Crispy pan-fried chicken cutlets and a flavorful homemade romesco sauce are the most incredible sandwich pairing in this crispy chicken romesco sandwich!
Meet your new ride-or-die sandwich! Dramatic statement, perhaps, but the cross-section up there does not lie. This is one life-changing sandwich.
If you’ve never had romesco sauce before, you’re in for a serious treat today! This smoky, spicy tomato-based sauce is the star of this sandwich and bumps all the flavors up to a 12/10.
Plus crispy breaded chicken cutlets. Need I say more?
This sure ain’t your average chicken sandwich and definitely requires a bit more prep, but I’m here to tell you that it’s well worth the effort!
The crispy chicken cutlets are absolutely insane with all that spicy romesco sauce and it’s all shoved between a fluffy ciabatta bun. Best of luck fitting your face around this one.
This Chicken Sandwich features…
- A smoky, flavorful romesco sauce
- Crispy breaded chicken cutlets
- Soft ciabatta rolls and crisp arugula
- Juicy tomato slices, Monterey jack cheese, and pickles
Making the Chicken Sandwich
(scroll down to the bottom of the post for the full recipe)
Ingredients You Will Need
- Tomatoes
- Sweet pepper
- Garlic
- Ancho chiles
- Stale bread
- Almonds
- White wine vinegar
- Olive oil
- Chicken breasts
- Egg
- Milk
- All-purpose flour
- Panko breadcrumbs
- Unsalted butter
- Ciabatta rolls
- Arugula
- Tomatoes
- Monterey jack cheese
- Dill pickles
Choosing Your Chicken
I recommend using boneless skinless chicken breasts for this recipe. This cut of chicken can be pounded very thin so it cooks up quickly and perfectly crispy.
To prepare the chicken breasts for cooking, cut each breast in half width-wise, place between two sheets of wax paper, and pound until evenly thin using a rolling pin or meat mallet.
What Is Romesco?
Romesco sauce originates from the northeastern region of Spain and typically features roasted tomatoes and peppers as a base with an abundance of roasted garlic, nuts, vinegar, stale bread, and olive oil providing bold flavors and texture. This is a very flavor-packed sauce that goes well with a variety of dishes including sandwiches!
Tips for a Perfect Chicken Sandwich
- Oven roast tomatoes, garlic, and peppers for romesco – this softens them perfectly and helps the skins slide right off.
- Rehydrate ancho chiles – allow the chiles to soften in boiling water about 15 minutes until they’re tender.
- Use a food processor or blender – romesco requires a lot of heavy blending to get the ingredients to break down. I prefer a food processor, but a blender will also work.
- Use standard breading procedure for chicken – this means a coating of flour, beaten egg/milk, and then breadcrumbs. This standard procedure will help the breading stick to the chicken during cooking.
- Pan fry chicken – because the chicken is very thin it will only take a couple minutes to fry up perfectly crispy in a combination of butter and olive oil.
- Don’t overcrowd pan – if your chicken cutlets are too big to fit in an even layer in pan, I recommend cooking it in batches.
- Assemble sandwiches immediately once chicken is done – you want to enjoy these sandwiches while the chicken is hot and crispy!
Recipe Variations
Try these ideas for a different twist on this sandwich.
- Adjust heat level in romesco sauce – skip the ancho chiles for a more mild flavor. Alternatively, if you want more heat, use suggested amount of ancho chiles and add cayenne pepper to taste.
- Use a different bread – try focaccia slices, brioche buns, sourdough slices, or pretzel buns in place of the ciabatta buns.
- Try a different cheese – try fresh mozzarella, sharp cheddar, or gouda.
Every single component of this chicken sandwich compliments each other to perfection! The chicken is earth-shattering crispy, the romesco sauce adds a boost of savory, smoky flavors, and the juicy tomato slices + crisp pickles and greens tie everything up perfectly.
No way around it, you’ve just found your new favorite sandwich!
Save this recipe using the ‘save to recipe box’ button below. If you make it, please let us know! Leave a comment + star rating below, or take a photo and tag it on Instagram with #wholeandheavenlyoven.
More summer sandwich recipes to try next!
Crispy Chicken Romesco Sandwich
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Ingredients
Romesco Sauce
- 3 medium tomatoes (about 1 lb) cored and quartered
- 1 medium sweet pepper, cored and quartered
- 3 medium whole cloves garlic
- 2 medium dried ancho chiles
- 1 slice toasted or stale bread, torn into bite-sized pieces
- 1/4 cup sliced almonds, toasted
- 1 tablespoon white wine vinegar
- 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
- Salt and pepper to taste
Crispy Chicken Sandwich
- 2 medium boneless skinless chicken breasts (1-1/2 lbs)
- 1 large egg
- 1/4 cup 2% or skim milk
- 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
- Kosher salt and pepper to taste
- 1 cup panko breadcrumbs
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, divided
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 4 ciabatta rolls, split and toasted
- 2 cups firmly-packed arugula
- 2 medium tomatoes, thinly sliced
- 4 slices Monterey jack cheese
- 1 cup sliced dill pickles (optional)
Instructions
Romesco Sauce
- Preheat oven to 400F. Line a medium sheet pan with parchment paper and arrange tomato red pepper cut-side down and garlic on sheet pan.
- Roast tomatoes, pepper, and garlic at 400F 30-35 minutes until softened and slightly blistered in spots. Allow to cool slightly, then remove skin from tomatoes, pepper, and garlic and discard.
- Place ancho chiles in a medium bowl and carefully pour boiling water over top. Place something heavy on top of peppers to fully submerge them in water for 15 minutes to allow them to soften.
- Remove peppers from water and transfer to a cutting board. Remove stem and seeds and finely chop pepper.
- Place ancho chiles, roasted tomatoes, red pepper, garlic, bread pieces, almonds, vinegar, and olive oil in a food processor or blender. Process sauce until smooth, scraping down sides as necessary. Season romesco with salt and pepper to taste and store in refrigerator until ready to serve.
Crispy Chicken Sandwich
- Cut each chicken breast in half width-wise so you have 4 thin chicken cutlets. Pound chicken cutlets flat to about 1/2-in thickness between two sheets of wax paper using a meat mallet or a rolling pin.
- In a shallow bowl, whisk egg and milk together until smooth. Place flour in a separate shallow bowl and season with salt and pepper. Place breadcrumbs in a third shallow bowl and season with salt and pepper.
- Dredge chicken cutlets in flour, shaking off excess. Dip cutlets in egg, then roll in breadcrumbs until fully coated. Place on a plate.
- Place 1 tablespoon butter and olive oil in a large skillet and heat over medium-high heat. Add chicken to pan and sear 3-4 minutes on first side. Flip chicken and add remaining 1 tablespoon butter and cook an additional 3-4 minutes until chicken registers 165F (work in batches if needed to not overcrowd pan – add additional butter and oil to pan as needed). Transfer chicken to a cutting board and set aside for a moment.
- Assemble sandwiches by layering arugula, chicken cutlets, a few spoonfuls of romesco sauce, tomato slices, cheese slices, and pickles if desired between toasted ciabatta rolls. Spoon a little additional romesco on sandwiches and replace tops. Serve sandwiches immediately and enjoy!
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