This Chicken and Bacon Sandwich is full of gourmet sweet and spicy flavors. It’s better than any grilled chicken sandwich you can buy, and easy to customize for the whole family. Assemble it in 20 minutes for a quick lunch or dinner!
With so many meal options available, sometimes the humble chicken sandwich gets overlooked when it comes to home cooked meals. And, yet, it's often a go-to in the drive-thru lane!
What if I said you can make delicious, gourmet sandwich recipes at home that taste better than anything you can pick up from a restaurant? I thought that might get your attention!
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Why you'll love this recipe
This is my mom's favorite sandwich and a testament to how delicious it is—my mom has great taste! It's a simple sandwich (only 8 ingredients!) with gourmet flavors.
Mixing juicy grilled chicken and crispy bacon on a sandwich is delightful. Add some cheese, creamy mayo, and some greens, and you're on your way to something amazing!
Want to know the real secret ingredient to an ultimate chicken and bacon sandwich recipe -- a sweet and spicy pepper jelly.
These few ingredients spruce up a chicken breast sandwich, making it a meal worthy of your toughest critics. Let me tell you a few more reasons you'll love this sandwich:
- Quick and simple: You only need 20 minutes and 8 ingredients to make this homemade gourmet sandwich.
- Easy to customize: If you're cooking for picky eaters, you can mix and match the ingredients to please different palates. Change the protein, cheese, bread, and/or sauces to fit your needs.
- Crowd-pleaser: It ends up tasting like an awesome restaurant-style club sandwich. It's easy to serve to a crowd when entertaining and is sure to become a family favorite.
If you like this recipe, don't miss my other gourmet sandwiches like my Best Grilled Cheese Sandwich, Hot Spinach and Cheese Sandwich Melts, and Chicken and Gouda Melt Sandwich.
I love a good pepper jelly. On a sandwich with Havarti cheese and bacon, even better! This sandwich is delicious!
- Marie
Ingredients
Use the best ingredients to make an unforgettable sandwich. Here's what you should know as you gather what you'll need. See recipe card for quantities.
- Boneless chicken breasts
- Seasoning: I used garlic salt and ground black pepper to season the chicken.
- Sliced Havarti cheese: It gets just a bit melty as it rests on the hot chicken. So divine!
- Sliced country white bread: Sourdough is also delicious. Toast your bread on the grill or in the toaster.
- Mayonnaise
- Pepper jelly: I like this hot pepper jelly or any you find at your store.
- Cooked bacon
- Baby arugula: Adds a peppery bite and fresh green flavor. You could use other greens and lettuce if you'd like.
How to make a sweet and spicy chicken and bacon sandwich
No need to grill this sandwich, you just need to assemble all of your cooked ingredients with the toppings before getting started. See recipe card for comprehensive directions.
- Step 1: Cut chicken breasts in half. Pound them with a rolling pin or meat mallet to flatten to ¼ inch thick.
- Step 2: Season chicken with garlic salt and black pepper on both sides to taste.
- Step 3: Grill chicken cutlets on a grill pan or outdoor grill.
- Step 4: Place cheese on hot chicken so that it melts.
- Step 5: Spread toasted bread with mayo and pepper jelly.
- Step 6: Assemble sandwich with chicken, cooked bacon, and greens.
Tara's top tips
Flatten the chicken breasts: Slicing thick chicken breasts in half to make two thin chicken cutlets is helpful, but pounding the chicken breasts to flatten them even more helps them cook faster and makes them easier to stack with other sandwich fixin's. You can pound them between two sheets of plastic wrap to about ¼-inch thick.
Pre-cook the bacon in the oven: I like to cook bacon in the oven. I often bake an entire package and keep extra in the fridge, ready to use. You just need to heat it a little in the microwave or in a covered pan. Cooking bacon in the oven is easy and splatter-free. Use a rimmed baking sheet, set the oven to 400ºF, and cook for about 20 minutes. Check out my tutorial for cooking bacon in the oven.
Variations and substitutions
There are so many ways to adjust this sandwich to fit the needs of your family or guests. Check out these ideas to get you started.
- Protein: I like pairing grilled chicken with bacon for this sandwich, but there's no reason you couldn't swap it with roast beef, turkey, or any other protein you enjoy. You can also use different types of bacon such as turkey bacon.
- Jam: Pepper jelly adds a bit of heat which is nice, but you can swap it for marmalade or apricot jam too.
- Cheese: If you want to swap out the Havarti, it's best to use softer, melting cheeses like brie, white cheddar, Monterey Jack, and Provolone.
- Bread: I prefer to use a country white or sourdough bread for this sandwich because they toast well and are sturdy enough to hold all those delicious toppings. Feel free to use other types of bread according to your tastes. Gluten-free bread is also a good option.
