Do you remember the great chicken sandwich wars? It all started with Chick-Fil-A vs Popeyes and then the Colonel got involved and then everyone started jumping in. Slim Chickens has my vote, but we are getting off track…
What determines what a great chicken sandwich really is? Well the only answer to that is personal preference, right? Well this crispy chicken cutlet sandwich with my roasted tomato pesto has all of my favorite chicken sandwich elements… thin and crispy chicken, a flavorful tomato sauce, lots of salty parmesan and a pile of greens. Delish!
If this sandwich sounds like something you would enjoy then what are we waiting for?
Let’s get started…
Begin by making a batch of my roasted tomato pesto. This stuff is good enough to just eat with a spoon, so don’t worry about making an entire batch just for a sandwich or two. You’ll end up using it on pasta or as a bread dip later on. Pinky swear…
Start by roasting 16 ounces of vine ripened tomatoes in a 400 degree oven for about 20 minutes or until they are lightly caramelized.
Once they are roasted, let them cool off for a few minutes and then pulse them in a food processor along with a cup of fresh basil leaves, 2 cloves of minced garlic, 1/2 cup of roughly chopped almonds, 1/2 cup of shredded parmesan and a pinch of sea salt. Pulse until combined and add olive oil if your pesto is too thick.
Pesto is done.
Next, we need to make a few thick and crispy chicken cutlets, which is a really easy process…
Thinly slice a boneless skinless chicken breast in half horizontally, pound it out thin and grab 3 shallow bowls.
Whisk an egg with a tablespoon of milk and some salt and black pepper in one of the bowls.
Season some all purpose flour in the second bowl and add some panko breadcrumbs in the third bowl.
Season your chicken generously on both sides (I use garlic salt, onion powder, paprika and Lawry’s, but use what you love!) and then dip them into the flour first then the egg and finally the panko.
Place a large skillet over medium heat, add a splash of olive oil and a tablespoon of butter and fry them on both sides until they are golden brown and crispy.
Crispy chicken cutlets done.
It is now time to assemble our sandwiches. I like to use ciabatta bread, but you can technically use any bread, roll or bun that you want for your chicken sandwich.
Start by adding a generous layer of your roasted tomato pesto onto the bottom slice and top with a chicken cutlet.
Shred a whole bunch of parmesan over the cutlet, add more pesto onto the top slice of bread and add that over a pile of baby arugula (or your favorite greens).
This sandwich is just a classic. It reminds me of chicken parmesan a little bit, but a little lighter with additional layers of flavor and the greens add something special too.
If this sandwich got involved in the sandwich wars, I think it would do very well for itself.
Buon appetito!
Crispy Chicken Cutlet Sandwich with Roasted Tomato Pesto
Ingredients
Roasted Tomato Pesto
- 16 ounces of vine ripened tomatoes
- olive oil
- sea salt
- 1 cup of fresh basil leaves, hand torn
- 2 cloves of garlic, minced
- 1/2 cup of almonds, roughly chopped
- 1/2 cup of parmesan, shredded
Crispy Chicken Cutlets
- 1 large boneless skinless chicken breast, thinly sliced
- 1/3 cup of all purpose flour
- 2/3 cup of panko breadcrumbs
- 1 teaspoon of your favorite seasonings (garlic salt, onion powder, paprika, seasoned salt... whatever you love!)
- 1 large egg
- 1 tablespoon of milk
Assembly
- ciabatta bread, hoagies or hearty sliced bread
- baby arugula
- parmesan, shredded
Instructions
Make the roasted tomato pesto…
- Preheat your oven to 400 degrees
- Spread the tomatoes over a baking sheet, drizzle with olive oil and season with sea salt and some dried Italian herbs
- Roast the tomatoes for about 20 minutes or until they are wilted and lightly caramelized
- Transfer the tomatoes out of the oven to cool while you prepare the other ingredients
- Add the basil leaves, nuts, garlic and parmesan into a food processor along with the cooled roasted tomatoes
- Pulse until combined
- Slowly add olive oil until your desired consistency is achieved
- Add salt to taste
- Serve or store in the refrigerator in an airtight container for up to 4 days
Make the crispy chicken cutlets…
- Thinly slice your boneless skinless chicken breast in half lengthwise, place between two sheets of parchment paper or plastic wrap and pound the pieces evenly thin
- Generously season the chicken with your favorite seasonings (I uses garlic salt, onion powder, paprika and Lawry's seasoned salt, but use what you love!)
- Add 1/3 cup of all purpose flour into a shallow bowl and season with salt and black pepper
- Whisk a large egg with a tablespoon of milk in a second shallow dish and season with salt and black pepper
- Season 2/3 cup of panko breadcrumbs in your third bowl
- Lightly coat the chicken in the seasoned flour and then dip it into the whisked egg and allow any excess egg to fall off
- Transfer the flour and egg coated chicken into the panko mix , ensure that both sides are generously coated and set aside for now
- Add some olive oil and a tablespoon of butter into a large shallow skillet placed over medium heat and allow it to warm for a few minutes
- Carefully place the coated chicken into the oil and cook until the bottom side is golden brown and crisp (about 4-5 minutes)
- Flip the chicken and continue to fry until both sides are golden brown and the chicken is cooked through with an internal temperature of 165 degrees
- When the chicken is cooked through, transfer it onto a cooling rack and sprinkle with salt
Assemble the sandwiches…
- Add a generous layer of roasted tomato pesto onto the bottom slice of bread
- Add a crispy chicken cutlet and top generously with shredded parmesan
- Add some greens
- Add a thin layer of tomato pest on the top slice of bread and press down over the greens
- Slice in half and enjoy right away!
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