This post may contain affiliate links, please see our privacy policy for details.
Meet the ultimate grilled chicken sammie…the spicy maple grilled chicken sandwich.
I’m feeling like this will be the summer of sandwiches here on the blog. For the last few years I’ve avoided making summer sandwiches and burgers because I absolutely hate photographing them. Not quite so much with the sandwiches (I guess I can sometimes handle those), but definitely burgers. For some reason I just have a really hard time with them. I know this is so insane, but I am here today saying that I am changing my ways…this summer there will be an abundance of both burgers and sandwiches on the blog!
I’ve already photographed three and love them all! I swear, it’s positive thinking before going into the shoot that makes all the difference. Plus OK, I made sure each sandwich/burger was piled high with flavor and color. But let’s be real, we all know that’s what makes the bestest sandwiches anyway. Duh.
And trust me, while these grilled chicken sandwiches have a short cooking time, they are beyond loaded, and kind of the perfect thing to grill up on a Wednesday night.
Just sayin’.
This sandwich has simple ingredients list, are loaded with flavor, and feel very southern to me…but yet are not fried. It’s the maple, corn, and bacon thing, and all piled high too. Super southern, right?
The chicken is a simple three ingredient combo. Real maple syrup (meaning no Aunt Jemima), sambal oelek (spicy chili paste), and a little olive oil. Yup, just three simple, pantry staple, ingredients and no marinating time needed either. Heck yeah! The maple glazes the chicken as it grills, and the sambal oelek balances out all the sweetness. It’s sounds kind of odd, but guys I promise it’s so delicious…especially when topped with that smoky bacon corn.
OH MY GOSH <–talk about summer eats. Smoky. Bacon. Corn.
It’s honestly too good.
The corn gets cooked with the bacon and tossed with a little smoked paprika, fresh basil, green onions, and seasoned with salt and pepper. It’s truly the best topping to a grilled chicken sandwich. It’s smoky, sweet, and just a little salty.
YUM.
I almost added fresh peaches to the corn mix, but my peaches just were not sweet enough. If you happen to have some early season peaches that are delicious, I’d totally toss those in with the corn mix. That would be SO good.
And then to finish things off, spread some pesto yogurt onto toasted ciabatta rolls, add the chicken, corn, and then a little avocado, you know for good measure.
Surprisingly, I did not add any cheese to this sandwich, but if you wanted to make this a cheesy chicken sandwich, I think cheddar would be pretty amazing with everything happening in this sandwich…next time, I’m adding cheddar.
Already excited about it.
And now you see, right?
Wednesday night dinner should probably be this grilled chicken sandwich. Again, it’s ready in just about thirty minutes, pretty healthy, uses some pretty simple, everyday ingredients, and is finger lickin’ good. <–for real.
Spicy Maple Grilled Chicken Sandwich with Smoky Bacon Corn
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup real maple syrup
- 1 tablespoon sambal oelek, (spicy chili sauce)
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- kosher salt and pepper
- 1 pound boneless skinless chicken tenders
- 4 slices thick cut bacon, chopped
- 4 ears corn, kernels removed from the cob, (about 4 cups total)
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1/4 cup fresh basil, chopped
- 2 green onions, chopped
- 1/2 cup shredded cabbage
- 1/2 cup fresh blueberries
- 4 ciabatta rolls, toasted
- 1/2 cup plain greek yogurt
- 1/4 cup basil pesto
- 1 avocado, sliced
Instructions
- 1. Stir together the maple syrup, sambal oelek, olive oil, and a pinch of salt in a small bowl. Add the chicken to a large ziplock bag and pour half the maple mixture over the chicken. Let sit for 10 minutes. 2. Meanwhile, heat a large skillet over medium heat and cook the bacon until crisp, about 5-8 minutes. Stir in the corn, paprika, and pinch each of salt and pepper. Cook 5 minutes and then add the basil, and green onions. Remove from the heat and let cool slightly. Stir in the cabbage and blueberries. 3. Preheat an outdoor grill or grill pan to medium heat. Oil the grates. 4. Add the chicken and grill for 5-8 minutes per side, basting the chicken with the reserve maple mixture until the chicken is cooked through. Remove from the grill and drizzle any remaining maple mix over the chicken. 5. Mix the yogurt and pesto together in a small bowl. 6. To assemble, spread the yogurt pesto mix onto the bottom of each bun. Top with chicken, corn, and avocado. EAT!
Notes
Nutrition
Nutritional information is only an estimate. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.