- Greens: If you don't have baby arugula, try using mixed greens, romaine, or spinach.
Equipment
I make this chicken and bacon sandwich year round. It's easy to BBQ chicken on the grill in the summer, and in the colder months, a panini press or indoor grill works wonders.
Use a rimmed baking sheet to cook bacon in the oven.
A standard countertop toaster is my favorite way to toast the bread.
Storage and make-ahead
Prepared sandwiches do not store well. If you'd like to make the elements ahead of time you can.
Fully cook the chicken with cheese melted on top. Cool completely and store in the fridge for up to 4 days. Reheat in the microwave before assembling sandwiches.
Fully cook the bacon, let it cool, and store it in the fridge for up to a week. Reheat in a low heat pan or microwave.
FAQ
Chicken with melty cheese is delicious. I use Havarti on my chicken bacon sandwich. Softer, melting cheeses work best, like brie, white cheddar, Monterey Jack cheese, and Provolone.
Chicken needs to be cooked through to make it safe to eat. Normally, it's a good idea to check the internal temperature of the chicken to make sure it's heated to 145°F (63°C).
However, since the cutlets used for this sandwich are so thin, you might not be able to get a good read on the thermometer. Instead, check to make sure the outside has nice golden brown parts and that the juices run clear if you cut into the center of the cutlet.
More delicious sandwich recipes
Looking for more recipes that give sandwiches all the glory? Try these gourmet favorites from the blog:
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📖 Recipe
Sweet and Spicy Chicken and Bacon Sandwich
Ingredients
- 2 large boneless chicken breasts (cut in half horizontally for 4 thin cutlets)
- Garlic salt and ground black pepper*
- 4 slices Havarti cheese (or other soft cheese)
- Canola oil (or Avocado oil)
- 8 slices country white bread (or sourdough, toasted)
- 4 tablespoons mayonnaise
- 4 tablespoons pepper jelly
- 8 slices cooked bacon*
- 2 cups baby arugula
Instructions
- Heat grill, or grill pan to medium high. Pound chicken cutlets between two sheets of plastic wrap using a rolling pin or meat mallet to create thin pieces about ¼ inch thick. Season both sides of each piece with garlic salt and pepper.
- Spray or brush chicken with canola or avocado oil before placing on the grill. Grill, turning over once, until cooked through, 4 to 6 min. Place one cheese slice on top of each cutlet to melt just before removing from pan or grill.
- To make each sandwich, spread one piece of toast with mayonnaise and one piece with a generous layer of pepper jelly. Fill with chicken, bacon and arugula to assemble the sandwich. Serve.
Notes
Nutrition
Tara Teaspoon
I’ve been in food publishing for over 25 years, creating recipes & food-styling for magazines, books, television, food brands, & advertising. With two cookbooks under my belt and thousands of my recipes at your fingertips, I hope you'll be inspired to spend more time in the kitchen!
mary says
Another of my favorite Tara Teaspoon recipes. Love this sandwich!
Marie says
I love a good pepper jelly. On a sandwich with havarti cheese and bacon, even better! This sandwich is delicious!
Julie says
Great way to use leftover roasted chicken and the spicy pepper jelly gives it a little zing.
Beth says
This sandwich proves once again that everything is better with bacon! I love all the flavors, the bacon, and that nice, meaty piece of chicken.
Maureen says
You know I've not heard or had pepper jelly before. I am intrigued to try this! Plus, who can resist a hearty sandwich that is easy to make and so satisfying? I can't wait to make this for lunch this week.
Maureen | http://www.littlemisscasual.com
Jocelyn @ HipMamasPlace.com says
Now I know what to make for lunch next. This sandwich looks delish.
LisaLisa says
I always love visiting your blog because you share some great recipes that are sooooooo different. This sweet and spicy bacon chicken sandwich looks so tasty.
Rosey says
I like that it's one 8 ingredients. Looks like a delicious recipe to me.
Nayna Kanabar says
This is a tasty and hearty sandwich. It looks so filling and hearty.
Barbie R says
Love the idea of the sweet touch. Going to try this. I love a spicy jam too. Great twist for it.
knycx journeying says
The combo of honey and hot sauce in the glaze was a nice surprise and nad sweet heat really worked with the bacon.
I didn't add pickles and it was still great.
Catalina says
This sandwich is next-level delicious! The balance of sweet and spicy flavors with the crispy bacon is absolutely perfect!
SONIA SEIVWRIGHT says
This looks ridiculously good! Sweet, spicy, cheesy, and bacon? I mean, how could that not be amazing? Totally making this the next time I’m craving a killer sandwich.