# Current Era Chicken Sandwiches **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Tags:** food-cooking\ **Created:** [May 19, 2022, 5:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/current-era-chicken-sandwiches/964662 "2022-05-19T05:20:31Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![AHunter3](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ahunter3/32/368_2.png) [@AHunter3](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AHunter3)\ **Post date:** [May 20, 2022, 2:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/current-era-chicken-sandwiches/964662/21 "2022-05-20T02:17:29Z")
I’m southern (both parents grew up in Georgia, and I spent part of my childhood there). I make excellent fried chicken. I think there are two parallel fried-chicken traditions, one of which is a crunchy batter and one of which is not. (Kentucky Fried Chicken subscribes somewhat to both traditions, although their original recipe is only marginally akin to how our family makes fried chicken. Among other things, they ‘fry’ it in a pressure cooker, which isn’t conventional tradition, however nice it may be). ---
**Author:** ![scabpicker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/scabpicker/32/8268_2.png) [@scabpicker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/scabpicker)\ **Post date:** [May 20, 2022, 3:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/current-era-chicken-sandwiches/964662/22 "2022-05-20T03:27:13Z")
> [@AHunter3](#): > > I think there are two parallel fried-chicken traditions, one of which is a crunchy batter and one of which is not. Hmm, an interesting theory. I’ve certainly had fried chicken with a softer crust that didn’t crunch other than my grandmother’s (aside from KFC, but that’s still pretty “ehh” chicken) that I enjoyed. But they always were dishes that had been prepared hours before and I assumed that the meat had softened the crust while it exuded water. ---
**Author:** ![Bootb](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e19b73/32.png) [@Bootb](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bootb)\ **Post date:** [May 20, 2022, 4:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/current-era-chicken-sandwiches/964662/23 "2022-05-20T04:52:34Z")
> [@Saint\_Cad](#): > > I’m more put off that every chicken sandwich uses mayonaisse and two pickles and that’s it. Burger King doesn’t use pickles. They use lettuce. ---
**Author:** ![kenobi\_65](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kenobi_65/32/13178_2.png) [@kenobi\_65](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kenobi_65)\ **Post date:** [May 20, 2022, 5:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/current-era-chicken-sandwiches/964662/24 "2022-05-20T05:03:13Z")
> [@Bootb](#): > > Burger King doesn’t use pickles. They use lettuce. That’s true for their Original Chicken Sandwich, but their new Ch’King sandwich, which is clearly meant to mimic Chick-Fil-A, as well as Popeyes’ chicken sandwich, does, indeed, have pickles instead of lettuce. [![](https://media-assets-05.thedrum.com/cache/images/thedrum-prod/s3-news-tmp-637022-chking2--default--1280.png) ](https://media-assets-05.thedrum.com/cache/images/thedrum-prod/s3-news-tmp-637022-chking2--default--1280.png) ---
**Author:** ![AHunter3](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ahunter3/32/368_2.png) [@AHunter3](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AHunter3)\ **Post date:** [May 20, 2022, 5:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/current-era-chicken-sandwiches/964662/25 "2022-05-20T05:41:10Z")
> [@scabpicker](#): > > Hmm, an interesting theory. I’ve certainly had fried chicken with a softer crust that didn’t crunch other than my grandmother’s (aside from KFC, but that’s still pretty “ehh” chicken) that I enjoyed. But they always were dishes that had been prepared hours before and I assumed that the meat had softened the crust while it exuded water. It’s in how the chicken is prepared prior to putting it in the frying pan. We don’t use milk or complex batters of any sort — just rinse the pieces then roll them in salted & peppered flour. It makes a soft coat not a thick crunchy shell. Deep fat fry until rich golden brown. ---
**Author:** ![actualliberalnotoneofthose](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e79b87/32.png) [@actualliberalnotoneofthose](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/actualliberalnotoneofthose)\ **Post date:** [May 20, 2022, 7:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/current-era-chicken-sandwiches/964662/26 "2022-05-20T07:54:29Z")
I remember eating Popeyes chicken in the 80s (way before I’d heard of Chik Fil A) and Wendys (among others) chicken sandwiches in the 90s, and they were crispy and crunchy, and Chik Fil A never seemed that big a deal to me (they started taking over mall foodcourts in the late '90s in my area) ever. I haven’t really been big on fast food the past 15-20 years or so. It’s not even very convenient to purchase and it’s now relatively expensive when it is. The only time I’ve had fast food chicken in the past several years (other than trying the new Popeyes, which was IMHO not much different than the old Popeyes or Wendys or KFC, etc) is Raising Canes a few times. I’d probably take their chicken fingers sandwich (or make my own with a box combo with their sauce and bread) over the others right now. ---
