frances Heck Mary-Frances Heck is a chef and freelance food editor, formerly a senior food editor at Food & Wine. In addition to her recipes and articles appearing in many well-known publications, she has her own cookbook, “Sweet Potatoes: Roasted, Loaded, Fried and Made into Pie.” Food & Wine's Editorial Guidelines Updated on August 2, 2023 Tested by Food & Wine Test Kitchen Tested by Food & Wine Test Kitchen Recipes published by Food & Wine are rigorously tested by the culinary professionals at the Dotdash Meredith Food Studios in order to empower home cooks to enjoy being in the kitchen and preparing meals they will love. Our expert culinary team tests and retests each recipe using equipment and ingredients found in home kitchens to ensure that every recipe is delicious and works for cooks at home every single time. Meet the Food & Wine Test Kitchen Rate Print Share Active Time: 45 mins Total Time: 2 hrs 45 mins Yield: 12 sandwiches Because pickle brine is an ingredient in the marinade, be sure to choose dill pickles without much sugar, which can burn during cooking. The pickle chips are piled onto mayonnaise-slathered buns along with shredded lettuce, beefsteak tomato slices, and the best fried chicken ever to make these irresistible crispy chicken sandwiches. Ingredients 2 (16-ounce) jars dill pickle chips, 1/2 cup brine reserved and about 60 pickle chips reserved, divided 2 tablespoons kosher salt, divided 2 teaspoons paprika 1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon black pepper, divided 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper, or more to taste 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder 1/2 teaspoon onion powder 12 boneless, skinless chicken thighs (about 3 pounds) 1 cup buttermilk or well-stirred plain whole-milk yogurt 1/2 cup water 1 large egg 4 cups all-purpose flour (about 17 ounces) 1/4 cup cornstarch Peanut oil, for frying 1 cup mayonnaise 12 hamburger buns 6 cups shredded iceberg lettuce 12 ripe beefsteak tomato slices (optional) Directions Julia Hartbeck Gather the ingredients. Julia Hartbeck Stir together 1/2 cup pickle brine, 1 tablespoon salt, paprika, 1 teaspoon black pepper, cayenne pepper, garlic powder, and onion powder in a small bowl. Julia Hartbeck Place chicken thighs in a gallon-size zip-close bag; pour in pickle brine mixture. Seal bag and massage until chicken is evenly coated with brine mixture. Place in refrigerator; let marinate at least 2 hours or up to 8 hours or overnight. Julia Hartbeck Whisk together buttermilk, 1/2 cup water, and egg in a large bowl. Remove chicken from brine; discard brine. Add chicken to buttermilk mixture. Whisk together flour, cornstarch, remaining 1 tablespoon salt, and remaining 1 tablespoon black pepper in shallow dish. Set aside. Preheat oven to 200°F. Pour oil to a depth of 1/2 inch in a 12-inch cast-iron skillet; heat oil over medium to 350°F. Julia Hartbeck Working in batches, remove three or four chicken thighs from buttermilk mixture and place in flour mixture. Cover chicken with flour mixture, pressing to adhere. Julia Hartbeck Lift from flour mixture and gently shake off excess. Carefully place chicken in hot oil, making sure not to overcrowd skillet. Cook, adjusting heat as needed to maintain oil temperature of 350°F and turning every 1 to 2 minutes using tongs, until a thermometer inserted in thickest portion of thigh registers 165°F and breading is golden brown and very crispy, 6 to 8 minutes per batch. Remove chicken from skillet and place on a wire rack set inside a rimmed baking sheet. Place in preheated oven to keep warm while repeating frying process with remaining chicken. Julia Hartbeck Spread 1 heaping tablespoon mayonnaise onto cut sides of each bun. Arrange 5 to 6 pickle chips on each bun bottom; top with one fried chicken thigh, 1/2 cup shredded lettuce, and, if desired, one tomato slice. Cover with bun tops. Eric Wolfinger Make ahead Chicken can be marinated in the refrigerator for up to 8 hours or overnight. Suggested pairing Chillable, light-bodied red Originally appeared: August 2020 Rate It Print