Smoky Orange Barbecue Chicken Sandwiches
Pair these sandwiches with your favorite sides or with Crispy Topped Bacon and Green Onion Baked Beans.
It's important to pre-heat your grill or griddle pan, much like you pre-heat an oven for baking, so that the meat doesn't cook on lower temps, which can cause it to toughen up. –RR
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive or vegetable oil, 1 turn of the pan, plus some for drizzling
- 1 small onion, chopped
- 3 chipotle peppers (smoky hot peppers) in adobo sauce, found in cans in Mexican foods section 1/2 cup ketchup, eyeball it
- 1/4 cup orange juice concentrate
- 1 orange, zested and cut into wedges, for garnish
- 1 cup chicken broth
- 4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
- Vegetable oil, for drizzling
- Grill seasoning or salt and freshly ground black pepper
- Romaine lettuce
- Sliced red onions
- 4 crusty rolls, split, toasted and buttered
Preparation
Pre-heat a grill pan or griddle pan over medium high heat.
Heat a small saucepan over moderate heat. Add oil and onion. Sauté onion in oil for 3 to 5 minutes or until onions are soft. Combine chipotle peppers in adobo, ketchup, orange juice concentrate, orange zest and chicken broth in a blender. Blend on high until sauce is smooth. Pour sauce into saucepan with onion and heat to a bubble. Reduce heat to simmer.
Coat chicken lightly with a drizzle of oil and season breasts with grill seasoning blend or salt and pepper. Grill 5-6 minutes on the first side, turn. Remove 1/2of the barbecue sauce to a small bowl and baste chicken liberally with it. Turn chicken after 4 minutes, coat with sauce again and cook another 2-3 minutes.
To serve sandwiches, slice grilled chicken on an angle and fan out 1 breast on each bun bottom. Spoon remaining sauce from saucepan over the sliced chicken. Serve open faced with the lettuce and red onions setting on bun tops to the side.
