Why Do People Put Pickles On Fried Chicken Sandwiches?

One of the most consistent ingredients in any fried chicken sandwich (beyond the chicken and the bun) is pickles. You don't have to be a food scientist to know that a few pickle chips nestled between crispy poultry and a soft bun can take any chicken sandwich to the next level. However, the reason pickles are such a popular fried chicken sandwich topping is easily explained by a bit of flavor science.

It's no secret that a little acid can go a long way in perfectly reviving leftovers, upgrading soup, and generally improving food, and chicken sandwiches are no exception. Tangy, vinegar-brined pickles provide an acidic touch that balances beautifully with the rich, fatty flavor of the fried chicken. What's more, the grassy, subtly sweet flavor of dill (one of the most popular pickle varieties) adds a lovely brightness to chicken. While other acidic chicken sandwich toppings you need to try, such as zesty coleslaw, pickled onions, and even pico de gallo, can have a similar flavor-amplifying effect, the cheap, convenient, and accessible nature of pickles has firmly established them as the go-to way to add acid to a fried chicken sandwich.

Pickles have been gracing fried chicken sandwiches for almost as long as fried chicken sandwiches have been gracing our taste buds. The exact origins of the fried chicken sandwich as we know it are unclear, but the popular poultry dish seems to have popped up at some point in the early 20th century. Around the same time, hot chicken served with pickles was gaining popularity in the South. Pickle-topped fried chicken sandwiches, the natural evolution of these two culinary delights, date back to at least the 1960s. While Chick-fil-A didn't invent the chicken sandwich, the chain changed the fast food chicken sammy game with the debut of iconic chicken sandwiches with dill pickle chips in 1964, and the rest is history. Over the past six decades, the combo has become a firmly established part of the sandwich canon.

In recent years, the increasingly competitive chicken sandwich wars have graced us with all manner of decked-out fried chicken sammies. Despite the delicious diversity, dill pickle chips remain a core ingredient in almost all of the best fast food chicken sandwiches. We may never know exactly when, where, and how someone first put pickles on a fried chicken sandwich, but it's clear that people will continue to enjoy this classic combo for many years to come.