Grilled chicken sandwich. Marinated thigh, grilled until the edges char, stacked with bacon, cheese, avocado, and tomato on a toasted bun. This is the one I make when I don’t feel like firing up the smoker but still want something better than whatever’s in the fridge.
What you need
- Boneless skinless chicken thighs (4)
- Olive oil
- Salt and black pepper
- Garlic powder
- Paprika
- Cheese slices (pepper jack or cheddar)
- Bacon strips (8)
- Avocado (1, sliced)
- Tomato (1, sliced)
- Brioche buns (4)
- Butter (for toasting buns)
- Mayo or your preferred sauce
The chicken
Thighs, not breasts. Thighs stay juicy on the grill even if you overshoot by a minute. Breasts dry out the second you look away.
Toss the thighs with olive oil, salt, pepper, garlic powder, and paprika. Let them sit for 20 minutes at room temp while you heat the grill. Nothing fancy. You want flavor on the surface, not a complicated marinade that burns.
Grilling
Get the grill to medium-high. Oil the grates. Lay the thighs down and don’t move them for 4 minutes. You want grill marks and a little char. Flip and cook another 3 to 4 minutes until the internal hits 165. Use a Thermapen so you’re not guessing.
Drop a cheese slice on each thigh in the last minute. Close the lid and let it melt.
The bacon
Cook the bacon in a cold skillet, medium heat, about 10 minutes until crisp. Do this while the grill heats up so it’s ready when the chicken comes off.
Build it
Butter the buns and toast them on the grill for about a minute. They go from perfect to burnt fast so watch them.
Bottom bun. Mayo if you want it. Chicken thigh with melted cheese. Two strips of bacon. Avocado slices. Tomato. Top bun. Eat it before the avocado slides out, which it will.
Serve it with chips or whatever. This isn’t the kind of sandwich that needs a side to justify itself.
