Healthified Crispy Chicken Sandwich

Make the Special Sauce:

1. In a small bowl, combine the mayo, BBQ sauce, honey, mustard, and lemon juice.

Make the Crispy Chicken:

1. Line a large plate or sheet pan with paper towels.
2. Set up a breading station in 2 large shallow bowls: Combine the almond flour, tapioca flour, chili powder, garlic powder, salt, pepper, and cayenne in one bowl. Beat the eggs in a second bowl.
3. Place a chicken thigh between 2 pieces of plastic wrap and use a meat mallet, rolling pin, or even the bottom of a coffee cup to lightly pound the thighs to about 1/2-inch thickness. Repeat for all 4 thighs.
4. Coat the chicken in the beaten egg, then press into the almond flour mixture and place on a large plate.
5. Pour 1/4 inch avocado oil into a large skillet over medium-high heat to between 350° and 370°F. To test the oil, either use an instant-read thermometer or drop in a bit of the almond flour mixture—it should sizzle and float to the top.
6. Working in batches, add the chicken thighs to the pan, reducing the heat if necessary. Cook until the chicken is crispy and cooked through, 3 to 5 minutes per side. (The cooking time will depend on how thinly you’ve pounded your chicken. It’s okay to carefully remove a thigh and peek by piercing the thickest part with a knife, because the dark meat is so moist.)
7. Transfer the chicken to the paper towels and blot any excess oil.
8. Set a skillet over medium-high heat. Split the buns and spread the butter over both insides of the buns. Add the buns, buttered-side down, to the hot skillet and toast until golden brown and crispy, 1 to 2 minutes. Flip them over and toast the top part of the bun if you’d like. (Alternatively, you can do this under the broiler.)
9. Spread the sauce on the toasted buns, top with a piece of crispy chicken (cut them in half and overlap them if they’re larger than the bun), and top with the tomatoes and pickles. And in violation of Chick-fil-A, add lettuce, pickles, and pickled jalapeños.