Spicy chicken sandwich is quick, better for you

Avoid the fast-food bandwagon, make this one at home.

Seems like just about every fast-food restaurant in America has jumped on the chicken sandwich bandwagon, and I’ve tried many of them. (My favorite is also nearly everyone else’s favorite: Popeyes.)

Still, it is rare for me to stop at fast-food restaurants, especially when the thing I’m craving can be made just as quickly and almost as cheaply at home. This Chipotle Chicken Sandwich With Avocado from cookbook author Toby Amidor can be on the table in about 30 minutes, and it definitely scratches my chicken sandwich itch.

No, it’s not deep fried like Popeyes, but it still packs a lot of spicy flavor because it is marinated in a hot rub and then sauteed in a pan on the stovetop.

In “The Family Immunity Cookbook” (Robert Rose, 2021), Amidor, a registered dietitian, shares the sandwich as one of the 101 recipes that he says incorporate healthier choices in ingredients. His goal is to help people eat well, which helps to support their immune system. Amidor offers insights into the health benefits of certain foods, as well as strategies for shopping, prepping and portioning. He notes that part of making healthful home cooking more accessible is removing the stress in the kitchen by using few bowls and pans and keeping the prep to around 30 minutes. This dish does that.

The sandwich calls for chicken cutlets, which makes it a bit thriftier as well, especially if you slice your own cutlets from breast halves. (See instructions for how to do that in the NOTE below.)

Amidor uses light mayonnaise and reduced fat cheese to keep the fat and calories in line, but I prefer full-fat, and I used pepper jack instead of plain Monterey Jack cheese, for a little extra kick. The spicy chicken cutlet on the toasted whole wheat bun gets creaminess from sliced avocado, making it is easy to go light on or even skip the mayonnaise.

It also is simple to control the spiciness here because you are making the rub. If you use it full-spice, as I did, turn on the vent or open a window because when the chicken hits the hot pan, it fills the air with peppery scents. Or, adjust as Amidor advises: To add spiciness, increase the chipotle powder and smoked paprika by 1 teaspoon. To decrease the spiciness, cut back on the two spices by 1 teaspoon. The recipes calls for 15 minutes to 2 hours of marinating, but keep in mind that the longer you marinate the chicken, the spicier it may get.

Skip the fries or chips, and serve this sandwich with a green or fruit salad instead, so you can keep it light and fresh.