This cold chicken mayo sandwich is perfect for a picnic, tea party, barbecue, or even kids' lunchboxes. It has a creamy filling made with mayonnaise and a few simple ingredients that you will find in your pantry or refrigerator. Make it with white or brown bread, lettuce and grated carrot for a quick and tasty snack. Both kids and grown-ups will love it!
Do try these chutney sandwiches too if you like easy sandwich bread snacks. They have a potato and coriander chutney filling that's yum!
Chicken sandwich with mayonnaise is a real winner of a recipe. If you already have cooked shredded chicken in your fridge or freezer, it comes together in a matter of minutes. And if you don't, never fear. Boneless chicken breasts are extremely easy to cook and require just ten minutes of cooking time in the instant pot or stovetop pressure cooker.
Ingredients
Note: exact amounts of the ingredients are given in the recipe card further down in the post.
How to make chicken mayo sandwich
Step 1 - Cook and shred the chicken
This is a foolproof method to get moist and tender chicken. Place two boneless chicken breasts in a single layer in your pressure cooker and add half cup plain water and sea salt or chicken broth for extra flavor. I used my instant pot to pressure cook the chicken breasts on high for 10 minutes, then did a quick pressure release after 5 minutes. Then I opened the cooker and shredded the chicken with two forks.
Note: If you don't have an instant pot, you can prep the chicken on the stovetop. Chop the raw chicken breasts into smaller pieces and put them in a saucepan. Pour enough water to cover the chicken and bring to a boil on medium heat. Simmer until the chicken is tender. Finally, shred it as above.
Step 2 - Make the sandwich filling or spread
Take the mayonnaise in a deep bowl and add the freshly ground black pepper, chilli flakes, and sea salt. Mix well. Add the shredded chicken and grated carrot and mix again. Your chicken mayo sandwich filling is ready.
Step 3 - Assemble the sandwich
Place some lettuce on a bread slice and spread a generous amount of the chicken filling on the lettuce. Top with more lettuce and close the sandwich with another slice of bread. You can make a double sandwich by repeating the process with two more bread slices.
Optional - If you like dainty sandwiches, slice off the bread crusts with a sharp knife and then assemble them.
Recipe notes
- If using frozen chicken breasts, increase the pressure cooking time by two minutes.
- You can use leftover rotisserie chicken or grilled chicken too for this recipe.
- Make sure the shredded chicken has cooled down completely before adding it to the mayonnaise.
- Go easy on the chilli flakes if making this recipe for kids.
- If you want to make this sandwich even tastier, mix in a little salted butter at room temperature with the mayonnaise.
Frequently Asked Questions
No, I wouldn't freeze the prepared sandwiches. Mayonnaise doesn't freeze well, unfortunately, but you can meal prep ahead by cooking and freezing the chicken. Cook the chicken according to the instructions in the recipe post and portion it in small containers. When you want to make the sandwiches, thaw the chicken in the fridge overnight and use as required. If you cook the chicken in advance, making the sandwiches becomes a breeze.
You can use your favorite salad dressing instead of plain mayonnaise. Ranch or caesar dressings work well here. If creamy dressings are not your thing, and you want a healthier option, you can replace some of the mayonnaise with mashed avocado.
Any kind! It depends on your preference and liking. I have made these sandwiches with white, brown, wholemeal and multigrain bread.
More snacks and appetizers you might like
- Mini Naan Pizza - A brilliant way to use up leftover naan, these naan pizzas come together in 15 minutes flat. A customizable, kid-friendly snack that you just can't go wrong with!
- Chicken Malai Tikka - soft, juicy kebabs on skewers that will simply melt in your mouth.
- Vegetable Spring Rolls - crispy, golden rolls with a delicious filling of cabbage, carrot and spring onion greens.
- Aloo Tikki - spiced potato patties, pan fried and topped with a tangy tamarind chutney.
- Paneer Fingers - Indian cottage cheese fingers rolled in bread crumbs and shallow fried to a golden crispiness.
- Tandoori Shrimp - Shrimp skewers with lemon wedges and lettuce is the perfect appetizer for warm summer evenings. Marinated in a delicious tandoori seasoning this is a scrumptious recipe that is sure to wow!
Chicken Mayo Sandwich
Equipment
- Instant Pot OR large saucepan
Ingredients
- 2 boneless chicken breasts
- 0.5 cup plain water or broth
- 1 cup plain mayonnaise
- 1 teaspoon black pepper freshly ground
- ½ teaspoon chilli flakes
- sea salt to taste
- ½ cup grated carrot
- 16 slices brown bread
- 1 small head lettuce leaves separated
Instructions
Cooking and shredding the chicken
- Add the chicken breasts to the steel insert of your instant pot along with ½ cup water and salt or broth.
- Close the lid and make sure the steam release vent is sealed. Press the pressure cooking button (high) and set the timer to 10 minutes. After the timer beeps release pressure after 5 minutes. If using a stovetop pressure cooker, follow the same timings.
- Once the pot opens, shred the chicken using two forks and let it cool down.
Making the filling
- Take the mayonnaise in a bowl and add the black pepper, chilli flakes, sea salt, and grated carrot. Mix well.
Assembling the sandwich
- Place a lettuce leaf on a bread slice and spread a generous amount of filling on it. Top with more lettuce and press down another bread slice on it to close the sandwich.
- Repeat with the rest of the bread slices.
Notes
- You can use frozen boneless chicken breasts too but increase the pressure cooking time to 12 minutes.
- Instead of water for cooking the chicken, you can also use chicken broth for added flavor.
- Make sure the shredded chicken is cool enough to mix with the mayonnaise.
- Mix in a little butter with the mayonnaise for an even tastier sandwich.
- Leftover rotisserie chicken or grilled chicken also works well in this recipe.
- Go easy on the chilli flakes if making these sandwiches for kids.
- If you don't have an instant pot, use a saucepan. Chop the raw chicken breasts and put them in the saucepan. Pour enough water to cover the chicken and bring to a boil on medium heat. Simmer until the chicken is tender. Finally, shred it as above.
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