Steps

• 1

  Brine the chicken: Put the thighs in a zip top bag set inside of a bowl. Pour the pickle brine over the chicken. Seal the bag and refrigerate, flipping the bag over a couple of times, for at least 6 hours and up to 24 hours.

• 2

  Combine the spices: In a small bowl, stir together the cayenne pepper, chili powder, brown sugar, smoked paprika, mustard powder, granulated garlic, and onion powder.

• 3

  When ready to smoke the chicken, preheat the Traeger with the lid closed to 185°F; this will take about 10 minutes. For optimal flavor, use Super Smoke, if available.

  185 ˚F / 85 ˚C

  Super Smoke

• 4

  Remove the thighs from the brine and pat very dry. Coat the thighs with a little oil then sprinkle some of the spice blend on both sides of the chicken, about 1 tablespoon total for all four thighs. Holding a leave-in meat thermometer parallel to the work surface, insert it into the thickest part of the thickest thigh. Place the thighs directly on the grill grate. Close the lid and smoke until the internal temperature is between 125°F and 130°F, 30 minutes to 1 hour. (The time can vary depending on the size of the thighs, the weather, and your grill.)

  185 ˚F / 85 ˚C

  125 ˚F / 52 ˚C

  Super Smoke

• 5

  Increase the Traeger temperature to 325°F and cook until the internal temperature reaches 165°F, another 15 to 20 minutes. Transfer the chicken to a plate or small rimmed baking sheet and let it cool. (You can cover and refrigerate it for up to 2 days before frying.)

  325 ˚F / 163 ˚C

  165 ˚F / 74 ˚C

• 6

  When ready to serve, make the hot butter sauce: Melt the butter in small saucepan over medium-low heat. Add the hot sauce and 1 tablespoon of the spice blend and whisk to combine (it’s okay if the sauce separates after whisking). Turn off the heat and keep warm while you fry the chicken.

• 7

  In a shallow bowl, whisk the remaining spice blend, the flour, cornstarch, and 1 1/2 teaspoons salt. In a second shallow bowl, whisk the buttermilk and hot sauce. Gently stir 3 to 4 tablespoons of the buttermilk mixture into the seasoned flour with a fork until small lumps form throughout the mixture. (Reserve the remaining buttermilk mixture for serving if you like.)

• 8

  Set a wire rack over a rimmed baking sheet. Pat the smoked chicken thighs very dry with paper towel. Coat one thigh well on both sides with the flour mixture, then dip the chicken in the buttermilk mixture followed by another coat of flour. Press on the flour to help it adhere. Transfer to a large plate or baking sheet. Repeat the process with the remaining thighs.

• 9

  Pour about 1 inch of oil into a medium cast-iron skillet or other high sided skillet. Heat the oil over medium-high heat to 350°F.

• 10

  Carefully add two coated thighs to the hot oil and fry for about 2 minutes. Carefully flip and fry until golden brown and crispy, about 2 more minutes. Transfer to the wire rack. Repeat the frying process with the remaining thighs.

• 11

  Once the chicken thighs have been fried, use tongs to dip each one into the warm butter hot sauce (rewarm it on low heat if needed).

• 12

  To serve, spread the mayonnaise evenly on both sides of the toasted buns then place a thigh on each bottom bun. Drizzle with some of the remaining hot butter-buttermilk sauce if you like. Top each with about 1/2 cup of slaw and the sliced pickles. Serve immediately. Enjoy!