Did you make this recipe? Please rate & comment below.
Prepare to get messy with this sandwich…it’s the only way to go.
Just made this tonight (minus the blueberries, because I’m weird and don’t like them), and OMG this was AMAZING! I think next time we’ll had some Swiss, provolone, or havarti with it ? Such a great and simple summer dinner!
Hey Kaley,
Love to hear that this recipe was enjoyed, thanks a lot for giving it a go! Have a great day! xxTieghan
This is super delicious, thanks you, Your post is great and this recipe very usefull with me. I will try it today and over again!
Love it.!
Hey Gordon,
Happy Monday! I am so glad this recipe was enjoyed, thanks a bunch for making it! xTieghan
Hello! I’m excited to try this – even though it’s fall 🙂 Can I make the corn salad in advance, will it keep well for a day or 2?
thanks!
Hey Julie,
Yes that is totally fine to do! I hope you love the recipe, please let me know if you have any other questions! xTieghan
This recipe is pure genius ❤️ My family is in love with it…and my husband is obsessed!
Thank you so much Amanda! xTieghan
This was absolutely delicious. We added a diced peach, too. All the goodies that slid off the sandwich are tasty as a side, too. Haha. We have an extremely picky teenager. We told her it was a BBQ mixed with buffalo sauce (two of her favorites). We even put a little of the yogurt/pesto and the cabbage/fruit/corn topping. She gobbled it up. She loves that you are so young and your food is so beautiful. Thanks a bunch for another creative recipe. This will be in our rotation.
I am so happy to hear that Heather! Thank you so much!
Delish!!! Easy & so full of flavor!!! I see how it’s hard to photograph and messy to eat but totally worth it!
Thank you so much Eileen! I am so glad you loved this recipe!
Delicious dinner! The corn is a showstopper, I would eat it on its own. Great, simple summer meal. I used a kaiser bun and substituted Tatziki for the pesto mixture to save some time and money. Great substitution if you don’t have the ingredients for pesto. Thanks for the recipe!
Thank you so much! I am so glad you enjoyed this recipe!!
My husband deemed this “the most amazing sandwich ever!” I did change it up a bit using boneless skinless chicken thighs we had in the freezer and left out the blueberries and avocado. I dry brined the thighs first to make sure they would be tender. I also used mayo instead of greek yogurt. I thought the corn salad on the sandwich would be too starchy but it melded in perfectly. Thank you for the quintessential summer sandwich!
Thank you so much Helen! I am so glad you and your husband loved this recipe!
This was such a tasty and fresh summer dinner! I went without the bread because I had chicken thighs I wanted to use up and I added some fresh picked kale instead of cabbage to the sautéed bacon, corn and blueberry mix- never thought those would all go together so deliciously! 10/10 would recommend, so fast to make too! Thank you!
I am so happy you loved this Becca! Thank you so much!
Very creative.
The chicken with bacon and corn, are already part of my choices, but the idea of the fresh blueberries was great I loved it.
I can not wait to test
Thank you for sharing
Thank you! I am so glad you loved this recipe!
Yum, I love this so much that I’ve just made it 2 days in a row, & you’re right about the peaches, sooo good! Thanks so much for your amazing recipes ?
Thank you so much Sarah!
Just made a batch of sandwiches for dinner, and hot damn, this recipe is our new fave! A ton of flavours going on, but they all meshed in an incredible way! Worth the time, so delicious!!!
Thank you so much Leslie!
This corn is the best thing ever! Made this recipe for the fam yesterday, and my little brothers, who normally won’t touch veggies with a ten foot pole, and hate anything “mixed up” – all three tried a huge bite because it was so pretty. I couldn’t keep the one out of the bowl after that – he kept snitching mouthfuls while I was finishing up the chicken outside! And the other two had big helpings as a side dish 🙂
The chicken was amazing too, but that corn! I was a little leery of blueberries in my corn at first glance, but this is now a staple in our summer recipe rotation!
Ooo!! YAY! So happy you and even your brothers liked it!
Thank you so much for making it Kate! (:
Another killer recipe. Keep up the good work TG!
Thanks so much!!
This was SO good. I made it slightly lighter and served it over romaine instead of on ciabatta. The chicken marinate….TO DIE FOR. I couldn’t stop eating the corn/bacon combo either!
Love the flavor combos here, Tieghan! It ended up being an awesome summer salad.
That is so great! I am so glad you liked this recipe Libby!