Fresh Chicken Sandwich Recipes That Are Far Better Than Fast Food

To max out the flavor in your next fried chicken sandwich recipe, try using a breading that features already-seasoned ingredients like pretzels or crackers. Here, food-processed salty pretzel twists (talk about a brilliant way to clean out the broken pieces at the bottom of the bag!) team up with flour, garlic powder, and a pinch of salt and pepper. Then in true pub food pairing fashion, we trade the typical egg dunk for more high-impact brown mustard to help that breading adhere to the chicken tenders.

“These are so good, but be careful: they're addicting! My husband has asked for them twice in the last two weeks,” raves one BH&G home cook about this fresh chicken sandwich recipe. Though it sounds like a strange concept to pair citrus, ginger, and chicken in one dish, trust us. The zippy meat marinade with fresh lime, honey, and ginger that the chicken steeps in tastes incredible with the homemade garlic mayo spread on top.

This chicken bacon ranch sandwich is like a BLT’s bigger and better cousin! In addition to the bacon, lettuce, and tomato, this 25-minute meal features a peppy chipotle ranch dressing, thin-sliced chicken breast, fresh spinach, and cheddar cheese. Cook on a grill pan or press in a panini press to toast the bread, melt the cheese, and meld the flavors together in less than 4 minutes.

Related: 25 Mouthwatering Bacon Recipes

One-up the typical condiments on this saucy pulled chicken sandwich by adding something your guests will really relish: a slew of green grapes, cucumber, jalapeños, mint, and honey. This slow cooker sandwich is brilliant for a hands-off dinner on a busy day.

Related: How to Shred Meat

If you like gyros, then you'll totally dig this skillet chicken sandwich recipe idea. Enjoy a creamy blend of chicken, cucumbers, grape tomatoes, and feta cheese, all in a garlicky hummus-Greek yogurt dressing that coats each bite of the tender chicken. Enjoy it all tucked inside a fluffy flatbread or between two ends of a warm sandwich bun.

Skip the drive-through and make your favorite crispy chicken sandwich (and waffle fries) right at home. The secret to a spot-on copycat Chick-fil-A chicken sandwich? Pickle brine!

The zesty hot sauce, creamy blue cheese, and tender chicken … the typical wing gang's all here! These buffalo chicken sandwiches are ideal for sharing, since each batch makes 16 sliders in your slow cooker. Balance the spicy chicken with a slightly sweet Hawaiian roll, and enjoy alongside fresh carrot and celery sticks to complete the full pub fare experience.

Buy It: Crock-Pot 4-Quart Slow Cooker, $34.99, Bed Bath & Beyond

Why choose? Have both your salad and your burger in this two-in-one mash-up recipe. Get the Caesar patties started by tossing chicken, onions, parsley, and Parm into the blender and giving it a go. Bottled Caesar dressing gives this crowd-pleasing chicken sandwich recipe double the deliciousness.

Buy It: KitchenAid Classic Blender, $99.99, KitchenAid

No more boring chicken salad. Rhubarb colors the make-ahead lunch staple with its pink, tart charm, making it one revamp you won't forget. Try this chicken salad sandwich recipe between a couple slices of bread or in lettuce wraps for a light lunch.

Upgrade your grilled cheese sandwich to a new gourmet level with this 15-minute grilled chicken sandwich recipe. Ham and chicken team up with apple and arugula for a homestyle sandwich you'll wish you thought of first. (We won’t tell that you didn’t dream up the combo yourself!) Keep it saucy with horseradish cream cheese and a shake of red wine vinegar.

Banh mi sandwiches are one of our Asian cuisine takeout go-tos, and we love to re-create them at home when we’re feeling inspired to flex our cooking muscles a bit. This is the best chicken sandwich when you’re in the mood for something seemingly fancy but quick. It calls for a rotisserie chicken to speed things up to 30-minute meal territory. The Vietnamese pick is stacked with fresh carrots, sliced jalapeño peppers, deli-roasted chicken, and zingy Sriracha mayo.

Cover your cookout cravings with a saucy BBQ chicken sandwich. This skillet recipe mingles tomato sauce with molasses to create a sweet and savory homemade BBQ sauce that coats every bite. The best part? It all comes together into one irresistible sandwich filling after just 7 minutes of cook time!

Take your menu on a trip south of the border with a torta, Mexico’s answer to the hoagie. This Instant Pot-friendly version is a super-easy way to prep a chicken breast sandwich, calling for just 7 ingredients and 15 minutes of cook time. (Pressure cooking for the win!) As long as you have a jar of salsa, some chicken breasts, and a few spices handy, you’re all set.

Buy It: Instant Pot 6-Quart Pressure Cooker, $99.99, Bed Bath & Beyond

If you’re in the mood for a low-fuss, semi-homemade meal, these shredded chicken sandwiches are your solution. A deli chicken, garlicky tomatillo sauce, your favorite rolls, and a slow cooker are all you need to whip up these pulled chicken sandwiches. If you like, top with all your sandwich faves: red onion, sliced tomatoes, and crisp lettuce.

We love a good pressed sandwich, and this one's hearty enough to satisfy even the biggest appetites. Pine nuts, chewy raisins, and adobo-soaked chipotle chiles join juicy shredded chicken in the dinner-worthy panini. Mango slaw cools things off to complete the chicken sandwich recipe.

Buy It: Cuisinart Grill and Panini Press, $59.99, Target

Some like it hot. Including us, when it comes in the form of the craveable sweet-heat of hot honey! This open-faced donut chicken sandwich packs everything you love about a Nashville hot chicken sandwich and buttery corn bread into one 35-minute meal. While the semi-homemade baked donuts cook to fluffy perfection, batter and fry the chicken. Just before serving, drizzle each sandwich stack with a generous amount of hot honey.

Buy It: Mike's Hot Honey, $8.99, Target

Mole (a flavor-packed blend of smoky spices, dried chiles, and unsweetened chocolate) is an essential sauce found in many Mexican dishes. Often used to coat chicken, here it's stuffed inside chicken breasts just before grilling to infuse them with flavor. Pair that with avocado mayo and juicy tomatoes for the ultimate fresh chicken sandwich recipe for summer.

Summer tastes like this chicken pesto sandwich. A simple ciabatta loaf serves as a blank canvas for the colorfully topped chicken sammie. Before you throw on the veggies, be sure to smear it with the so-easy pesto mayo.

This is the best chicken sandwich recipe for fans of epic cheese boards! With dried cranberries, walnuts, and Brie, it’ll give you a taste of your favorite snack (or help clear out some leftovers after your last Instagram-worthy spread). The tangy-sweet sandwich is perfect for when you want to take your cookout up a notch.