The Lord’s Chicken
*Channeling Pinky Patel*
Hello my Phriends, Welcome Back to my Channel…..many things have both happened & not happened since I last posted. I am sad to report I have come up with zero new recipe ideas. I still have some family recipes that I like to stun you with every once in awhile, but today ain’t it. Ya girl is tired.
As a few of you know, we’ve been dealing with serious family health issues & scares on my husband’s side of the family. It has been tough, no lies. I will say I am truly touched that many of you reached out with the “no questions, just support” policy, which is SO freakin’ nice to just read simple messages of “hey, whatever is going on, thinking & praying for you. Bye.” It really takes a load off to just read short, sweet, nice words that your foodie friends & supporters send to you on the interwebs. *insert genuine smile here* so thank you all so very much for being so sweet while respecting my privacy.
The most sincere things can come from the simplest phrases. No questions. No caveats. No open-ended sentences. I’m not lecturing, I’m just sayin. I’m really bad to accidentally keep literally everything inside (good, bad, ugly, indifferent) because I don’t know HOW to form the text that makes sense to even my good friends & share my shit. In my little brain it be like “um, hai. So shit is hitting the fan & we are only 35 and I do not know how to deal with this current stage of my life. Halp?”
just a bit more…
In all seriousness, life is full of seasons. This season also happens to be Christmas. The holidays. Full on Joy. Full on Stress. You name it, its probably happening. Maybe it’s happening to you! If you need a stranger to talk to, I could be it. Just don’t expect me to return the favor…..see above, I can’t tell the people I love any sort of news sometimes.
I will end my intro with “Life wouldn’t be nearly as beautiful if it didn’t hurt sometimes. That’s how we know the things we experience are real.”
can we plz get to the recipe?
So, I love Chick-Fil-A. Unless you are a vegetarian, I’m sure you love it too. It has had my heart (& wallet) in a damn chokehold for many years. I am also a sad, boring creature of habit. I literally ONLY want a 12 PC nuggets (with honey mustard SALAD DRESSING) or I want the Spicy Chicken Sandwich with 4x pickles & 2 sides of CFA sauce. I’m pathetic. I’ve never tried their Mac & Cheese. I’ve never had a Milkshake. Just give me the chicken in 1 of those 2 ways & no one gets hurt.
So probably like most idiotic Americans, on Sundays we will be lounging around, watching football, maybe trying to plan our week and then, like clockwork around 5 PM my little brain is like “WOW CFA WOULD BE AMAZING RIGHT MEOW” and Chris is always like……”its Sunday.” Crushed. Ruined. Deflated. So clearly after many years & many Sundays of complete letdowns, I’ve had to devise my own way to handle my cravings & tell Chick-Fil-A that I don’t even need them! (I do need them, just not on Sundays)
let’s discuss.
I present to you The Lord’s Chicken. Ok so quick backstory – I’ve literally ALWAYS called it The Lord’s Chicken. Like even back in college. Even before that phrase apparently became infamous? I called it that because it’s the one thing we can’t enjoy on Sunday….and why is that? Because The Lord sayeth so. Because The Lord taketh away. Because Chick-Fil-A be closed.
I googled it once & found myself down a rabbit hole and read some rather not-nice things to say about WHY it is called The Lord’s Chicken…..I have decided to deal with this issue head-on because clearly my blog is followed by mIlLiOnS of people, so let’s cut to the damn chase : I am in full, clear, unwavering support of all LGBTQ+ peoples, all marriages, all choices, all of it. I am your ally.
This recipe is clearly not endorsed by Chick-Fil-A nor affiliated with them by any means. My use of The Lord’s Chicken is merely to poke fun at the fact that most people only want Chick-Fil-A on Sundays and of course, we are denied because we are forgetful creatures. So with that being fully explained & explored : let’s get to it!
Pickle Brine or Pickle Juice?
Ehhh I’m not sure of the difference & I really don’t care. This recipe just needs pickle SAUCE. The liquid that pickles float in. The jar that holds the juice. So, whatever you want to call it, that’s what it is.
