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These Blackened Chicken Sandwiches with Chipotle Mayo and Gouda are the ultimate chicken sandwich – Spicy, cheesy and totally addictive.
Blackened Chicken Sandwich
It used to be a running joke between my Mom and I when she would take me out to lunch it would cost her a small fortune. For some reason, I felt the need to order the full shebang every time – appetizer, salad, entrée, and lest we forget, dessert.
I’m not talking typical lunch entrées such a turkey sandwich sandwich or small caesar salad. Nope. I wouldn’t put it past me to get the grilled fish of the day, a lean cut of sliced hanger steak, or an enormous bowl of handmade pasta. Maybe I just felt like it would be sin to go to a nice restaurant and not try the “best” most expensive items on the menu, which means, I would NEVER even thinking about getting a sandwich or salad for my main meal.
I can pinpoint the exact day my attitude changed on the matter and a good sandwich became a staple of my lunch diet. (I’ve since become obsessed with this Jamon Buerre, these Cold Ham and Cheese Croissants and these Blackened Fish Sandwiches.)
At a typical lunch with my Mom I reluctantly split a spicy chicken sandwich with her and after one bite of the blackened chicken breast smothered with gooey gouda cheese, a tangy chipotle mayo and crispy onion straws, my whole thought process on sandwiches at lunch changed.
It was the best sandwich I’d ever had and since that day I’ve been kind obsessed with grilled chicken sandwiches of any kind – as long as they’re piled high with thoughtful toppings and copious amounts of cheese, of course.
Ingredients in our Blackened Chicken Sandwich
Chicken. While chicken thighs will definitely do, I prefer the taste of chicken breasts here.
Blackening seasoning. We use our own blend of paprika, oregano, garlic powder, onion powder, cayenne and salt.
Mayo + Lime. For me, every sandwich needs a sauce. This one is a zippy lime-infused mayo to compliment the blackening seasoning.
Gouda. Normally I’m an aged gouda kind of gal but here I love a gooey regular or smoked gouda slice. If you kind find it sliced, you can also get it in the block and shred yourself.
The accoutrements. Avocado, lettuce, tomato. Nothing fancy but it does the trick.
Onion straws. If you want to be extra make your own, I included instructions in the recipe but feel free to use store-bought. I love the extra crunch they give the blackened chicken sandwiches,
Let’s Make Blackened Chicken Sandwiches
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Flatten the chicken. I love the idea of a double decker sandwich, so what I like to do before I cover the chicken in blackening seasoning is to flatten each chicken breast until it’s about a quarter inch thick. This helps with even cooking and makes the sandwich sky-high. I then cut each breast in half so each piece is about the same size as the bun, leaving you the ability to have two layers of gooey cheese instead of one.
Make the seasoning.While you can easily use store-bought seasoning, I almost always have the ingredients in the pantry to quickly throw together my own. I’ll even make a double or triple batch so I can store the leftovers and pull it out to season fish, or veggies for dinners later in the week or month. Everyone has their own version, but mine has lots of garlic powder, paprika, a touch of smoked paprika, cayenne pepper, oregano, onion powder, plenty of salt and in this version, chipotle chili powder.
Make the mayo.This could not be any easier and it’s SO delicious. Add light mayo, chipotle chili powder and lime juice together in a bowl. Mix.
Cook the chicken. Heat a cast-iron skillet or grill to a medium heat. Cook chicken about 4-5 minutes per side until cooked through. Once the chicken is cooked, top each breast with a piece of gouda. Add a couple teaspoons of water to the skillet and cover for 10-15 seconds until cheese has melted.
Serve! Slather both sides of bun with mayo. Top with two pieces of chicken, followed by a slice of tomato and half of an avocado. Season avocado with salt and pepper. If using, top with
Blackened Chicken Sandwiches with Chipotle Mayo and Gouda
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 tsp paprika
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp onion powder
- 1/8 tsp ground black pepper
- 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
- 1 tsp dried oregano
- 1/4 + 1/8 tsp chipotle chili powder, divided
- 1/4 tsp smoked paprika
- 1 1/2 tsp salt
- 4 medium chicken breasts
- 1/2 cup light mayo
- 3 tsp lime juice
- 8 slices sliced gouda cheese
- 2 large avocados, sliced
- 1 large tomato, sliced
- 4 onion buns, toasted
- 1 batch onion straws, recipe link below (optional!)
Equipment
- Cast iron skillet
Instructions
- In a small bowl, mix together, paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, black pepper, cayenne pepper, dried oregano, 1/8 tsp chipotle chili powder, smoked paprika and salt.
- Using a meat mallet or rolling pin, flatten chicken until it’s about 1/4-inch thick. Cut each breast in half so you have 8 pieces. Season both sides of chicken with seasoning.
- Heat a cast-iron skillet or grill to a medium heat. Cook chicken about 4-5 minutes per side until cooked through. If using a cast-iron skillet, you may need to work in batches.
- While chicken is cooking, add mayo, lime juice, and remaining chipotle chili powder together in a small bowl. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Set aside.
- Once the chicken is cooked, top each breast with a piece of gouda. Add a couple teaspoons of water to the skillet and cover for 10-15 seconds until cheese has melted.
- Slather both sides of bun with mayo. Top with two pieces of chicken, followed by a slice of tomato and half of an avocado. Season avocado with salt and pepper. If using, top with onion straws.
Nutrition Information
Farrah says
Now I have hunger pains.
Rick says
Made this tonight. Grilled it instead of doing it in a pan. Was ok, but didn’t have the flavor I was expecting. Maybe I should’ve marinated the chicken before?