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Crispy Chicken Sandwich

Servings

4

Serving size

1 chicken thigh with bun and extras
COOKING TIME
30 Minutes

This recipe can be divided by 2 or multiplied. Use multiple pans so that no more than 4 thighs are in the pan. Makes great leftovers hot or cold.

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Crispy Chicken Sandwich

Ingredients

2 lbs Bone-in, skin on chicken thighs
1/2 tsp. Salt
1/16 tsp., ground White pepper
1/8 tsp., ground Black pepper
1/2 tsp. Ground mustard
1/2 tsp. Garlic powder
1 tsp. Paprika
1 tsp. Dried rosemary
1/4 tsp., leaves Dried thyme
1/2 tsp. Dried marjoram
4 leaf, large Iceberg lettuce
4 slice, thick/large (1/2 thick) Tomatoes
4 roll Whole wheat hamburger buns

Instructions

If you are not able to find boneless, skin on chicken thighs, place the chicken thighs on a cutting board skin side down.

Using the tip of a boning knife, slice along the top of the thigh bone, slowly exposing the bone on either side but not cutting too deeply into the meat.

Gently separate the bone from the meat and reserve the bones for making chicken stock.

Place a large skillet in the oven and preheat the oven to 450F.

Place the salt, white pepper, black pepper, mustard, garlic powder, paprika, rosemary, thyme, and marjoram in a small bowl, blender, or mortar.

Using the back of a spoon, blender, or a pestle, grind the spices to powder.

Place the deboned thighs skin side down in a large bowl and sprinkle the spice mixture over the thighs.

Using tongs or your hands (wash your hands well before and after), turn the thighs several times to coat the thighs with the spices.

Place the thighs skin side down in the skillet and return the pan to the oven.

After 5 minutes, remove the pan from the oven, drain any fat from the pan, and using a spatula or tongs, press the thighs into the skillet to make sure the skin comes into full contact with the pan. Return the pan to the oven.

After another 5 minutes, repeat the draining of the fat and pressing of the thighs and return the pan to the oven.

After 2 minutes turn the thighs to skin side up and replace the pan in the oven.

Turn the heat to broil and broil for up to 5 minutes or until the skin is browned and crispy around the edges.

Do not overcook.

To serve, place each cooked chicken thigh on a bun and top with lettuce and tomato. Serve immediately.

Serve this recipe with one of these Breakfast side dishes.

Low Sodium Thick Cut Yam Fries

Place a large skillet in the oven and set the preheat to 325°F. Scrub the yams well and then cut into wedges. It’s easiest to cut them in half lengthwise and then quarters and then eighths. When the oven is hot spray the pan lightly with oil. Add the yam…

Thick Cut Yam Fries

Scrub the yams well and then cut into wedges.  It’s easiest to cut them in half lengthwise and then quarters and then eighths. Place the cut yams in the ice water for 20 minutes Place a large skillet in the oven and set the preheat to 325°F. When the oven…

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Serve this recipe with one of these starch side dishes.

Cajun Yam Fries

Place a large skillet in the oven and set the preheat to 325°F. Scrub the yams well and then cut into wedges. It’s easiest to cut them in half lengthwise and then quarters and then eighths. When the oven is hot spray the pan lightly with oil. Add the yam…

Carrot Rosemary Viniagrette

Preheat the oven to 350°F before dicing the carrots. Place the diced carrots, rosemary, salt, black pepper, maple syrup and water in a sauce pan. Cover and place in the oven for about one hour until the carrots are soft. Remove and puree using a stick blender or conventional blender.…

Low Sodium Thick Cut Yam Fries

Place a large skillet in the oven and set the preheat to 325°F. Scrub the yams well and then cut into wedges. It’s easiest to cut them in half lengthwise and then quarters and then eighths. When the oven is hot spray the pan lightly with oil. Add the yam…

Thick Cut Yam Fries

Scrub the yams well and then cut into wedges.  It’s easiest to cut them in half lengthwise and then quarters and then eighths. Place the cut yams in the ice water for 20 minutes Place a large skillet in the oven and set the preheat to 325°F. When the oven…

AND

Serve this recipe with one of these vegetable side dishes.

