Thai Chicken Sandwich with Peanuts
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This hearty sandwich is going to be your new lunchtime favourite! This Thai Chicken Sandwich with Peanuts has tender Thai-marinated chicken thighs, a homemade curry mayo, and fresh veggies, all enveloped in a toasted crunchy baguette!
Sandwiches are always a good idea for lunch. Sometimes you just need to whip up a cold deli meat wrap, but other times you just want to go all out, like with a meatball sub! Whatever you’re looking for, if you want an in-depth guide on how the formula to making the best sandwiches for the week, then you’ll love this tutorial!
My favourite protein for sandwiches is chicken. Whenever it’s time to explore a new chicken sandwich, I’m all for it! As I mention in my Make Cooking Fun!! free guide - my top 5 tips to explore your potential in the kitchen - going out to eat can inspire you if you’re looking for new ideas. A local bakery is actually how I discovered this sandwich! Furthermore, Thai cuisine was one that I have not delved much into in my own cooking. After making this sandwich and loving the bold flavours of the Thai chicken marinade, I’ve been experimenting with plenty more Thai recipes! Be sure to comment below if you want to see more Thai recipes on the blog! If Thailand is a destination unseen for you too, then this sandwich recipe is a great way to get started! Make this sandwich as part of your Live to Cook one-month challenge! The new year is the best time to go forward with the goal of cooking at home more, so get started by signing up to my newsletter - all of these resources are completely free!
Ready to be excited for lunch and discover your new favourite sandwich recipe? Then let’s get cooking! To follow along as I walk you through all the steps - from the marination to the cast iron cooking to assembly - check out the video at the bottom of this post. If you haven’t already, please subscribe to my YouTube channel and hit the bell button so you receive the notifications when my video recipes go live! I love to share the video recipes along with the written ones so you’re guaranteed the best results when making your creations! Let’s get cooking!
What’s a Thai Chicken Sandwich?
I first had a Thai Chicken Sandwich at a local bakery, and that’s how I got the inspiration for this recipe. This sandwich features juicy marinated chicken thighs which are pan-fried in a cast iron skillet.
These chicken thighs are sandwiched in crispy bread, topped with cheese, veggies, greens and peanuts. Our special Chicken Sandwich has Thai flavours bursting from those tender chicken thighs, in addition to featuring warm toasted bread. We’ve got a bit of heat coming from our homemade curry mayo (which I’ll show how to make as well!), but that’s balanced out from the coolness of tomatoes. There’s a nice crunch from chopped peanuts and fresh arugula!
If you’re looking for another Asian fusion chicken recipe, I think you’ll love my Asian Fusion Chicken Tacos!
Why Make this Thai Peanut Chicken sandwich?
Fresh: Nothing beats the freshness of homemade food! While I love the sandwich that sparked my inspiration from the local bakery, it’s still freshest when I eat it piping hot from my very own kitchen! Nothing can beat that! We don’t know for sure when exactly their chicken was cooked, when they toasted their bread, etc. You hope everything is made to order, but is it? You can guarantee that in your own kitchen!
Cheaper: The net cost of all the ingredients to make the sandwich is probably 3 or 4 times less than paying for the sandwich at the shop. Use up your goodies in the fridge and keep your wallet happy along with your belly!
Healthier: You don’t know what ingredients are being used when you get your sandwich from the shop. I’ve worked in restaurants, so trust me when I say they’re probably using full fat and full sodium ingredients. The food has to taste its best to sell, right? However, if you want less salt, less fatty cheese, and less amounts, then you have complete control over what ingredients and how much are used! That’s the beauty of home cooking!
What’s the best bread for Thai Chicken Sandwiches?
You want a sturdy, crusty bread to make Thai Chicken Sandwiches. Opt for ciabatta, a French baguette, or focaccia. I would avoid white sandwich breads because the ingredients are moist, and the spicy mayo and the weight of the ingredients will break the bread.
Equipment for Thai Chicken Sandwiches
Cast iron pan: This will be used to cook the chicken thighs.
Tongs: Makes handling the chicken thighs easier.
