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Spicy Grilled Chicken Sandwiches

September 6, 2021 By justalittlebitofbacon Leave a Comment

Disclosure: This post may contain affiliate links. I receive a small commission at no cost to you when you make a purchase using my link. Click here for details.

Juicy, spicy, and simple! If you’re looking for a quick, no fuss dinner this is it. We love these grilled chicken sandwiches layered on brioche buns with a smokey, spicy chipotle mayo on top.

Close up of a spicy grilled chicken sandwich on a brioche bun layered with vegetables and sauce dripping down.

Hello, all.

Summer is ticking away here and that means I’m alternating between NO COOK meals and ALL GRILL meals. Either way it’s time to keep the kitchen cool in the evenings and opt for no fuss dinners. Are you with me? šŸ™‚

Tonight it’s one of those all grill meals which came about when I thought ‘okay chicken, grill, something spicy, oooh brioche buns’ and here we are! I pulled out spices, decided between breasts and thighs, and went for my favorite spicy mayo – which you will also see in my black bean burgers.

An hour later (since I had to go shopping for ingredients first) we were eating to thumbs up all around.

So, in keeping with my loose theme of the year for low fuss, usually quick dinners, once we tried and approved this recipe I knew I had to write it down and share it with all of you! Now onto the recipe info…

Top view of a grilled chicken sandwich open on a plate ready to add chipotle mayo.

What do you need?

  • Chicken Thighs – Four boneless skinless thighs.
  • Spice Rub – This is a nice mix of sweet, smokey, and spicy.
  • Chipotle Mayo – Creamy, spicy, and smokey with a good squeeze of lime!
  • Brioche Buns – These are sweet and rich and have enough heft to stand up to the spice.
  • Toppings – I like some combo of lettuce, tomato, and onion here.
Ingredients for the recipe.

How to make this

To make grilled chicken sandwiches cover the meat with a spice rub and then grill until cooked through and charred. Layer on brioche buns with chipotle mayo and the toppings of your choice.

1. Rub/Prep

If you are going to brine, do that first. Just sprinkle with kosher salt and let the meat hang out for at least 45 minutes, up to overnight. Then blot the chicken dry and continue.

Now mix your spices up – paprika (smoked and regular), chipotle, cumin, and brown sugar. Salt if you didn’t brine. And rub the mix all over the chicken. Boom. Done!

Step by step on how to make the recipe.

2. Grill

Get your grill hot and cook the thighs through, first on high and then on low. Follow the thighs with the buns to toast them.

3. Eat

Mix up the chipotle mayo and then layer the meat with the buns, add the mayo, and put on your choice of toppings.

Two hands holding up a grilled chicken sandwich layered with vegetables and sauce all on a bun.

More Dinners in a Bun

  • Crispy Chicken Parmesan Burgers
  • Italian Meatball Sliders
  • Grilled Greek Burgers
  • Easy Black Bean Burgers

If you try my recipe, I would love to hear from you in the comments with your experience and rating! And I’m happy to answer any questions you might have.

You can connect with me by subscribing to my emails (see the form in the sidebar or below the recipe card), liking my FACEBOOK page, or by following me on PINTEREST.

– Stay Safe, Annemarie

For a quick summer dinner coat chicken thighs with a spicy rub then layer them on brioche buns with chipotle mayo for grilled chicken sandwiches. | justalittlebitofbacon.com
Print Recipe

Spicy Grilled Chicken Sandwiches

For a quick summer dinner coat chicken thighs with a spicy rub then layer them on brioche buns with chipotle mayo for grilled chicken sandwiches.
Prep Time20 mins
Cook Time10 mins
Total Time30 mins
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: American
Keyword: chicken burgers, spicy grilled chicken
Servings: 4
Calories: 600kcal
Author: justalittlebitofbacon

Ingredients

  • 4 boneless skinless chicken thighs
  • 4 brioche buns
  • toppings: sliced tomatoes, lettuce, sliced onion

Rub

  • 1 tsp kosher salt
  • 1 tsp paprika
  • 1 tsp smoked paprika
  • 1/2 tsp cumin
  • 1/2 tsp chipotle powder
  • 1 tbsp brown sugar

Chipotle Mayo

  • 2/3 cup mayonnaise
  • 2-3 tbsp adobo sauce
  • 1 chipotle in adobo, minced (optional)
  • 1 tbsp lime juice

Instructions

  • Heat grill on high until fully hot. Rub the grates with oil.
  • Mix together all the rub ingredients and evenly coat the chicken.
  • Grill on high for 3-4 minutes, then turn and grill 3-4 minutes more. Reduce the heat to low/move the chicken to the cooler side of the grill, then cover and cook until the meat reaches 165F on an instant read thermometer, about 5 minutes more.
  • Mix together the ingredients for the chipotle mayo.
  • Take the chicken off the grill and put on the buns. Grill the buns until they are toasted and have grill marks.
  • Assemble the sandwiches, layering each thigh on a bun with chipotle mayo and your choice of lettuce, tomato, and onion.

Notes

  • Brining: For extra juicy meat, sprinkle the thighs with kosher salt at least 45 minutes before you are going to cook (up to overnight), then blot them dry, make the rub without salt and continue with the recipe.
  • Buns: While brioche is great with the spice, feel free to switch to your favorite style of bun.
  • Chicken: I like to leave the thighs whole, my daughter prefers to slice them up. Either is great!
Two views of grilled chicken on a bun with text overlay - Chicken Sandwiches.
Hands holding grilled chicken on a bun with text overlay - Spicy Grilled Chicken Sandwiches.

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Filed Under: chicken for dinner, grilling and bbq, main courses, recipe, summer Tagged With: brioche, chicken, lime, mayonnaise, paprika

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Hello, I’m Annemarie

Welcome to my kitchen! I’m a Italian-American girl who loves fresh foods, local ingredients, and all sorts of comfort foods. Here you will find Mediterranean flavors and recipes from a New England perspective.

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