Fried Chicken and Coleslaw Sandwiches Recipe

By
J. Kenji López-Alt
Kenji Lopez Alt
Culinary Consultant
Kenji is the former culinary director for Serious Eats and a current culinary consultant for the site. He is also a New York Times food columnist and the author of The Food Lab: Better Home Cooking Through Science.
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Updated May 22, 2020
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J. Kenji Lopez-Alt

Brined, fried chicken thighs in soft toasted buns with cole slaw.

Note: If desired, replace brine in step 1 with 3 cups of Kosher dill pickle juice. Proceed as directed.

Recipe Details

Fried Chicken and Coleslaw Sandwiches Recipe

Active 30 mins
Total 0 mins
Serves 8 servings

Ingredients

  • Kosher salt

  • Sugar

  • 8 boneless skinless chicken thighs

  • 2 tablespoons freshly ground black pepper

  • 1 tablespoon paprika

  • 2 large eggs

  • 1 cup buttermilk

  • 2 cups all-purpose flour

  • 2 quarts peanut oil

  • 1 recipe Creamy Cole Slaw

  • 8 soft hamburger buns, toasted

Directions

  1. Combine 1/4 cup kosher salt and 1/4 cup sugar with 1 quart water and stir to dissolve. Place chicken thighs in a gallon-size zipper-lock bag. Add brine and seal bag, pressing out as much air as possible. Let chicken brine at least 6 hours and up to overnight.

  2. Meanwhile, combine black pepper, paprika, and 2 tablespoons kosher salt in a small bowl. Set aside.

  3. When ready to fry, whisk together eggs, buttermilk, and half of spice mixture in a large bowl until homogenous.

  4. Whisk together flour and remaining half of spice mixture in a separate bowl. Drizzle 4 tablespoons of egg mixture into flour and pinch with fingers until combined.

  5. Remove chicken from brine and pat dry with paper towels. Transfer to buttermilk mixture and turn to coat. Working one piece at a time, allow excess milk mixture to drip off then transfer to flour mixture. Turn to coat, pile extra mixture on top of thigh, and press down firmly to adhere as much mixture as possible to the meat. Lift thigh, shake off excess flour, then transfer to a rack set in a tray and let rest for 10 minutes.

  6. Meanwhile, preheat oil to 350°F in a large wok, deep fryer, or Dutch oven.

  7. Carefully lower chicken into hot oil and cook, turning thighs occasionally until golden brown and crisp on all sides, and chicken is cooked through, about 6 minutes total. Transfer to a paper towel-lined plate.

  8. Place 1/4 cup of slaw on bottom half of each bun and top with a piece of chicken. Serve immediately.

Special Equipment

Dutch oven or deep wok for frying

This Recipe Appears In

Nutrition Facts (per serving)
736Calories
37gFat
57gCarbs
44gProtein
×
Nutrition Facts
Servings: 8
Amount per serving
Calories736
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 37g48%
Saturated Fat 9g45%
Cholesterol 219mg73%
Sodium 886mg39%
Total Carbohydrate 57g21%
Dietary Fiber 3g11%
Total Sugars 11g
Protein 44g
Vitamin C 8mg41%
Calcium 146mg11%
Iron 5mg28%
Potassium 598mg13%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)

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