Grilled Chipotle Chicken Sandwich

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This classic dish is a staple in the Sandwich world, packing huge flavors while being a significantly healthier option than it’s deep-fried brethren. The famed Grilled Chicken Sandwich is loved by millions all over the world as a delicious and hearty Sandwich, perfect for a light dinner or substantial lunch. Our twist on this classic incorporates some delicious Southern flavors which packs even more punch to this tasty handheld. Our Grilled Chipotle Chicken Sandwich is not only tasty, but super-easy to make. What’s not to love about that?

The key to big flavors in this Sandwich lies in the Chipotle Chicken Marinade

There is no doubt about it that the true star ingredient of this dish is the Chicken. To get the most flavor out of this amazing protein requires a great marinade, and this one is huge in flavors! The marinade consists of a combination of spices including Smoked Paprika, Cumin, Coriander Powder, Onion and Garlic Powder, but the star ingredient is the inclusion of Chipotle in Adobo Sauce

This wonderful ingredient instantly brings a southern spice and flair to the marinade. Rich in sweetness due to the tomato-based Sauce, and a wonderful smoky / spicy flavor which the Chipotles bring to the table. It’s a flavor that is truly unique and elevates the flavor of the Grilled Chipotle Chicken Sandwich to stratospheric levels!

The best part about making this dish is just how easy it is. Simply combine all the marinade ingredients together then throw them into a Ziploc Bag. Add the prepared Chicken pieces and smoosh everything around (technical culinary term that!), until it’s well coated. Zip it up, throw it into the refrigerator for a few hours and you’re good to go!

With all marinades, if you can leave it overnight you’ll achieve the best flavors

Marinating proteins take time. The flavors of your marinade will slowly begin to seep into the Chicken, so the more time they get to spend together before cooking, the richer the flavors will become. We recommend at least 2 hours of marinating time before cooking, but for an optimal result, prepare it the day prior and refrigerate overnight

There is such a thing as too much marinating time however! If you leave the Chicken for a couple of days, the marinade will begin to break down the Chicken and it will impact the overall texture. We’re still looking for that beautiful, springy texture that a perfectly cooked piece of Chicken Breast will achieve. So, 2 hours minimum up to 24 hours maximum marinating time!

Preparing the Chicken for the Sandwich

Other than the marinade, there is not much else to do with the Chicken before it goes into the frying pan. Our recipe will make 4 beautiful Grilled Chicken Sandwiches, and for that quantity you will need 2 Chicken Breasts

We recommend cutting each Chicken Breast in half, and each of those halves will be used for 1 sandwich each. Chicken Breasts have a bit of a weird shape, so it can be challenging to cut them into even sizes. We recommend cutting them on a 45-degree angle, slicing straight through the thickest part of the Chicken

Slice them down the middle so you produce 2 even sized pieces. It’s also fine to cut the Chicken into 3 or 4 pieces. Just ensure you’re adding about half the Chicken to each sandwich, otherwise you may get some grumpy folks at the dinner table complaining they didn’t get enough Chicken!

Cooking the Chicken

For our Grilled Chipotle Chicken Sandwich recipe, we do recommend using Chicken Breast over Thigh. This is mainly because when cooked right, Chicken Breast will produce the juiciest, plumpest texture which is just perfect in a Sandwich

They are a little trickier to cook than Thighs, so we recommend keeping your kitchen thermometer handy and constantly checking the internal temperature when it’s being cooked. Remove the Chicken from the heat once it hits an internal temperature of 155F and allow it to rest for 5 minutes

Resting the Chicken is important, as it allows the fibers and juices in the Chicken to settle and evenly distribute throughout the protein. Resting will also continue to cook the Chicken, which is why we take it off the heat at 155F. Once it’s rested the internal temperature will increase to 160 – 165F, perfect for eating

For the optimal result, try cooking the Chicken on the Grill

This can be seasonal dependent, and we understand many of you may not have access to an outdoor grill. However, if the weather is right and you have the means, there is simply no better way to cook Chicken than on the flame grill

