The Best Chipotle Chicken Avocado Melt Sandwich

This chipotle chicken sandwich is a favorite in our house! 

It’s got lean chicken, creamy avocado, smoky chipotle mayo and melty cheese in between extra thick slices of buttery bread. All the good things. 

I should first admit that when I created this recipe, I had no idea that there was a very popular version at Panera Bread. 

I must live under a rock, right? So, apologies up front – this is not a Panera copycat recipe! It’s better.

Ingredients

Here’s what you’ll need for this chipotle chicken avocado melt recipe:

• Italian bread, French bread or sourdough bread
• Boneless, skinless chicken breast
• Sliced avocado
• American cheese
• Cheddar cheese
• Mayonnaise
• Chipotle chili peppers in adobo. The addition of chipotle pepper gives this sandwich a smoky flavor and bit of a kick without overpowering the other flavors. You can control the level of heat and smoke by choosing how many chipotle chili peppers you use in the mayo. For us, it’s two. And the peppers I’m talking about are the ones you’ll find in little cans in the Latin aisle of the grocery store. They come already cooked in a smoky chipotle sauce, ready for use. I love adding them to salsas and marinades.

How to make a Chipotle Chicken Melt

Roast the Chicken

First, let’s get our chicken in the oven.

Start with two large chicken breasts and cut them crosswise so that you have 4 thinner breasts. Pop them into the oven while you prepare the chipotle mayo.

Make the Chipotle Mayo

Chop up the chipotle peppers. I’d recommend starting with 2 peppers and then tasting. Add more, depending on your palate and preference for heat and smoke.

Then, mix them into the mayonnaise and lime juice in a small bowl.

Build your Sandwich

Layer your ingredients in this order: cheese, avocado, cooked chicken and more cheese.

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You want to make sure that every bite is a cheesy one, so be sure to layer the chicken and avocado between the two different cheeses.

Grill the Sandwich

If you have a panini press, you could make this as a chipotle chicken panini. But you don’t need a panini grill to make this sandwich.

Grill it using a flat top grill, on open grill grates, in a cast iron skillet or a plain old frying pan, like I do.

WHAT’S THE BEST BREAD FOR A CHIPOTLE CHICKEN Sandwich?

As with any delicious sandwich, the bread is super important. 

Look for an unsliced loaf that is relatively plain, so that you can control the thickness of the slices of bread.

We have made these sandwiches with white, Italian and sourdough breads and they all come out delicious.

I might try it with foccacia bread next because I think it would be really yummy.

Pro Tips for the Best Results

• Try using mayonnaise on the outsides of the bread to get a beautiful golden crust. You don’t really taste a difference between butter and mayonnaise, and mayo has a lower smoke point than butter. So you run less risk of burning your grilled sandwiches.
• Make this easy recipe even easier and grab a rotisserie chicken breast from the grocery store. If you prefer shredded chicken to sliced chicken, shred the cooked breasts using two forks.
• If you’re finding the avocado slices too slippery, mash them in a bowl and spread them onto the bread after the smoky mayo.

How to store leftovers

Store your leftover sandwiches in an airtight container or wrap them in aluminum foil. They will stay fresh in the fridge for a few days.

When you want to enjoy them again, slowly reheat them in a large skillet or toaster oven.

When you make this chipotle chicken sandwich recipe, I’d love to hear about it! Drop a rating or leave a comment below. Enjoy!

For more sandwich recipes, try these:

• Best Chicken Cutlet Sandwich
• Chicken Souvlaki Sandwich with Halloumi “Fries”
• Classic All-American Burger Recipe

For more easy weeknight meals, try these:

• Pepperoni and Cheese Stromboli
• Honey Mustard Chicken w/ Warm Potato Arugula Salad
• Ginger Soy Chicken Meatballs with Plum Sauce