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Spicy Chicken Sandwiches – For My Grandsons
On multiple occasions when I’ve driven my grandson
Thomas from his baseball games, and he needed something to eat, the request was
always a spicy chicken sandwich from a fast-food place. He has his favorites,
but finds most of the places make satisfying sandwiches. It turns out the other
two chicken-eating grandsons, Matty and Roscoe, also love spicy chicken
sandwiches. But they have different favorite restaurants.
Therefore I tried to come up with a home-made
spicy chicken sandwich, along with its sauce, to serve at home for the three
cousins. I wanted one with no breading, no batter, to cut down on the grease
that the commercial ones have. The boys, as well as several of their sisters,
liked the result. Here it is.
The recipe makes six sandwiches, each a sizable
serving. The chicken can be fixed ahead, as can the sauce, then the sandwiches
assembled as needed.
The Chicken:
2 large boneless, skinless, chicken breast halves
(1-1/4 to 1-1/2 pounds)
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon paprika
1/4 teaspoon celery salt
1/4 teaspoon garlic salt
1/4 teaspoon cayenne
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
2 teaspoons olive or other vegetable oil
Trim off excess fat and any tough parts from the chicken
breasts. Place them on a baking sheet. In a small bowl, mix the salt and other
dry seasonings, and sprinkle the mixture evenly all over the breasts. With
hands, rub the seasonings into the chicken. Drizzle with the oil, and rub that
all over the chicken as well. Allow to season for at least half an hour.
Heat oven to 350 degrees. Bake chicken 10 minutes,
then turn the pieces over with tongs. Bake another 10 minutes. Turn once more
and bake another 5-10 minutes, or until browned and the meat feels firm to the
touch. Ideally use a meat thermometer and check that the chicken measures at
least 165 degrees internally. If no thermometer, cut a breast piece across in
the middle to be sure there is no pink uncooked area in the middle. If not
done, bake another 5 minutes and test again for doneness. When done, let the
chicken cool. Store refrigerated until needed for the sandwiches.
Spicy Sauce:
4 tablespoons sour cream
2 tablespoons mayonnaise
2 tablespoons tomato ketchup
2 tablespoons Siracha sauce
2 tablespoons hot sauce such as “Frank’s RedHot”
or “Texas Pete”
Mix all together until smooth. Store refrigerated
until needed,
Making the Sandwiches:
6 large burger rolls, Kaiser rolls, or potato
rolls, etc.
Butter for the rolls
Thin pickle slices, if desired
Cut the baked, cooled chicken pieces lengthwise
down the middle. Then turn the pieces onto their cut surfaces, and with the
knife cut lengthwise down the middle to split them into two thinner pieces.
Finally, slice the chicken pieces across into 1/4-inch wide shred-like pieces.
Taste a piece, and if it seems under-salted, sprinkle the cut chicken lightly
with salt, and mix it all together. Place chicken pieces in a microwaveable
casserole dish with a lid and heat, covered, in the microwave for 3 minutes.
With a spoon, mix the pieces, and if they’re not hot, microwave them about
another 3 minutes.
Cut the rolls into two halves, like a hamburger
bun. Smear the cut surfaces very lightly with butter. Fry the rolls on their
cut surfaces on a heated griddle until lightly browned.