**Author:** ![Procrustus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/procrustus/32/2994_2.png) [@Procrustus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Procrustus)\ **Post date:** [May 20, 2022, 2:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/current-era-chicken-sandwiches/964662/27 "2022-05-20T14:30:12Z")
Would you rather have a chicken sandwich _Poll ([view on site](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/current-era-chicken-sandwiches/964662/27))_ ---
**Author:** ![DCnDC](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dcndc/32/2842_2.png) [@DCnDC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DCnDC)\ **Post date:** [May 20, 2022, 2:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/current-era-chicken-sandwiches/964662/28 "2022-05-20T14:34:59Z")
Never been to Chick-Fil-A. Not because I disagree with their politics, which I do, but rather because whenever I find myself near one, it’s somehow always Sunday. ---
**Author:** ![scabpicker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/scabpicker/32/8268_2.png) [@scabpicker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/scabpicker)\ **Post date:** [May 20, 2022, 2:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/current-era-chicken-sandwiches/964662/29 "2022-05-20T14:39:28Z")
I like the little bit of vinegar they leave on the bun, but I don’t like the pickles themselves. So, I would rather have a chicken sandwich that once had pickles on it. ---
**Author:** ![silenus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/silenus/32/166_2.png) [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)\ **Post date:** [May 20, 2022, 2:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/current-era-chicken-sandwiches/964662/30 "2022-05-20T14:39:51Z")
I want my chicken sandwich not only brined with pickle juice, but with extra pickles on the sandwich. And maybe a few on the side. And CRISPY! ---
**Author:** ![scabpicker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/scabpicker/32/8268_2.png) [@scabpicker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/scabpicker)\ **Post date:** [May 20, 2022, 2:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/current-era-chicken-sandwiches/964662/31 "2022-05-20T14:40:22Z")
I’ll give you my pickles. ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [May 20, 2022, 2:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/current-era-chicken-sandwiches/964662/32 "2022-05-20T14:41:05Z")
Oddly, I learned “plain fried chicken sandwich, pickles only” while living in Hungary, as that was the customary way to serve the basic one (there are “deluxe” sandwiches with other toppings) at the fried chicken sandwich outlet (_Csirkefogó_) I used to patronize out there in the late 90s. That said, pickles of all kinds with fried foods is a popular pairing in at least Eastern Europe. Whenever I eat anything fried, I crave a pickle or something sour to go along with it, to cut through the richness of the fat. And, yes, it has to be crispy. For me, non-crispy fried, breaded/battered foods are sadness. That’s the whole point of frying it as opposed to baking it. Why the hell would you fry a breaded food if you didn’t want it to be crispy? ---
**Author:** ![silenus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/silenus/32/166_2.png) [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)\ **Post date:** [May 20, 2022, 2:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/current-era-chicken-sandwiches/964662/33 "2022-05-20T14:41:05Z")
Done! ---
**Author:** ![puzzlegal](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/puzzlegal/32/3827_2.png) [@puzzlegal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/puzzlegal)\ **Post date:** [May 20, 2022, 3:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/current-era-chicken-sandwiches/964662/34 "2022-05-20T15:07:26Z")
Moved to Cafe society. ---
**Author:** ![What\_Exit](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/what_exit/32/10652_2.png) [@What\_Exit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/What_Exit)\ **Post date:** [May 20, 2022, 3:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/current-era-chicken-sandwiches/964662/35 "2022-05-20T15:11:15Z")
One minor data point. In the 80s at least, the Wendy’s chicken was hand breaded every morning as part of the prep. There was some sort of milk based liquid in 1 gallon containers and then a big thing of breading. The cutlets were raw and fresh and not frozen. I hated that job and thankfully rarely had to do it. I was far more likely to close than to open. ---
