Chili Crisp Honey Chicken Cheese (Printable)

A bold sandwich with honey chili crisp chicken and melty cheese on crisp, buttery bread.

# What You'll Need:

→ Chicken Mixture

01 - 2 cups cooked chicken breast, shredded
02 - 2 tablespoons honey
03 - 2 tablespoons chili crisp, plus extra for serving
04 - 1 tablespoon soy sauce
05 - 1 teaspoon rice vinegar
06 - 1/4 teaspoon black pepper

→ Sandwich Assembly

07 - 8 slices sourdough or sturdy sandwich bread
08 - 2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
09 - 1 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese
10 - 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
11 - 2 tablespoons mayonnaise (optional)

# How to Make It:

01 - In a medium bowl, combine shredded chicken, honey, chili crisp, soy sauce, rice vinegar, and black pepper. Mix thoroughly until evenly coated. Set aside.
02 - In a separate bowl, mix shredded mozzarella and sharp cheddar cheeses together.
03 - Lay out bread slices and spread a thin layer of softened butter on one side of each. Optionally, spread mayonnaise on the opposite side for added crispness.
04 - On the unbuttered side of half the bread slices, layer a generous portion of the cheese mixture, then the honey chili crisp chicken, followed by more cheese. Top with remaining bread slices, buttered side facing outward.
05 - Heat a large skillet or griddle over medium heat. Place sandwiches in the skillet, cooking for 3 to 4 minutes per side while pressing gently with a spatula, until bread is golden and cheese is fully melted.
06 - Remove sandwiches from heat, allow to cool slightly, then slice and serve with additional chili crisp if desired.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • It tastes like you spent hours in the kitchen when you actually spent fifteen minutes being a little bit daring.
  • Sweet and spicy balance in every bite—no single flavor bullies the others.
  • Melty cheese, crispy bread, tender chicken, and that heat that sneaks up on you are all happening at once.
02 -
  • Medium heat is your friend—high heat will burn the bread before the cheese melts, which I learned the hard way on attempt number two.
  • Don't skip blending the honey and chili crisp into the chicken before assembly; it distributes the flavor so much better than adding it raw.
  • If your bread is soft or thin, it will fall apart under the spatula's weight—choose bread with some structure.
03 -
  • Press the sandwich gently while it cooks—this helps the cheese melt faster and the bread brown more evenly, but pressing too hard squeezes all the filling out the sides.
  • Serve this with something cold and bright like a crisp white wine or light lager to cut through the richness and echo the sweetness of the honey.
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