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!

Close-up of a blackened chicken sandwich with pickles and cheese resting on a wooden board.

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.

A blackened chicken sandwich with pickles and cheese resting on a wooden board.

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Blackened Chicken Sandwich

Marinated blackened chicken breasts layered between buttered brioche buns with melty Swiss cheese, pickles, and an easy Cajun mayo.

Prep: 15

Cook: 15

Marinate: 1

Total: 1 30

Recipe Makes: 4 sandwiches

Equipment

large airtight container (to marinate chicken)
medium mixing bowl (with lid, or plastic wrap to cover)
whisk (or silicone spatula)
paper towels
large plate
large cast iron skillet
tongs
internal meat thermometer
cutting board
Large skillet

Ingredients

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

For the Blackened Chicken Sandwiches

Get Recipe Ingredients

Instructions

To Marinate the Chicken (Optional)

Place 4 medium boneless, skinless chicken cutlets in large container. Add 1 cup pickle juice 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 ½ cup mayonnaise, 1 teaspoon Cajun seasoning, ½ teaspoon smoked paprika, ½ teaspoon garlic powder, and 1 dash hot sauce 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 1 tablespoon blackened seasoning. Set aside.
Place large cast-iron skillet on stovetop over medium heat. Add 1-2 tablespoons neutral-flavored oil 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 (4 slices Swiss cheese 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 2 tablespoons unsalted butter 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 4 brioche buns 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 2 tablespoons unsalted butter to skillet and let butter melt completely.
When butter has melted, place bottoms of 4 brioche buns 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 dill pickle slices.
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.

Notes

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.

Recipe costs provided are approximate. Actual cost per recipe & serving will vary by location, store, brand, etc. Approximate cost shown does not include costs for any optional ingredients.

Nutrition

Nutrition Disclaimer

Number of total servings shown is approximate. Actual number of servings will depend on your preferred portion sizes. Nutritional values shown are general guidelines and reflect information for 1 serving using the ingredients listed, not including any optional ingredients. Actual macros may vary slightly depending on specific brands and types of ingredients used. To determine the weight of one serving, prepare the recipe as instructed. Weigh the finished recipe, then divide the weight of the finished recipe (not including the weight of the container the food is in) by the desired number of servings. Result will be the weight of one serving.

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Recipe by Cheryl Malik

Blackened Chicken Sandwich

What Makes This Recipe So Good

Chef’s Tips

Other Tasty Chicken Recipes We Love