With the re-release of the Popeyes Chicken Sandwich and the insane stuff people do for them... I decided I wanted to make my own from the safety of my kitchen! 
Cook Details:
Date:11/10/19
Meat: Boneless Skinless Chicken Thighs
Brine: Buttermilk, Spicy Pickle Juice, Sriracha Salt, Black Pepper, Red Pepper Flakes, Garlic Powder, Paprika
Dredge: Flour with the above spices (also mix in a couple tbsp of brine to the flour for extra bits of goodness)
Time: Brined for about 4 hours
Cooker: Pot and Peanut Oil
Temp: 350* for about 7 minutes (2 at a time) until IT of 160* and resting to carryover the last few degrees to 165 ish
Sides: Mac & Cheese - still tweaking our recipe but we are close!
This was a very messy endeavor so I didn't get my normal abundance of pics... But I got a few.
Chicken Thighs in the Brine and ingredients used. No measurements, just went with it.
Chicken straight from the buttermilk/pickle bath and into the dredge. I let it rest on a rack for about 30 mins.
Into a lovely warm bath of Peanut oil at 350* for about 7 mins
Mac and Cheese prior to butter toasting some Panko for the top...
Jump Cut to plated due to too much going on.
For the sandwiches, I used HEB brand Hawaiian buns (king didn't have the full sized buns available). I buttered them up and toasted in a pan. Who doesn't toast the bun!? A quick mix of mayo and tiger sauce for the dressing. Long sliced pickles for maximum coverage. Side of Mac & Cheese to round it out.
Final Thoughts:
Delicious! Chicken thighs are absolutely the go to for this. So much more flavor and juicyness! Not that breasts would be a bad call at all though... There was a little less heat to the sandwich than I was aiming for. Well, to me anyway. The Mrs. said they were spot on, but I wanted a bit more. They had a great crunch to them and the pickles/spicy mayo were an excellent combo. The butter toasted Panko topped mac was soooo close to perfect. We have been toying with the recipe for awhile now and almost have it where we like it.
Overall it was a great meal and left us in a slight slowed state for the rest of the evening. It is obviously way more effort than drive thru, but I think if the time is available, this route is much better. The wife even said she would stab me to complete the experience! She saw her window and she took it. Not sure how I should read into that?!
I will be doing these again in the future and adding some cayenne to mine to up it a little more, but this was a great launching point.
Cheers Y'all!
Cook Details:
Date:11/10/19
Meat: Boneless Skinless Chicken Thighs
Brine: Buttermilk, Spicy Pickle Juice, Sriracha Salt, Black Pepper, Red Pepper Flakes, Garlic Powder, Paprika
Dredge: Flour with the above spices (also mix in a couple tbsp of brine to the flour for extra bits of goodness)
Time: Brined for about 4 hours
Cooker: Pot and Peanut Oil
Temp: 350* for about 7 minutes (2 at a time) until IT of 160* and resting to carryover the last few degrees to 165 ish
Sides: Mac & Cheese - still tweaking our recipe but we are close!
This was a very messy endeavor so I didn't get my normal abundance of pics... But I got a few.
Chicken Thighs in the Brine and ingredients used. No measurements, just went with it.
Chicken straight from the buttermilk/pickle bath and into the dredge. I let it rest on a rack for about 30 mins.
Into a lovely warm bath of Peanut oil at 350* for about 7 mins
Mac and Cheese prior to butter toasting some Panko for the top...
Jump Cut to plated due to too much going on.
For the sandwiches, I used HEB brand Hawaiian buns (king didn't have the full sized buns available). I buttered them up and toasted in a pan. Who doesn't toast the bun!? A quick mix of mayo and tiger sauce for the dressing. Long sliced pickles for maximum coverage. Side of Mac & Cheese to round it out.
Final Thoughts:
Delicious! Chicken thighs are absolutely the go to for this. So much more flavor and juicyness! Not that breasts would be a bad call at all though... There was a little less heat to the sandwich than I was aiming for. Well, to me anyway. The Mrs. said they were spot on, but I wanted a bit more. They had a great crunch to them and the pickles/spicy mayo were an excellent combo. The butter toasted Panko topped mac was soooo close to perfect. We have been toying with the recipe for awhile now and almost have it where we like it.
Overall it was a great meal and left us in a slight slowed state for the rest of the evening. It is obviously way more effort than drive thru, but I think if the time is available, this route is much better. The wife even said she would stab me to complete the experience! She saw her window and she took it. Not sure how I should read into that?!
I will be doing these again in the future and adding some cayenne to mine to up it a little more, but this was a great launching point.
Cheers Y'all!