Mortar & pestle: We’ll mix together all the ingredients for our marinade. Alternatively, you can use a blender!
Cutting board: To chop ingredients for the marinade and the toppings for the sandwich.
Mixing bowl: You’ll want a medium-sized bowl for our chicken to marinate.
Sharp chef’s knife: To cut and chop ingredients.
Whisk: To combine the ingredients for the marinade.
Ramekins: Could be handy to prep ingredients and to add your curry mayo into!
Pastry brush: I used this to baste the chicken as it was cooking on the cast iron pan.
Bread knife: As the name suggests, a bread knife really works wonders to cut bread! If you want your baguette perfectly sliced with ease, then a bread knife is really recommended over a regular knife.
Measuring spoons: This can be handy to measure out your sauces for the marinade.
Tips for An amazing Thai Chicken Sandwich
Marinate for 24 hours for the best amount of flavour. The chicken can also be cooked in advance to make sandwiches quicker during meal time.
Pre-slicing the baguettes and wrapping them in plastic wrap will save time and keep the bread from drying out.
Once the chicken is done searing on the first side, it should release from the pan easily. Make sure the pan is hot and searing to ensure a good sear.
Use the same pan as the chicken to toast the baguettes for most flavour and avoid over-toasting the bread.
Ingredients for Juicy Thai Chicken Sandwich
Scroll to the bottom of this post for the full PRINTABLE RECIPE CARD which has all ingredients and the full recipe instructions. You can scale the recipe based on how many sandwiches you want to make and all individual ingredient quantities will automatically be adjusted!
For the Thai Marinade
Chicken thighs: I recommend boneless, skinless chicken thighs. You can use chicken breast if you want, but I don’t think it’ll be as juicy since we also want to get a nice sear on the chicken and really have the chicken get all the fabulous flavours from the marinade.
Garlic cloves: Mince them into the marinade.
Ginger: One small piece.
Herbs & spice: We’ll add Thai red chillies, Thai basil leaves, cilantro, brown sugar and lemongrass paste. If you don’t have Thai basil leaves, you can use regular basil leaves. Additionally, if you can find fresh lemongrass, I recommend you use that for an even better taste!
Sauces: We’ll be adding fish sauce, soy sauce, dark soy sauce, and lime juice. If you cannot find dark soy sauce, you can substitute with oyster sauce, but the flavour and colour will be slightly affected. Dark soy sauce is thicker than regular soy sauce and this is what’s used in those famous restaurant fried rices to give that sharp dark colour!
Peanuts: Optional, if you want a stronger peanut flavour in your sandwich. You can also use peanut butter - even better if it’s crunchy!
Olive oil: To cook the chicken.
For the Curry Mayo
For more details on the ingredients, get the complete Curry Mayonnaise recipe!
Mayonnaise: I recommend full fat mayonnaise for the best texture. You can use a lighter one if you want, but your mayo will be runnier.
Red curry paste: Look for the Thai one.
Sambal Olek: This is a red chilli paste without garlic. You can use sriracha if you want a spicier mayo, or you can substitute with chilli garlic sauce if you don’t mind garlic and can’t find Sambal Olek.
Soy sauce: I recommend using a lower sodium one so the mayo isn’t too salty.
Lime: A freshly squeezed lime to enhance the flavours. You can use bottled lime juice if that’s what you have.
For the Thai Chicken Sandwich
Baguette of choice: I’m using a jalapeno cheddar loaf. It’s so good!! Any regular baguette or even Ciabatta bread will work just fine. I wouldn’t recommend white bread because it won’t be solid enough to hold the toppings.
Curry Mayo: As mentioned above.
Peanuts: I like to use unsalted peanuts so that they are not too strong. We’ll be chopping the peanuts.
Thai grilled chicken: Our cooked marinated chicken from above.
Havarti cheese: You could also do white cheddar or Monterey jack. We’ll want to use sliced cheese.
Granny Smith Apple: You can use your favourite apple if you like. I’m julienning the apple slices.
Tomato: I use roma tomatoes. They’ll be sliced for the sandwich.