**Author:** ![ISiddiqui](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/97f17d/32.png) [@ISiddiqui](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ISiddiqui)\ **Post date:** [May 20, 2022, 3:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/current-era-chicken-sandwiches/964662/36 "2022-05-20T15:13:37Z")
> [@scabpicker](#): > > All that said, my favorite chicken sammich is still Chick-fil-a. I discard the pickles, but that soft-ish breading is just fine for a sandwich, and I’ve never had a convincing substitute. Chick-Fil-A is definitely a softer breading. I feel the Popeye’s Chicken Sandwich was an answer to that - going with a crispier breading. For those of us who prefer crispy breading, Popeye’s wipes the floor with Chick-Fil-A (for which I’ve never gotten the hype). It does seem the new trend is the Popeye’s style - Burger King’s Ch’King is far crispier than their original chicken sandwich. ---
**Author:** ![Martin\_Hyde](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/47e85d/32.png) [@Martin\_Hyde](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Martin_Hyde)\ **Post date:** [May 20, 2022, 3:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/current-era-chicken-sandwiches/964662/37 "2022-05-20T15:14:38Z")
> [@Johnny\_L.A](#): > > If I want to eat a hunk of un-chopped chicken breast, I’ll have it grilled on toasted focaccia with aioli, bacon, lettuce, tomato, and avocado. Yeah I’m sure that’s going to appear at a local fast food place sometime soon. > [@Hampshire](#): > > I think the pickle deal places like McDonald’s are doing is most certainly trying to replicate the chik-fil-a sandwich. They even name it “Southern Style” (Chik-fil-a started in Georgia I believe) since they couldn’t flat out name it “Chik-fil-a style”. While I try hard not to eat it much anymore for health reasons, I’m an admitted mark for shitty junk food and fast food, and Chick-fil-a is really just the most famous of that “style” of chicken sandwich. I do not think they actually invented it, it’s been rolling around the South for decades at all kinds of different restaurants (many of them small hole in the wall places not fast food.) Chick-fil-a does formally claim it invented this style of sandwich in the 1940s, which is considered unsubstantiated–but it is conceded they were probably the first fast food chain to go big with it in the 60s. FWIW I like CfA but my personal award for best chicken sandwich of this style goes to Popeye’s; many Popeye’s restaurants around here are poorly run and have long lines and frequently mess your order up, so I almost never go there, but when I do and get the chicken sandwich, it is the “best in class.” > [@AHunter3](#): > > I think there are two parallel fried-chicken traditions, one of which is a crunchy batter and one of which is not. (Kentucky Fried Chicken subscribes somewhat to both traditions, although their original recipe is only marginally akin to how our family makes fried chicken. Among other things, they ‘fry’ it in a pressure cooker, which isn’t conventional tradition, however nice it may be). I’d agree–my dad’s mom’s fried chicken was pan fried and not crisped up; but the crisped up style is its own thing that I’ve definitely seen basically my whole life. ---
**Author:** ![WOOKINPANUBv.2](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wookinpanubv.2/32/3260_2.png) [@WOOKINPANUBv.2](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WOOKINPANUBv.2)\ **Post date:** [May 20, 2022, 3:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/current-era-chicken-sandwiches/964662/38 "2022-05-20T15:26:32Z")
I thought this was going to be about the gigantic piece of chicken not fitting on the bun. Personally, I start eating the side of the sandwich where the chicken is _not_ hanging over. By the time I finish all the bun covered part, I’m usually full and don’t eat the rest of the (bunless) chicken. ---
**Author:** ![bump](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/7c8e57/32.png) [@bump](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bump)\ **Post date:** [May 20, 2022, 3:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/current-era-chicken-sandwiches/964662/39 "2022-05-20T15:31:42Z")
Kind of like the Dairy Queen taco of chicken sandwiches? ---
**Author:** ![SmartAleq](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/smartaleq/32/163_2.png) [@SmartAleq](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SmartAleq)\ **Post date:** [May 20, 2022, 5:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/current-era-chicken-sandwiches/964662/40 "2022-05-20T17:00:51Z")
More like the Jack In The Box taco of chikin sammiches but yeah, just like that. So disgustingly delicious. Sigh. The Wendy’s asiago chikin wraps too, those were just too good for this world. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/current-era-chicken-sandwiches/964662.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/current-era-chicken-sandwiches/964662.md?page=3)