Craving your favorite fast-food sandwich, but afraid of getting the corona virus? That COVID-19 Virus is nothing to mess with! So, here’s how to make it even BETTER right in your own backyard! ALL of the flavor that you crave, without all of the funky additives and preservatives! Just plain-old, simple goodness!
This sandwich not only tastes like the real deal, but it’s even healthier than you’d expect to get at any commercial food establishment! Sans all the additives and preservatives, with foot-long words we can’t even pronounce, this turned out to be one of THE BEST grilled chicken sandwiches I’ve EVER tasted.
Italian salad dressing is something I’ve been grilling with since I was a kid, but just dressing alone wasn’t going to have the right flavor to match what Chick-fil-A restaurants put out.
They use their own concoction, but I cheated just a wee little bit, and used some that I had right on hand. If you want to start from scratch, I HIGHLY recommend making my Zesty Italian Salad Dressing that tastes almost exactly like it.
(*I would’ve started from scratch, but I was in a huge hurry to beat an incoming storm, and had to really rock to get our supper done before the lightning and high winds chased me back into the house!)
But anyway, you should have everything you need to make the simple marinade right on hand. It whisks up in just a minute or two, then let the chicken pieces take a long, relaxing bath in it for several hours or overnight.
Once the chicken has absorbed all the wonderful flavors, just grill the pieces on each side, depending on the thickness and how hot your grill is, for just 4-7 minutes on each side until done inside. (*Do this with the grill lid closed, turning them now and then as needed.)
Once they’re done, butter those buns and grill the insides of those, too, until nicely toasted. Nothing worse than an anemic, naked bun! Nope. Can’t have that!!
Make sure you get some nice, pretty grill marks! Proof you made it yourself!
Then just assemble. Place a leaf of lettuce on the bottom, then a piece of that gorgeous chicken!
Next, add some thinly sliced tomatoes and onions. You can add some pickle slices, too, if you like. Or, if you want a pop of heat, add some pickled jalapeño pepper slices!
We kept ours super simple, so that I could fully test the flavor of the chicken, and that ended up being perfect for us!
But, if you want a little more on there, you can always hit the bun with a little bit of mayo or homemade Chick-fil-A sauce!
And that’s all there is to it! These come together FAST!! Perfect, storm-beating, summer supper!
And what a DELICIOUS sandwich it was!! Just. WOW. These Copycat Chick-fil-A Grilled Chicken Sandwiches were BY FAR the BEST grilled chicken sandwiches either of us have ever tasted!!
So, surprise your family and make some tonight! SO easy and absolutely AWESOME!! Hope you all enjoy!! Take care, wear that mask, and stay safe!!
Copycat Chick-fil-A
Grilled Chicken Sandwich
Makes 4 sandwiches
Ingredients:
Marinade:
1/2 cup Wishbone Zesty Robusto Italian Salad Dressing
1 tsp. finely chopped roasted red peppers
1/2 tsp. lemon juice concentrate
1/4 packed tsp. brown sugar
1/4 tsp. apple cider vinegar
1/16 tsp. garlic powder
1/16 tsp. regular black pepper
1/16 tsp. regular table salt
Rest of Ingredients:
4 boneless skinless chicken breasts, pounded a little thinner, thickness as desired
4 buns, buttered and grilled on the inside
lettuce leaves
tomato slices
thinly sliced red onion
pickle slices (optional)
Directions:
Pound and trim chicken breasts, place into a ziplock baggie. In glass measuring pitcher, add marinade ingredients, whisk well to thoroughly mix. Pour over chicken breasts, remove air from baggie, and close well. Place onto a baking sheet and turn several times to coat both sides of chicken with marinade well. Let marinate in the fridge for at least 4 hours or overnight, turning every now and then.
Heat grill to med/medium high heat. Oil grates, then place chicken breasts onto grill. Baste all sides well with the marinade, discard rest. Grill chicken, with lid closed, until done, turning pieces as needed. Depending on the thickness of your chicken and how hot your grill is, this will take approximately 3-5 minutes per side.
When chicken is done through, remove to a clean baking sheet or platter. Butter insides of buns and grill until insides are toasted.
To Assemble:
Place a lettuce leaf on the bottom bun. Top with a grilled piece of chicken, then tomato slices, onion, and pickles. (Spread inside top bun with a little mayo or copycat Chick-fil-A Sauce only if desired.)