Beet and Shallot Salad

Preheat the oven to 325°F. Scrub the beets and wrap each in foil. Place in the oven. Place the whole shallots in a medium sauce pan with the oil. Cover and place in the oven. Roast the shallots and beets for 50 minutes. Remove from the oven and let cool.…

Caesar Salad

Place the garlic, Worcestershire sauce, pepper, lemon juice, mustard, honey, parmesan cheese, and yogurt in a blender or mini-chopper and process until smooth. Chill for at least 2 hours. Rinse the lettuce, drain, and dry in a salad spinner or patting gently with paper towels. Slice the lettuce crosswise and…

Cole Slaw

Place celery seed, flour, dry mustard, granulated sugar, egg yolk, cayenne pepper, salt and milk in a blender. Blend on low while slowly adding the vinegar. Transfer contents of blender to a sauce pan and heat over high heat, whisking continuously. As the sauce heats, check the temperature with a…

Green Bean and Mushroom Salad

Place the water in a large stock pot over high heat. When the water boils reduce the heat to a simmer and add the green beans. Cook for ten minutes, stirring occasionally, until the beans are slightly tender but not mushy. Remove and place in a large bowl of ice…

Mushroom Salad

Whisk the olive oil together with the mustard, vinegar, sour cream, milk, salt and pepper. Add the orange zest. Chill. When ready to serve, slice the mushrooms very thin. Toss together with the dressing. Serve on top of the romaine leaf.

Napa Cabbage Salad

Combine the vinegar, honey, maple syrup, sesame oil, and soy sauce in a sauce pan. Place over medium-high heat and whisk while bringing to a boil. When the dressing boils, remove it from the heat immediately. Chill for at least 3 hours. Heat a non-stick skillet over medium-high heat and…

Southwestern Slaw

Place the boiling water in a cup or small bowl and add the dried chili. Let it steep for about 15 minutes. Place the olive oil, lime juice, maple syrup, salt, and pepper in a mini chopper or blender. Add the steeped chili (discard the water) and blend until smooth.…

Spicy Broccoli Salad

Place a large skillet in the oven and preheat to 325°F. Cut the broccoli flowerets into small pieces – about 1/2 inch or so. Peel the broccoli stems and cut into 1/2 inch dice. Place the broccoli (both florets and stems) and onions in the skillet and spray liberally with…

Zucchini Salad

Whisk together the olive oil, balsamic vinegar, maple syrup, salt, pepper and marjoram. Place in the refrigerator while cutting the zucchini. Cut the zucchini into medium dice. This should be about 1/4 inch cubes. Toss the zucchini, tomatoes and pine nuts together in the vinaigrette. Chill well before serving.

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GERD / Acid Reflux

This recipe contains GERD triggers and those with GERD may wish to avoid it - or just leave off the tomato.

Lactose

This recipe is safe for those who are lactose intolerant.

Coumadin® (Warfarin)

This recipe is safe for Coumadin (warfarin) users.

Gluten Sensitivity

This recipe is safe for those who are sensitive to gluten. Use gluten-free hamburger buns.

Sodium

This is NOT a low sodium recipe.

Recipe Notes

For decades we have been told to not eat the skin of chicken. While I do like boneless, skinless chicken thighs or chicken breasts, having a dish like this with crispy chicken skin is OK. It does add some fat and calories but that’s OK every now and then.

The nutrition facts for this recipe shows about 660 calories for a rather delicious pan-grilled chicken sandwich. If you removed the skin, the sandwich is only 350 calories. However, you can remove about 50 to 75 calories given that each thigh yields about 1 1/2 teaspoons of fat while it cooks that is drained away. That means that the chicken with the skin on is actually only an additional 200 calories and 5 grams of saturated fat. Every now and then that is worth it.

The skin is nice and crispy and the flavor of this sandwich is fantastic. When you compare it to a Chick-Fil-A Deluxe sandwich at 500 calories, that’s not too bad a splurge. The difference is that this sandwich has less than half the sodium, twice the fiber (the Chick-fil-A has 1640mg sodium and 2g fiber), and is a much more satisfying sandwich.

"Am I tough? Am I strong? Am I hard-core? Absolutely. Did I whimper with pathetic delight when I sank my teeth into my hot fried-chicken sandwich? You betcha."

James Patterson