Ultimate Grilled Chicken Sandwich
This Ultimate Grilled Chicken Sandwich brings a flavor punch that will wow the humans in your life. The secret marinade and basting sauce transforms a regular sandwich into pure indulgence.
An easy yet essential process drives the flavors. This chicken is marinated and soaked in a honey balsamic sauce with shallots and garlic. Then it’s grilled to perfection and topped with smoky bacon, sweet tomatoes, and creamy Boursin.
Make this and take your sandwiches to the next level.
My cooking life changed when I found and fell in love with the shallot. I would describe them as somewhere between an onion and garlic. They strike just the right balance of spicy and sweet. When they’re cooked, the sweetness gets enhanced, and the outcome is a rich, caramelized flavor.
These are a staple in the kitchen of French chefs. And there’s a good reason for that. They are an excellent aromatic, and they build flavor into sauces. They liven up vinaigrettes and turn creamy when roasted.
If you haven’t experimented with shallots, do yourself a favor and pick one up at your local produce department. They’re small in size compared to an onion. Typically a recipe calls for 1 or 2 tablespoons, which equates to one medium shallot.
If you get hooked, as I did, it will bring your recipes to a new level!
Ultimate Grilled Chicken Sandwich
Ingredients
Marinade
- 1 pound boneless skinless chicken breasts Four pieces pounded thin or sliced horizontally into thinner slices.
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- ½ tsp kosher salt
- ¼ tsp black pepper
Sauce
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 2 tbsp shallot finely chopped
- 1 tbsp garlic finely chopped
- 2 tbsp balsamic vinegar
- 1 tbsp fish sauce
- 2 tbsp honey
Sandwich
- 4 brioche buns
- 6 slices bacon smoked - no water added, thick cut
- 8 tbsp Boursin chive
- red onion sliced
- 8 slices tomato ripe sliced
Instructions
Marinate
- Combine the marinade ingredients in a medium-sized plastic bag. Add ½ of the sauce ingredients and marinate for at least one hour and up to 4 hours.1 pound boneless skinless chicken breasts, 1 tbsp olive oil, ¼ tsp black pepper, ½ tsp kosher salt
Sauce
- Heat a skillet over medium heat. Add the olive oil and shallots. Cook until the shallots begin to soften, 1-2 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for another minute, stirring occasionally.1 tbsp olive oil, 2 tbsp shallot, 1 tbsp garlic
- Add the additional marinade ingredients and heat to a boil. Remove immediately. Divide equally into two. Use ½ to complete the marinade.2 tbsp balsamic vinegar, 1 tbsp fish sauce, 2 tbsp honey
Cook
- Preheat the grill to medium-high heat. Grill buttered buns if desired.
- Preheat the oven to 400 °F. Place bacon slices on a rimmed baking sheet and cook for 20 minutes or until your desired crispiness.
- Remove the chicken from the marinade and pat dry. Grill the chicken pieces basting with the remaining sauce for 4 minutes on each side or until the internal temperature reaches 165 °F, and there are pronounced grill marks on the pieces.
- Top with the cheese for the final two minutes.8 tbsp Boursin
- Let rest 3-4 minutes to allow juices to distribute.
Sandwich
- Distribute the grilled chicken topped with the Boursin evenly amongst the four buns. Then layer on the tomato slices and two slices of cooked bacon. Serve immediately.4 brioche buns, red onion, 8 slices tomato, 6 slices bacon
Notes
Nutrition
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