When I go out to eat at a casual restaurant, there’s about a 75% chance I’m going to get a chicken sandwich if there is one on the menu. It’s only 75% because sometimes I like to “broaden my horizons”, or whatever you’d like to call it. But the truth is I could get chicken sandwiches every time and never get sick of them.
There is one complaint I have to make about pretty much every chicken sandwich I’ve ever eaten at a restaurant, though, and that is that it is always missing something. That’s not to say it’s not delicious, but every time I get a chicken sandwich, I always wind up thinking, “this would be better if the chicken was marinated/it had a sauce/there was guacamole/it was spicier/it was cheesier,” etc. Then I go home, think about how I should make a chicken sandwich for the blog, and then 20 minutes later I forget.
Usually. But not this time.
This time, I made the ultimate chicken sandwich– loaded up with flavorful, juicy chicken, crisp bacon, melted cheese, spicy chipotle mayo, and cooling guacamole. Drool.
AND I topped it with a cheesy jalapeno. If I am going to make the best chicken sandwich ever, I’m not cutting any corners– not even on the garnishes.
I think some variation of this would also be great in taco/burrito form. If anyone would like to make that happen and then, you know, just send me a little sample, that would be great.
Tequila Lime Chicken Sandwiches with Guacamole and Chipotle Mayo
- Prep Time: 15 mins
- Cook Time: 45 mins
- Total Time: 1 hour
Ingredients
- Buns
- Cilantro, to top
- Monterey Jack cheese
- 8 strips bacon
For the Chicken:
- ¼ cup tequila
- Juice of 3 limes
- Juice of 1 orange
- ½ tablespoon chili powder
- 1 jalapeno pepper, seeded and minced
- 1 tablespoon minced garlic
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 3–4 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves
For the Guacamole:
- 2 ripe avocados
- 1 small red onion, minced
- 1 clove garlic, minced
- 1 tomato, chopped
- Juice of 1 lime
- Salt and pepper, to taste
For the Chipotle Mayo:
- ¼ cup chipotle sauce
- ¼ cup mayonnaise
Instructions
- Combine all of the chicken ingredients in a large container or freezer bag. Marinate in the refrigerator overnight, or for at least an hour.
- While the chicken marinates, make the guacamole and chipotle mayo in 2 separate bowls. Make each by combining all of the ingredients and mixing well. Wrap the bowls and set in the refrigerator until ready to use.
- Preheat the oven to 400 degrees and place the bacon on a baking sheet lined with foil. Cook until crisp, about 20 minutes. Set aside.
- When the chicken is done marinating, preheat the broiler. Place the rack about 5 inches away from the heat source. Spray a broiler pan and place the marinated chicken on top. Feel free to pour some of the leftover marinade over the chicken.
- After the broiler has preheated, place the chicken under the broiler. Cook for about 6 minutes on each side and then check to make sure the chicken is cooked through. Place a piece of Monterey Jack cheese on top of the chicken and place under the broiler for an additional 30 seconds to a minute, or until melted.
- Layer the sandwiches in this order: bun, chipotle mayo, chicken, bacon, guacamole, cilantro, bun. Enjoy.
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So how did you make the cheesy jalapeño garnish? These sandwiches look divine and I don’t want to leave out the finishing touch!
I took some fresh jalapenos, cut them in half, removed the insides entirely (be sure to get all the seeds), and boiled them in a medium-sized saucepan for about 8 minutes. I then dried them and sprinkled shredded cheddar cheese in the centers. Then I baked them at 400 degrees F until the cheese fully melted! I hope you enjoy them when you give them a go!
Awesome! Thanks so much!
Ok, oh ma wooorrdd. You need to open a restaurant or write a cookbook or something because these were hands down the best chicken sandwiches my hubby and I have ever eaten in our lives. Seriously. We need to find some people to have over soon because we already want to eat them again and we literally just finished dinner. Amazing. Uh-mazing.
Thanks for making our foodie hearts happy with this recipe.
Ps. Followed your directions for the jalapeño garnish and they were the perfect finishing touch.
Aw Amy that is so sweet of you to say! I’m so glad to hear that you and your husband liked them so much =) Thanks for commenting and letting me know!!
Seriously, just discovered your blog and can’t wait to try some of these. Or maybe just keep drooling over the recipes. Everything looks and sounds AMAZING. <3
★★★★★
Thanks so much, Frances! You just made my day! I hope you enjoy everything you try!
We had this for dinner tonight and it was amazing!!!!!! Foresure will be making these again 🙂
Great to hear, Kristen! Thanks for letting me know =)!
This. Looks. Amazing. What is chipotle sauce? Is this the canned chipotles in adobo sauce? Where do you find it?
We make these sandwiches all the time. They are a hit with everyone! Thanks for sharing this great recipe.
What is chipotle sauce? Where do you find it in the grocery store?
Hi Karen! You should be able to find it in the international section, near the Goya products (or alternatively, near the tortillas/taco packages, depending on how your local grocery store is set up). If you can’t find chipotle sauce, look for small cans of chipotles in adobo and chop up one chipotle and add a teaspoon or more of the adobo sauce from the can to the mayonnaise. I hope that helps!
Karen, I wasn’t able to find chipotle sauce in my grocery store, but this is the best recipe I use and it is delicious with these sandwiches. It’s become my go-to chipotle sauce:
http://laylita.com/recipes/2013/09/15/creamy-chipotle-sauce/
Omg, this was one of the best sandwiches I have ever had! I used ciabatta bread, cooked the bacon in the microwave, and cooked the chicken in a cast iron pan as I had sweet potato fries in the oven. The combination of chipotle mayo, guac, bacon, cheese, and cilantro was amazing! I even tasted the tequila from the marinade on the chicken! I can’t wait to make this again! Great recipe!
AMAZING. so good. my mouth died and went to heaven. I had to had 5 minutes to the cook time, but other than that this was spot on!
★★★★★
Probably a stupid question : Do you leave the oven preheated to 400 with the broiler on, or turn the oven off and just have the broiler going?
This was so yummy! I made it exactly as written with the exception of using premade chipotle mayo. Everyone in the family agreed this recipe is a keeper. Will be making again