The Surprising Cooking Method That Makes Chick-Fil-A Chicken Sandwiches So Delicious

While many fast food chains serve a variety of items and protein choices, there are a few that focus on one thing and one thing only. As its name would suggest, Chick-fil-A specializes in chicken, found in a variety of ways on their menu. What it's known for, however, is its chicken sandwich, a secret recipe perfected over four years by the founder, Truett Cathy. The beloved sandwich consists of a buttery bun toasted to perfection and filled with two dill pickle chips and a fried chicken cutlet. For something so simple to be so loved by millions, the execution of each ingredient is crucial — the chicken, in particular. It's all in the technique, which, for Chick-fil-A, is pressure cooking in 100% refined peanut oil.

Pressure cooking is a method of cooking food in liquid in a sealed pot, in which steam builds up and creates a high-pressure environment that results in a higher boiling-point temperature and faster cooking times. Although water is commonly used for this cooking technique, oil works just as well. Most deep fryers are open-topped, which means the oil doesn't get as hot, and the food takes longer to cook and crisp to perfection. The sealed pot and faster cooking time of a pressure cooker allow for Chick-fil-A's chicken to retain most of its moisture, resulting in a tender and moist yet golden and crispy chicken cutlet. Fun fact: The nuggets are pressure-cooked too!

The above method, also known as pressure frying, is best reserved for the pros with commercial-grade equipment, so we don't recommend trying it with your countertop or stove-top pressure cooker. You can still aim to recreate a Chick-fil-A sandwich at home, though. The company's exact recipe may be secret, but all you really need is fried chicken, your favorite sandwich bun, and pickles. We don't know what the restaurant uses in its breading, but self-rising flour is the absolute best flour for fried chicken according to many pros. Mix it with spices of your choice and coat your chicken breast in it, in this order: A layer of flour, a layer of egg wash, a layer of breading mixture. You can even make perfectly crispy fried chicken without a deep fryer; just whip out your air fryer instead.

A toasted Kaiser roll is the best bun choice, or you can go for a potato or brioche bun. Brush it lightly with some butter before toasting it to get the full restaurant effect. The best part about making your own sandwich at home is that you can add as many pickles as you'd like.