Inspired by Worth Takeaway in Mesa, Arizona, this fried chicken sandwich recipe will make all of your fried chicken dreams come true and then some.
Ingredients
Homemade Bread and Butter Pickles
2large or 3 medium-sized cucumbers
2Tablespoonskosher salt
1/2white onion, thinly sliced
1/2cupsugar
1/2cupbrown sugar
1cupwhite vinegar
1/2cupapple cider vinegar
2teaspoonsmustard seeds
1teaspooncelery seed
Bread & Toppings
4ciabatta rolls*
butter
mayonnaise (full-fat preferred)
1Tablespoonsriracha
2Tablespoonshoney
4gem lettuce or butter leaf lettuce leaves, rinsed and patted dry
bread and butter pickles (recipe included)
Fried Chicken
4-6 cupscanola or vegetable oil
4boneless, skinless chicken thighs at room temperature**
1cupbuttermilk
1teaspoonhot sauce
1teaspoonkosher salt or sea salt
1 1/2 cupsall-purpose flour
2teaspoonskosher salt or sea salt
fresh cracked pepper
Instructions
Homemade Bread and Butter Pickles
Slice cucumbers into 1/4" slices. Toss cucumbers with kosher salt, cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate for one hour. Rinse salt off of cucumber slices with cold water and strain. Add onions to a medium-sized bowl with cucumbers and set aside.
In a small saucepan, combine sugars, vinegars, mustard seeds, and celery seeds with a whisk. Heat over medium-high heat just until sugars are dissolved. Remove from heat and pour over cucumbers and onions. Let come to room temperature and refrigerate for 24 hours, stored in a mason jar or airtight container.
Bread & Toppings
Remove the chicken from refrigerator to bring to room temperature, then prepare the bread and toppings for the fried chicken sandwich. Cut the ciabatta rolls in half, widthwise, spread cut side with butter, and toast on a griddle or nonstick fry pan over medium heat (you can also do this while the chicken is frying if you want the bread to be hot). Combine the sriracha and honey in a small ramekin and set aside. Have the mayo, pickles, and lettuce ready for each sandwich.
Fried Chicken
In a large dutch oven or cast-iron skillet, heat the oil to 350 degrees F (medium heat is usually sufficient). While the oil is coming to temperature, combine the buttermilk, hot sauce, and salt in one bowl. In another bowl, combine the flour, salt, and several cranks of fresh cracked pepper. Set a cooling rack directly over a cookie sheet and place near the dutch oven.
Using tongs, dip each chicken thigh first in the buttermilk mixture, and then in the flour mixture, coating the entire thigh with buttermilk and then with flour. For extra crispy chicken, do this process twice. Drop chicken (2 thighs at a time) in the 350-degree oil.
Cook chicken until golden brown on both sides, turning once or twice while cooking. This may take anywhere from 4-6 minutes per side (8-12 minutes total), and will take slightly longer to cook if the chicken was double-dipped in the buttermilk/flour. Chicken is done cooking when it reaches 165 F internally and the exterior is a deep golden brown on top and bottom. Remove from hot oil with tongs and place on cooling rack. Sprinkle both sides of chicken with kosher salt or sea salt immediately.
Fried Chicken Sandwich Assembly
To assemble the sandwiches, first spread the insides of the ciabatta roll with a generous pat of mayo. Then to the bottom half, add 1/2 Tablespoon or more of the sriracha honey and spread. Add lettuce, homemade pickles, fried chicken, and finish with the top half of the roll. Serve immediately.
Equipment
Deep fry thermometer
Instant read thermometer
Notes
*Ciabatta rolls vary greatly in quality, flavor, and density depending on where they are purchased. Costco sells great ciabatta rolls for these fried chicken sandwiches, but they must be toasted/warmed before serving or they are too dense. These fried chicken sandwiches are also delicious on potato buns or brioche buns.**Chicken thighs yield the best result for this recipe, but if you prefer to make these sandwiches with chicken breast, you may use two chicken breasts, cut crosswise and pounded until they are about an inch thick. Cooking times may be longer depending on the size of the chicken breasts.