Chicken, avocado, red bell pepper, cilantro and chipotle mayo make a flavorful combo in this grilled sandwich, inspired by Panera’s Chipotle Chicken Avocado Melt.

A few years ago, my husband worked a side hustle as a driver for Panera. We didn’t eat at Panera much before he started the job, but while he was there, we tried almost every item on the menu. They have some good stuff! Our favorite baked good was definitely the Kitchen Sink Cookie, our favorite salad was the Green Goddess Cobb Salad with Chicken, and our favorite sandwich was the Chipotle Chicken Avocado Melt.

We slowed back down on eating Panera after he stopped working there because the price and the calories were adding up! Now, if we get a taste for their food, I like to make this Panera-inspired Chipotle Chicken Avocado Sandwich.

It’s not a copycat recipe, but the flavor is close. I changed some of the ingredients to match what we typically have on hand. For example:

I use sandwich bread – Panera uses Black Pepper Focaccia Bread
I use red bell pepper – Panera uses Peppadew peppers (I haven’t found these in the grocery store yet)
Panera also adds a slice of smoked Gouda cheese, but we don’t eat much cheese so I just leave it off

Even with the substitutions, the sandwich is still really good and it’s easy to make if you prep your ingredients in advance. Now, I just have to figure out how to make those Kitchen Sink cookies…

Ingredients for Chipotle Chicken Avocado Sandwich:

Cooked Chicken (I buy a cooked rotisserie chicken and cut the meat from there)
Red Bell Pepper
Avocado
Mayonnaise
Adobo Sauce (from a jar/can of Chipotle Peppers in Adobo Sauce)
Lime Juice
Fresh Cilantro
Sandwich Bread
Butter (soft, spreadable butter)
Olive Oil

How to make Chipotle Chicken Avocado Sandwich:

1) Prep the ingredients for the sandwich. First, finely dice the red bell pepper and add to a frying pan along with 1 teaspoon of olive oil. Sauté over medium heat for 5-7 minutes to soften the peppers, stirring frequently. Remove from heat and set aside to cool.

2) Dice two cups worth of cooked chicken from a rotisserie or a seasoned chicken breast.

3) Make chipotle mayo: Add mayonnaise, adobo sauce (just the sauce, leave the chipotle peppers out unless they are finely diced), and lime juice to a small bowl and whisk together until well blended.

4) Rinse a few sprigs of fresh cilantro, pat dry with a paper towel, and pull off the leaves (6-8 leaves per sandwich is good). Discard the stems.

5) Cut avocado lengthwise, remove the pit, and cut each half into slices.

6) Heat an indoor grill or griddle to 350 degrees Fahrenheit and make an assembly line with your prepared ingredients.

7) Once the grill is hot, spread butter generously on one side of four slices of bread and place on the grill, butter side down.

8) Spread chipotle mayo onto the four slices of bread on the grill. Use a little more than half of the mayo and leave the rest for the tops of the sandwiches.

9) Add cilantro leaves.

10) Add diced chicken.

11) Add red peppers.

12) Top with avocado slices.

13) Spread remaining chipotle mayo on one side of the last four slices of bread. Place one slice of bread on the top of each sandwich, mayo side down.

14) Carefully spread butter on the top of each sandwich.

15) Flip the sandwiches once the bread on the bottom is golden brown. Then, use spatula to press and hold each sandwich down briefly so that all the ingredients come together (like a panini). Cook for another 3-5 minutes, until the other side of the sandwiches turns golden brown.

16) Remove from grill and serve immediately.

Print Recipe

Chipotle Chicken Avocado Sandwich

Chicken, avocado, red bell pepper, cilantro and chipotle mayo make a flavorful combo in this grilled sandwich, inspired by Panera’s Chipotle Chicken Avocado Melt.

Prep Time15

Cook Time15

Total Time30

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: American

Yield: 4 sandwiches

Author: www.likingourlove.com

Ingredients

2 cups diced cooked chicken
1 large red bell pepper, finely diced
1 large avocado, sliced
1/2 cup mayonnaise
3 teaspoons adobo sauce (from a jar/can of chipotle peppers in adobo sauce)
1 1/2 Tablespoons lime juice
8 slices sandwich bread
1 teaspoon olive oil (for cooking the red pepper
fresh cilantro leaves
spreadable butter

Instructions

Prep the ingredients for the sandwich. First, finely dice the red bell pepper and add to a frying pan along with 1 teaspoon of olive oil. Sauté over medium heat for 5-7 minutes to soften the peppers, stirring frequently. Remove from heat and set aside to cool.
Dice two cups worth of cooked chicken from a rotisserie or a seasoned chicken breast.
Make chipotle mayo: Add mayonnaise, adobo sauce (just the sauce, leave the chipotle peppers out unless they are finely diced), and lime juice to a small bowl and whisk together until well blended.
Rinse a few sprigs of fresh cilantro, pat dry with a paper towel, and pull off the leaves (6-8 leaves per sandwich is good). Discard the stems.
Cut avocado lengthwise, remove the pit, and cut each half into slices.
Heat an indoor grill or griddle to 350 degrees Fahrenheit and make an assembly line with your prepared ingredients.
Once the grill is hot, spread butter generously on one side of four slices of bread and place them on the grill, butter side down.
Spread chipotle mayo onto the four slices of bread on the grill. Use a little more than half of the mayo and leave the rest for the tops of the sandwiches.
Add cilantro leaves.
Add diced chicken.
Add red peppers.
Top with avocado slices.
Spread remaining chipotle mayo on one side of the last four slices of bread. Place one slice of bread on the top of each sandwich, mayo side down.
Carefully spread butter on the top of each sandwich.
Flip the sandwiches once the bread on the bottom is golden brown. Then, use spatula to press and hold each sandwich down briefly so that all the ingredients come together (like a panini). Cook for another 3-5 minutes, until the other side of the sandwiches turns golden brown.
Remove from grill and serve immediately.