Festival Classic Lunch: Street-Food Rebel’s Grilled Chicken Sandwich

Festival Classic Lunch: Street-Food Rebel’s Grilled Chicken Sandwich

Discover the perfect recipe for a grilled chicken sandwich that captures the essence of a famous street-food classic. This copycat recipe is easy to follow and delivers big on flavor, making it the star of your next tailgate or cookout!

🕒 Prep - 10 min, Cook - 25 min, Total - 35 min
🍽 Servings: 4
🔥 Difficulty: Intermediate
🌎 Cuisine: American

Allergens

Milk, Wheat

Ingredients

  • 4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (6 oz each)
  • 1 cup buttermilk
  • 2 cups all
  • purpose flour
  • 2 tbsp paprika
  • 2 tsp garlic powder
  • 1 tsp onion powder
  • 1 tsp cayenne pepper
  • Salt and black pepper, to taste
  • Vegetable oil, for grilling
  • 4 large hamburger buns, split
  • 4 slices American cheese
  • 1 cup shredded lettuce
  • 1 ripe tomato, sliced
  • 1 red onion, thinly sliced
  • 2 tbsp mayonnaise
  • 2 tsp yellow mustard
  • 1 tbsp pickle relish
  • 4 dill pickle slices

Instructions

  1. Place the chicken breasts between two sheets of plastic wrap and pound to an even 1/2 inch thickness.
  2. In a shallow dish, whisk together the buttermilk and 1 cup of water. Add the chicken and turn to coat. Cover and refrigerate for 30 minutes.
  3. In another shallow dish, whisk together the flour, paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, cayenne pepper, salt, and black pepper.
  4. Remove the chicken from the buttermilk mixture, letting excess liquid drip off. Dredge each piece in the seasoned flour, shaking off the excess.
  5. Preheat a grill or griddle to medium high heat. Brush with vegetable oil to prevent sticking.
  6. Grill the chicken for 4 5 minutes per side or until cooked through and golden brown. Remove from the grill and let rest for 5 minutes.
  7. In a small bowl, combine the mayonnaise, mustard, and relish. Spread onto the bottom half of each bun.
  8. Place a chicken breast on top of each mayo covered bun half. Add a slice of American cheese on top of each chicken breast.
  9. Add lettuce, tomato, and red onion slices to each sandwich. Top with a dill pickle slice and the top half of the bun.
  10. Grill the sandwiches for 2 3 minutes per side or until the cheese is melted and the buns are lightly toasted.

Chef’s Insight

For added flavor, marinate the chicken in your favorite BBQ sauce for 30 minutes before grilling.

Notes

For an extra smoky flavor, use hickory or mesquite wood chips on the grill.

Cultural or Historical Background

This recipe is inspired by the famous street-food classic "Chicken Sandwich," which can be found at festivals and carnivals across America.