The flames slightly kissing the Chicken when cooking will give it the most beautiful, charred flavor and it looks beautiful on the plate. Most proteins taste great when cooked on the grill, however our personal favorite is Chicken. There’s just something about it that tastes so much better. So, if possible, we recommend making your Grilled Chipotle Chicken Sandwich on the grill

Assembling the remaining ingredients for the Grilled Chipotle Chicken Sandwich

We’re sticking with truly classic Grilled Chicken Sandwich ingredients. Burger King would be proud! The combination of Red Onion, crispy Romaine Lettuce, thick-cut slices of fresh Tomatoes, Bacon (of course), and Cheese is a perfect compliment of flavors for your Chipotle Chicken

The combination of flavors brings a wonderful mix of sweet, salty, spicy, and bitter flavors to the Sandwich. The textures in this sandwich are also simply amazing! Who needs crunch from a deep-fried piece of Chicken when you’re crunching into crispy Onion, Bacon, and Lettuce!

If you don’t like the sharp flavors of the raw Red Onion you can simply exclude it from the recipe or give them a quick pan fry. Here’s a nice tip – why not cook them up alongside your Bacon so all that amazing Bacon fat will flavor the Onions. In fact, this sounds so good I might have to try that myself. Look out for Bacon Fat Onions in a recipe coming soon on Dinnertime Somewhere!

Grilled Chipotle Chicken Sandwich Recipe

Ingredients

• 2 Chicken Breasts
• 8 Rashers of Bacon
• 4 Burger Buns
• 2 Tomatoes, cut into slices
• 4 Slices of Cheese (American or Swiss)
• 4 Large Romaine Lettuce Leaves
• ½ Red Onion, sliced into rings
• 1 tbsp. Vegetable Oil
  
  

For the Chicken Marinade

• 1 tbsp. Chipotle in Adobo Sauce
• 1 tsp. Smoked Paprika
• 1 tsp. Cumin Powder
• 1 tsp. Coriander Powder
• 1 tsp. Onion Powder
• 1 tsp. Garlic Powder
• 2 tsp. Salt
  
  

Sauce for the Chipotle Chicken Sandwich

• 3 tbsp. Mayonnaise
• 1 tsp. Ketchup
  
  

Instructions

1. Begin by combining all the Marinade ingredients into a bowl or Ziploc Bag. Mix well to combine. Slice the Chicken Breasts into 2 – 3 equal sized pieces then add to the marinade. Mix well then refrigerate for 2 hours, preferably overnight
2. When ready to cook, heat the Vegetable Oil in a large Frying Pan over medium high heat. Once hot, add the Chicken and fry for 8 – 10 minutes, turning once until the Internal temperature is 155F. Remove from heat and set aside to rest
3. In the same pan, add the Bacon and fry until crispy – about 5 minutes turning once
4. Remove excess Oil from the Pan and then lightly toast the inside of the Buns, being careful not to burn them
5. Combine the Mayonnaise and Ketchup to create the Sauce, then build your Sandwiches. Layer the ingredients as follows from bottom to top: Onion, Lettuce, Bacon, Cheese, Chicken, then finish with a generous spoonful of Sauce on the top Burger Bun. Serve while hot
   
   

Recipe Notes

• You may need to batch cook the Chicken to avoid overcrowding the frying pan
• To save some time, try cooking the Bacon in a separate frying pan while the Chicken is cooking
  
  

The flavors and textures in this Grilled Chipotle Chicken Sandwich will no doubt leave you wanting more. We love this recipe, and we hope you do as well! It’s a great, easy dish to make for midweek dinner for the family and turns out is also healthy for you!

If you enjoyed this dish we highly recommend you check out some of these other delicious recipes on our website:

• French Onion Burger
• Panko Red Curry Chicken
• Pan Fried Chicken Schnitzel
• NY Style Pizza
  
  

Happy Cooking!