Thai basil leaves: You can roughly chop them or tear them. If you don’t have Thai basil leaves, regular basil leaves will work just fine, as I used here.
Pickled green chillies: You can also use pickled jalapeños.
Arugula: Just a handful to add some greens and crunch!
How to make Thai Chicken Sandwiches?
For the thai marinated chicken
In a mortar and pestle create a smooth paste using the garlic cloves, ginger, Thai red chillies, basil and cilantro. Once this mixture is smooth, add the lemongrass paste, fish sauce, soy sauce, dark soy sauce and brown sugar.
Add the chicken into a large bowl and pour in the marinade from the mortar and pestle into the bowl. Mix well, add the lime juice and give a quick stir and marinate for at least 24 hours. If you are short on time, marinate for at least 2 hours.
To cook the chicken, heat a non-stick pan or a heavy cast-iron pan on medium-high heat and add a thin layer of olive oil. Once the pan is hot, add the chicken pieces and sear on one side until you get a good golden brown sear. Then, lower the heat and flip the chicken to cook the other side. Keep turning the chicken often until it registers 165F, around 10-13 minutes.
Once the chicken is cooked, set it aside and prepare the rest of the ingredients as the chicken rests.
For the curry mayonnaise
Combine all the ingredients for the curry mayonnaise and mix well. Store in the refrigerator until needed.
For the sandwich
Once you are done grilling the chicken, slice your baguettes open and toast them lightly on the same pan. Spread 1 Tbsp of curry mayonnaise on both the bottom and top halves of the baguette portion(s).
Spread chopped peanuts on the bottom baguette half, followed by sliced Thai marinated chicken, half a slice of havarti cheese, julienned apple, 1-2 slices of tomato, basil leaves, pickled green chillies and a generous portion of arugula on the top.
Close the sandwich with the top half and serve warm.
How to Make Thai Chicken Sandwich Gluten-Free?
If you’re using a gluten-free soy sauce, then you simply need to ensure you use a gluten-free bread for the sandwich. You can also transform this into lettuce wraps to avoid bread altogether.
Variations of Thai Chicken Sandwiches
Protein: You can make this sandwich vegetarian by substituting the chicken with tofu. You can also use chicken breast if that’s all you have. If you want red meat, I recommend you use this marinade for beef strips!
Melt the cheese: I added the cheese slice over the chicken thighs. If you like molten cheese, then try melting the cheese directly on the bread while it’s toasting on the pan, or toast the entire sandwich on the pan to get some warm molten cheese!
Fruits: I used apples as the fruit here. I’ve also made it with mangoes, and that worked really well too! You could even do sliced avocados for some extra creaminess.
Veggies: If you want even more crunch, you could make a slaw with your mayo and mix onions, carrots, cabbage, and any other veggies you would like!
Greens: You can swap the arugula or also include cucumber, zucchini, or a fresh spring mix.
What To Do with Extra Thai Chicken?
Make it a burger: Get your favourite buns and use your favourite toppings - if not these same ones! - to make a burger!
Make them tacos: When I filmed this recipe, I actually had the sandwich for lunch and then for dinner I made tacos! Get your favourite taco shells and add the curry mayo, the chicken, tomatoes, and cucumber. That’s all you need!
Add the chicken to rice: Nothing wrong with adding this chicken to some simple Steamed White Rice.
In a stir fry: You can use this chicken combined with veggies and noodles for a satisfying stir fry! This would work well as a variation to my Indo-Chinese Chicken Hakka Noodles!
What Sides Go Best with Thai Chicken Sandwiches?
This sandwich is quite filling on its own, so it’s not likely you’ll need a side! However, if you’re having a half sandwich or a smaller sandwich, then you could have some sides. Here are some ideas to give you a complete meal:
Just want a drink to pair with your Thai Chicken Sandwich? I recommend Masala Chai for a cozy warm drink or a Mango Lassi for a refreshing drink!
Can You Freeze the marinade?
I would not because freezing soy sauce doesn’t work out that well. This marinade only takes 5 minutes to make, so you can honestly make it on the spot and there’s not really a need to make it in bulk!