I have used both Bread & Butter Pickle Juice AND Dill Pickle Juice. Both have turned out beautifully & deliciously. The choice is yours & there is absolutely no wrong choice here.
The key is how long to soak your chicken in this juice. I’ve done it for a minimum of 24 hours aaaand I’ve accidentally done it for almost a week *insert skull emoji here* I would NOT recommend soaking your chicken in pickle juice for a week. It tasted fine, it was safe, but that shit was slightly green-tinged when I pulled it out. *shudder* Let me NOT go on.
Ingredients
· 4 Boneless Skinless Chicken Thighs
· 2 Jars Pickle Juice (please eat / take out the pickles first)
· 1 Package of Extra Crispy Shake & Bake
· ¼ TSP Paprika
· ¼ TSP Garlic Powder
· 4 Potato Buns
· Chick-Fil-A Sauce (or don’t?)
· Pickle Chips of any kind (or don’t?)
· Frozen Waffle Fries (Trader Joe’s will do ya right)
· Dry Ranch Seasoning (also from Trader Joe’s)
Instructions
For Starters, choose your soak of choice – we usually do 2 thighs in dill juice & 2 thighs in bread and butter juice. Mix it up, have fun! Or don’t, this is your world & I’m just livin in it.
My suggestion for the soak is a minimum of 24 hours & a maximum of 72 hours. It really just depends on HOW PICKLY you like your sandwich!
((In all seriousness, soaking the chicken in the pickle juice really isn’t going to result in an aggressive flavor. I just wanted to take a moment to try & push that thought – some people are pickle LOVERS and some people are like “what is your problem?” So, unless you fall in the pickle HATER category, trust me, this will taste just fine & not overly-pickly.))
If you’re like me…..I hit “extra pickles” a million times on the app cause I just like pickles. Like, its to the point that I think I have a problem.
ANYWAY.
Allow your chicken thighs to soak directly in the jar & in the fridge for your chosen time.
Once the time has elapsed – this is where it gets fun! – remove your chicken thighs from the pickle juice & lightly pat dry – basically you don’t want a SOAKING WET chicken thigh to go directly into your Shake & Bake bag cause that just makes a mess!
Measure out the spices & add to the Shake & Bake bag.
One at a time, place each chicken thigh in the bag and Shake the hell outta that Bake! *wink*
Get your AirFryer ready – spray with nonstick & place each chicken thigh flat in the AirFryer bottom.
400 degrees for 18-20 minutes, flipping halfway thru!
That’s it! So simple! So Good! You will not be denied chicken on Sunday (if you plan ahead & have your thighs soaking in the pickle juice beforehand)
If you are going the extra step to truly try & make this meal a Chick-Fil-A masterpiece, then you’re gonna need waffle fries!
What I do is preheat my oven to 200 degrees & allow the cooked chicken thighs to keep warm / rest in the oven on a foil lined baking sheet – it will help keep the breading crispy and your chicken hot & fresh! (you may also use this opportunity to gently toast your Potato buns directly in the oven as well!)
Follow the cooking instructions on your bag of frozen waffle fries for the AirFryer – we sprinkle the Trader Joe’s Ranch seasoning on halfway thru the cook time and give the whole basket a good shake to ensure crispiness!
Your pickle-soaked sandwich will be piping hot, crisp & delicious. The waffle fries will round out the experience, and you shall never feel alone again on a Sunday night. Sensory overload. I hope you are prepared for it!
My Pleasure.
Serve up your sandwich on a potato bun, a smear of mayo with pickles stacked high, maybe some extra pickles on the side (I told you, I have a problem) for good measure & a healthy squeeze of Chick-Fil-A sauce (I will also accept BBQ) and enjoy! This meal will be sure to please anyone who has the opportunity to come in contact with it and they will be begging you for this ridiculously- easy recipe so they can enjoy their own Lord’s Chicken on a Sunday evening!
Thanks for stopping by!
I appreciate you stopping by! If you loved it, I’d love to hear from you.
If you hated it, then same.
Have a great day & look for my next entry!
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