Chicken Mayo Sandwiches (Creamy and Balanced!)
Inspired by Pakistani bakery sandwiches, these Chicken Mayo Sandwiches are creamy without being too mayo-heavy. The base of this recipe is strong with juicy, flavorful chicken breast mixed with a luscious sauce that’s creamy, savory, and tangy in just the right balance. Finish off with crunchy, fully customizable mix-ins. Perfect for gatherings or a make-ahead lunch!
- Prep time
- 10 min
- Cook time
- 25 min
- Yield
- 4 servings
- Difficulty
- MEDIUM
Ingredients
Quantities are shown as originally provided.
- 1/2 lb boneless chicken breast (cut into 2-3” pieces (yields ~150g/1.5 cup cooked chicken))
- 1/8-1/4 tsp sea salt (start with 1/8 tsp if using salted stock or bouillon)
- 1/8 tsp ground black pepper
- 1 cup veg/chicken stock OR water plus 1/2 tsp chicken bouillon stock cube ((I use Knorr) - Note 1)
- 1/3 cup mayonnaise (I've tested with Duke’s and Hellman’s)
- 3 tbsp sour cream (sub plain, whole-milk Greek yogurt)
- 2 tbsp cream cheese
- 1 1/2 tsp lemon juice
- 1/2 tsp whole grain or dijon mustard
- 1/2 tsp sugar or honey
- 3/4 tsp ground black pepper
- 1/8 tsp sea salt (more or less to taste depending on how salty your chicken broth is)
- 1/2 tsp red chili flakes (optional - may omit for kids)
- 1/3 cup shredded green cabbage (cut into ½” pieces)
- 1 green onion ((2 tbsp), both white and green parts, thinly sliced)
- 1/2 mini cucumber (¼ cup, peeled, very finely diced )
- 8-10 slices white or multigrain sandwich bread (untoasted if serving later)
- softened salted butter
Instructions
- 1
Boil chicken: Place the chicken, salt, pepper, and stock in a medium saucepan. Bring to a boil over high heat, removing any scum that rises to the surface. Reduce the heat to medium-high and allow to gently boil, uncovered, until the chicken is cooked through, and the water completely evaporates (~23 min). You’ll need to stir toward the end of boiling to prevent it from sticking. If the water evaporates too quickly, add a little water until it cooks through. If the chicken cooks and starts shredding while water remains, increase the heat to evaporate remaining water. Turn off the heat.
- 2
Shred: Transfer the chicken with any leftover juices to an electric mixer bowl with a paddle attachment. Turn the mixer on to low-med to medium speed (4-6). Mix until the chicken is shredded but still maintains some strands – you don’t want very fine, mushy shreds (~2 min). (It’s up to you how finely shredded you want, I personally don’t like super shredded, pasty chicken sandwiches.) Alternatively, very finely shred on a cutting board using 2 forks.
- 3
Make Chicken Mixture: Meanwhile, combine all the ingredients under Mayo Mixture in a small bowl. Add the Mayo mixture to the chicken and mix well. Taste and add salt to taste, sugar/honey for sweetness, lemon for tang, and black pepper/chili flakes for pungency or heat. Add the mix-ins and combine again.
- 4
Assemble Sandwiches: Apply a thin layer of the softened butter to the inside of the bread slices. Take 3-4 tbsp of the mixture, depending on the size of your bread, and spread on the buttered side of one slice of bread (make sure to spread it to the edges so that there’s filling in each bite of the sandwich). Put the other slice of bread on top, buttered side in. Cut off the edges, if you’d like, then slice into diagonals. For wider pieces of bread, you can do 3 rectangles. Cover with a dampened paper towel or tea cloth until ready to serve.