13 Chicken Sandwich Recipes to Make You Rethink Burgers

Fried, grilled, smoky, saucy, and creamy, these chicken sandwiches tantalize with flavor and texture.

While everyone's idea of the ideal chicken sandwich is different, it's safe to say that starting out with a solid chicken component, like chicken parmesan or chicken salad, is just as important as how you go about constructing the sandwich. Take Kenji's methodically-tested fried chicken, for example. It has evolved and undergone various iterations—from the quick pickle-brined method used for his 5-ingredient fried chicken sandwich to the more nuanced, multi-flavored approach for his kimchi-brined fried chicken sandwich. There's also a range of sandwiches focused on grilled chicken in various forms, from blackened to skewered, all providing a flavor-packed base for a sandwich's other components. We even included recipes featuring tandoori-inspired grilled chicken patties and curry leaf-spiced chicken salad that prove not all sandwiches have to be made with a bun, roll, or sliced bread. Consider these chicken sandwich recipes as a road trip across the chicken sandwich landscape.

5-Ingredient Fried Chicken Sandwiches

According to Kenji, all great fried chicken sandwiches start with juicy, well-brined, skinless, boneless chicken thighs. He uses a jar of pickle juice as a quick ready-made brine, then dredges the chicken in seasoned flour full of buttermilk craggy bits for texture and crunch.

Get Recipe: 5-Ingredient Fried Chicken Sandwiches

Kimchi-Brined Fried Chicken Sandwich

Here, Kenji's further exploration of fried chicken yields a delightfully zesty, spicy mash up of flavors and techniques—kimchi juice brine, briney nubby bits for extra crispy texture, and a sweet, vinegary hot chile oil finish reminiscent of Nashville-style hot chicken. You can sandwich the chicken with toasted potato rolls or nestle it inside Stella Parks' flaky black sesame buttermilk Biscuits that accentuate the Korean flavors.

Get Recipe: Kimchi-Brined Fried Chicken Sandwich

Nashville Hot Chicken Sandwich

Spicy, crispy, juicy fried chicken served on a brioche bun with mayonnaise and pickle chips—lean all the way in to the burn.

Get Recipe: Fiery Nashville Hot Chicken Sandwich

The Best F&$king Grilled Chicken Sandwich Ever

Inspired by his adventures in Colombia where anything served on a burger bun is considered a "hamburger," Daniel's indulgent version of a grilled chicken sandwich is a delectably juicy symphony of textures—crunchy, crispy, soft, creamy, and tender. It comes together quickly and will have you murmuring joyous raptures in between bites.

Get Recipe: The Best F&$king Grilled Chicken Sandwich Ever

Pubelan-Style Cemita Sandwiches

Breaded cutlets (chicken in this case!), juicy slices of tomato, crisp iceberg lettuce, and plenty of mayo make for a dreamy, dreamy midday meal.

Get Recipe: Pueblan-Style Cemita Sandwiches

Party-Sized Chicken Parmesan Sandwiches

Looking for a sandwich to feed a small hoard of hoagie lovers? Kenji loads a full-size toasted ciabatta loaf with his made-from-scratch chicken parmesan, along with extra red sauce and melty mozzarella.

Get Recipe: Party-Sized Chicken Parmesan Sandwiches

The Best Classic Chicken Salad

It seems rather obvious, but you can't make a standout chicken salad sandwich without a superior chicken salad. We go the extra mile by cooking the chicken sous vide with lemon and herbs to keep the meat tender and flavorful before dressing it in homemade mayo. Mounding the salad on Bibb lettuce is key to no soggy bread or loose chunks to detract from your sandwich-eating experience.

Get Recipe: The Best Classic Chicken Salad

Buffalo Chicken Grilled Cheese Sandwich

What do you get when you combine blue cheese, shredded chicken, Frank's RedHot, and melted Monterey Jack? The ultimate comfort food lovechild between a diner classic and a bar food staple that's spicy, meaty, and gooey in all the right ways.

Get Recipe: Buffalo Chicken Grilled Cheese Sandwich

Smoky Pulled Barbecue Chicken

A dry brine with barbecue spices and slow smoking over indirect heat keeps this chicken super tender and juicy, while a thin, well-crafted homemade barbecue sauce fully permeates and flavors the meat without making the pulled chicken too wet for the sandwich.

Get Recipe: Smoky Pulled Barbecue Chicken

Blackened Chicken Sandwich

While skinless, boneless chicken breast isn't ideal for grilling in most instances, we found a way to do it without drying it out: Start with flat, brined breast slices and cook them over high heat to quickly form a smoky blackened crust. The spicy, moist chicken is sandwiched in a warm grilled club roll, layered with pepper Jack cheese, Sriracha mayo, grilled onion, peppers, and lettuce.

Get Recipe: Blackened Chicken Sandwich

Curry Leaf Chicken Salad Sandwiches

There's no rule that says a chicken salad has to be sandwiched in a roll or between two slices of bread. Here, spicy, ginger-scented chicken salad, with an aromatic kick from curry leaves and mustard seeds quickly sautéed in oil, is served on warm naan.

Get Recipe: Curry Leaf Chicken Salad Sandwiches

Grilled Tandoori-Inspired Chicken Patties With Jalapeño-Mint Yogurt Sauce

These moist, flavor-packed grilled patties are an inspired riff on traditional chicken tandoori that can give any burger a run for its money. Served with a tangy, cool jalapeño-mint yogurt sauce, you can sandwich them in soft buns, toasted flatbread, or naan.

Get Recipe: Grilled Tandoori-Inspired Chicken Patties With Jalapeño-Mint Yogurt Sauce

Chicken Spiedies (Lemon- and Herb-Marinated Grilled Chicken Sandwiches)

A regional specialty of Binghamton, New York, cubes of boneless, skinless chicken breast are marinated in a vinegary base with lemon and herbs, skewered, grilled, and served up in toasty soft Italian rolls.

Get Recipe: Chicken Spiedies (Lemon- and Herb-Marinated Grilled Chicken Sandwiches)

Read the original article on Serious Eats.