Blackened Chicken Sandwich
The most epic blackened chicken sandwich! Chicken breasts are marinated in pickle juice to make them ultra tender then blackened for tons of flavor. Layer the blackened chicken between melty Swiss cheese, a quick and easy Cajun mayo, dill pickle chips, and buttered brioche buns – chef’s kiss! It doesn’t get better!
What Makes This Recipe So Good
- These homemade blackened chicken sandwiches have all the flavor you expect from a restaurant or fast-food version, right down to a creamy Cajun mayo and buttery toasted brioche buns.
- When you hear “boneless, skinless chicken breast cutlets”, you’re probably expecting a dry, tough protein. Not so! By marinating the chicken in pickle juice first, the meat becomes extra juicy – with a little touch of added flavor, too. We also just slightly undercook the chicken on the stove and let the residual heat finish the job, guaranteeing the chicken is super tender and not-at-all overcooked.
Chef’s Tips
- Make sure your chicken cutlets are all basically the same size and same thickness. If they vary too much, they’ll cook unevenly.
- If you have the time, prep the Cajun mayo early and chill it until you’re ready to make your sandwiches. That extra downtime lets all the ingredients really meld together and deepen, giving you a richer, more flavorful sauce.
Other Tasty Chicken Recipes We Love
- Hot Honey Chicken Tenders
- Chicken Savoy
- Boneless Skinless Chicken Thighs in the Air Fryer
- Mustard Fried Chicken
- Gluten Free Fried Chicken
- Chicken Ranchero
- Chicken Pesto Sandwich
- Ground Chicken Soup
- One Pan Chicken and Rice
- 3-Ingredient Slow Cooker Mexican Shredded Chicken
- Blackened Chicken Alfredo
- Mexican Chicken Casserole
- Air Fryer Frozen Popcorn Chicken
- Chicken Bacon Ranch Sliders
- Ultimate Chicken Casserole
- Jerk Chicken Tacos
Blackened Chicken Sandwich
Marinated blackened chicken breasts layered between buttered brioche buns with melty Swiss cheese, pickles, and an easy Cajun mayo.
- large airtight container
- medium mixing bowl
- whisk
- paper towels
- large plate
- large cast iron skillet
- tongs
- internal meat thermometer
- cutting board
- Large skillet
For the Chicken
- 4 medium boneless, skinless chicken cutlets (approximately 6 ounces each)
- 1 cup pickle juice (optional but recommended)
- 1 tablespoon blackened seasoning (store-bought or make your own, see Notes)
- 1-2 tablespoons neutral-flavored oil (vegetable oil, avocado oil, etc.)
For the Creamy Cajun Mayo
- ½ cup mayonnaise
- 1 teaspoon Cajun seasoning
- ½ teaspoon smoked paprika
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 dash hot sauce
For the Blackened Chicken Sandwiches
- 4 slices Swiss cheese
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 4 brioche buns
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
- dill pickle slices
To Marinate the Chicken (Optional)
Place [wprm-ingredient text=”4 medium boneless, skinless chicken cutlets” uid=”0″] in large container. Add [wprm-ingredient text=”1 cup pickle juice” uid=”2″] to container, covering chicken completely.
Secure lid on container and place in refrigerator. Marinate chicken 1 hour minimum, up to 8 hours.
For the Creamy Cajun Mayo
While chicken marinates, add [wprm-ingredient text=”½ cup mayonnaise” uid=”4″], [wprm-ingredient text=”1 teaspoon Cajun seasoning” uid=”6″], [wprm-ingredient text=”½ teaspoon smoked paprika” uid=”7″], [wprm-ingredient text=”½ teaspoon garlic powder” uid=”8″], and [wprm-ingredient text=”1 dash hot sauce” uid=”9″] to medium mixing bowl. Stir all ingredients together until fully incorporated into smooth mixture.
Cover bowl with lid or plastic wrap and refrigerate until ready to serve.
To Cook the Chicken
After chicken has marinated for desired length of time, remove chicken from container, pat each cutlet dry on all sides with paper towels, and place cutlets on large plate.
Season cutlets on all sides with [wprm-ingredient text=”1 tablespoon blackened seasoning” uid=”3″]. Set aside.
Place large cast-iron skillet on stovetop over medium heat. Add [wprm-ingredient text=”1-2 tablespoons neutral-flavored oil” uid=”15″] to skillet and continue heating pan until oil is hot and shimmery.
When oil is hot, place chicken cutlets in skillet, being careful not to crowd pan. Cook chicken in 2 batches if needed.
Cook chicken 3 to 4 minutes, then flip chicken over and cook 1 to 2 minutes more, until chicken reaches 158° to 160° Fahrenheit internally.
Cover each chicken cutlet with 1 slice of Swiss cheese ([wprm-ingredient text=”4 slices Swiss cheese” uid=”13″] total). Cook chicken 1 additional minute or until cheese is melted and internal temperature of chicken is between 160° and 163° Fahrenheit.
Once cheese has melted, transfer chicken cutlets to cutting board and set aside. Repeat with any remaining cutlets.
To Toast the Buns
Once all chicken cutlets have been cooked and transferred to cutting board, place second large skillet on stovetop over medium-high heat. Add [wprm-ingredient text=”2 tablespoons unsalted butter” uid=”12″] to skillet and let butter melt completely, swirling and tilting pan as needed to distribute butter across entire surface of pan.
When butter has melted, place tops of [wprm-ingredient text=”4 brioche buns” uid=”11″] cut-side down in skillet. Toast bun tops 1 to 2 minutes, until cut-side of buns are golden and just crisp.
Transfer toasted top buns to cutting board or serving plates and set aside.
Add [wprm-ingredient text=”2 tablespoons unsalted butter” uid=”16″] to skillet and let butter melt completely.
When butter has melted, place bottoms of [wprm-ingredient text=”4 brioche buns” uid=”11″] cut-side down in skillet. Toast bun bottoms 1 to 2 minutes, until cut-side of buns are golden and just crisp.
Transfer toasted bottom buns to serving plates.
To Serve
Spread prepared Cajun mayo over toasted side of bottom bun, then top mayo with desired number of [wprm-ingredient text=”dill pickle slices” uid=”14″].
Place one chicken cutlet on top of pickle slices.
Spread prepared Cajun mayo over toasted side of top bun, then place top bun on top of chicken, mayo-side down.
Repeat with remaining ingredients. When all sandwiches have been assembled, serve warm with fries, chips, or other preferred sides.
- Chicken: You can buy thin-cut chicken breasts, or you can slice 2 thick chicken breasts in half horizontally (like a burger bun) to create 4 chicken cutlets.
Homemade Blackened Seasoning
- ½ teaspoon paprika
- ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper
- ¼ teaspoon ground cumin
- ¼ teaspoon dried thyme
- ⅛ teaspoon onion powder
- ⅛ teaspoon ground white pepper
- ⅛ teaspoon salt
Add all spices to small mixing bowl and stir spices until well-blended.
