A good chicken sandwich can mimic a hamburger, becoming a delicious vehicle for toppings. We don’t go out to eat very often, but when we do my eyes always stray to the hamburger menu. I stopped eating beef in my late twenties because I had burned out on it and I’ve never fully redeveloped my taste for it. So, hamburgers are just little sandwiches that taunt my memory. When we do go out to eat, though, I’m a hamburger pusher for my husband.
“Oooh, they have bacon and monterey jack cheese. You should definitely have that. Oh, wait! They have guacamole too! You should definitely have the bacon, monterey jack and guacamole burger. Or, they also have…”
You get the idea. I’m like an ex-smoker who inhales patron’s jackets in a club when they come back from smoking outside. Or like someone who’s given up coffee, but still hangs around coffee shops for the smell.
Ah, memories.
But for some reason I’ve never thought to treat a chicken sandwich like a hamburger. Then suddenly the other day it dawned on me that I should grill a chicken breast, slap it on a bun, coat the bun with chipotle sauce, cheese and pico de gallo and embrace the sandwich with open arms.
And I’m going to make these at least once a week. They filled a longing I had in my heart that I didn’t know existed, outside of watching people dine on pub food.
Spicy Chicken Sandwiches with Chipotle Sauce
- 2 chicken breasts
- 2 tablespoons of lime juice
- 1 teaspoon of salt
- 1 teaspoon of pepper
- 1 teaspoon of cayenne
- ¼ cup of canola oil
- 4 slices of monterey jack
- 4 sandwich rolls, halved
- Olive oil
Place the chicken breasts in a large, resealable plastic bag. Use a rolling pin or meat tenderizer to pound the chicken out until it’s 1 inch thick. Mix the lime juice, salt, pepper, cayenne and canola oil together and pour it over the chicken. Marinate the chicken for an hour. In the meantime, make the chipotle sauce.
Chipotle Sauce
- ½ cup of Greek yogurt
- 2 tablespoons of chipotles in adobo
- ½ teaspoon of cumin
- ½ teaspoon of salt
Blend the ingredients together in a blender or food processor. Let chill for at least half an hour.
Preheat grill
Quickly clean the grill and brush olive oil on the halved sandwich buns. Grill them until they’re warmed through. Coat the buns with the chipotle sauce and serve the chicken with your favorite toppings. For me, it was fresh pico de gallo. But, you could also use: bacon; guacamole; avocado; lettuce; tomato; onions; fried onions; or pickles. The sandwich is your blank canvas. Go crazy.
Serves 4.
(Photos by Launie K.)