What I would do is make the desired amount of marinade and keep it in a bowl or airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. The marinade lasts only that long because of the garlic in there - botulism is a real thing that you should be careful with!
Storing Extra Thai Chicken Sandwiches
These Thai Chicken Sandwiches are perfect for prepping! For best results, I recommend you cook all the chicken thighs and assemble your sandwiches fresh. However, if you do want to make the entire sandwich in advance, store any assembled sandwiches in the fridge by covering them with plastic wrap. If you are going to assemble your sandwiches in advance, I would add all the toppings except for the arugula or else it will become limp.
You can reheat your sandwich over the stove on a non-stick pan. You could microwave the sandwich, but I fear that the bread will become soggy. Another option to ensure that your bread stays crisp is to air fry your sandwich, using the reheat setting. Heat the sandwich then add the arugula on top.
More Tasty Chicken Sandwich Recipes!
Let me know what you think of this recipe in the comments! If you’ve tried this recipe, be sure to post it on social media and tag it with #cookingwithanadi and mention me @cookingwithanadi. Thank you!
Thai Chicken Sandwich
Ingredients
- 6 x chicken thighs
- 3 cloves garlic
- 1/2 inch piece ginger
- 2 tsp lemongrass paste
- 2 Thai red chillies, finely chopped
- 5-6 chopped Thai basil leaves, (alternatively use basil leaves)
- 1/4 Cup cilantro, roughly chopped
- 1/2 lime, juiced
- 2 1/2 Tbsp fish sauce
- 2 Tbsp soy sauce
- 1 1/2 Tbsp dark soy sauce
- 2 Tbsp brown sugar
- 2-3 Tbsp olive oil, to cook
- 1/2 Cup mayonnaise
- 1 Tbsp red curry paste
- 1/2 Tbsp Sambal Olek
- 1/2 tsp soy sauce
- 1 lime, juiced
- Baguette of choice, cut in 6 x 5-6 inch long portions
- Curry Mayonnaise (see above)
- Peanuts, chopped
- Thai grilled chicken, sliced diagonally into slices
- Havarti cheese
- Granny Smith apple, julienned
- Tomato slices
- Thai basil leaves, roughly chopped or torn (alternatively use basil leaves)
- Pickled green chillies or jalapeños
- Arugula
Instructions
- In a mortar and pestle create a smooth paste using the garlic cloves, ginger, Thai red chillies, basil and cilantro. Once this mixture is smooth, add the lemongrass paste, lime juice, fish sauce, soy sauce, dark soy sauce and brown sugar.
- Add the chicken into a large bowl and pour in the marinade from the mortar and pestle into the bowl. Mix well, add the lime juice and give a quick stir and marinate for at least 24 hours. If you are short on time, marinate for at least 2 hours.
- To cook the chicken, heat a non-stick pan or a heavy cast-iron pan on medium-high heat and add a thin layer of olive oil. Once the pan is hot, add the chicken pieces and sear on one side until you get a good golden brown sear. Then, lower the heat and flip the chicken to cook the other side. Keep turning the chicken often until it registers 165F, around 10-13 minutes.
- Once the chicken is cooked, set it aside and prepare the rest of the ingredients as the chicken rests.
- Combine all the ingredients for the curry mayonnaise and mix well. Store in the refrigerator until needed.
- Once you are done grilling the chicken, slice your baguettes open and toast them lightly on the same pan. Spread 1 Tbsp of curry mayonnaise on both the bottom and top halves of the baguette portion(s).
- Spread chopped peanuts on the bottom baguette half, followed by sliced Thai marinated chicken, half a slice of havarti cheese, julienned apple, 1-2 slices of tomato, basil leaves, pickled green chillies and a generous portion of arugula on the top.
- Close the sandwich with the top half and serve warm.
Nutrition info is an estimate.
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Welcome to Cooking With Anadi. This platform is all about making cooking exciting and finding new ways to bring classic flavours and recipes at your service. Join me in my personal journey in the world of cooking. Hope you have a great ride!
