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Spicy Chipotle Chicken Melt

ByNicole Langdon Hours Updated on
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This cheesy chipotle chicken melt recipe brings the heat with homemade chipotle mayo for a deliciously warm and comforting lunch! Perfect for a little something special when working from home or a fun weekend treat.

A cheesy chipotle chicken melt fresh off the stove with sliced red bell pepper and red onion on a blue stone plate.

We’re lucky enough that we always get to work from home and make cozy, comforting, fresh lunches every day. 

But we know that not everyone has that luxury. However, when you do get a nice, quiet, work-from-home day, we wanted to share with you one of our favorite hot lunch melts that’ll absolutely be the highlight of your workweek. (This sandwich tastes great on the weekends too!)

This chipotle chicken melt is gooey, creamy, crunchy, and a little spicy all at the same time – making it the perfect decadent lunch when you’re craving something comforting and warm. We love to pair it with an easy side like some chips and fire roasted salsa or mango pico de gallo.

What To Expect

  • Great for: A fun, delicious interruption to a day of working from home, you deserve it. Or make it for an easy weeknight dinner!
  • Ready in: 30 minutes
  • Serves: 2 sandwiches
  • Flavor profile: Smoky, savory, and spicy with a toasty, tangy sourdough.
  • How to make it: Cook the chicken on the stove in the seasonings, set it aside and cook the veggies in the same pan, assemble the sandwich, and grill it. Cut it in half and serve.

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Why We Love This Recipe

I love how easy it is to make a delicious, minimally processed, hot melt for lunch. A little bit of gooey cheese, homemade creamy chipotle mayo, smoky chicken and tangy peppers and onions make for such a craveable comfort food lunch I can have any time at home.

– Alex

Key Ingredients

Ingredients for a chipotle chicken melt: sourdough, pepper jack cheese, red bell pepper, red onion, chicken breast, butter, vegetable oil, onion powder, salt, paprika, chipotle powder, garlic powder, lime juice, and chipotle mayo.
  • Chipotle chicken – Easily make your own chipotle chicken with a few spice rack staples. We use chipotle powder, paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, and salt for simple chipotle-forward flavor.
  • Chipotle mayo – Spread a thick layer of our easy homemade chipotle mayo inside this chicken melt for the best creamy, smoky chipotle flavor.
  • Pepper jack cheese – Pepper jack brings a ton of flavor, a smooth creamy texture, and a little extra kick to this sandwich. We find that it pairs perfectly with the chipotle flavor. However, cheddar cheese would be our recommendation if you don’t want the extra spice.
  • Sourdough bread – The bold, slightly acidic taste of sourdough is perfect for melts of all types, especially when they’re spicy. Get some fresh made sourdough from the bakery section of the grocery store for best results!

See the recipe card for full information on ingredients and quantities.

How To Make A Chipotle Chicken Melt

Bite size chunks of chicken breast and spices in a ceramic nonstick frying pan cooking on the stove.

Step 1: Combine the chicken and seasoning in a frying pan with a little cooking oil over medium high heat.

Bite size chunks of chipotle chicken cooking in a frying pan on the stove.

Step 2: Once the chicken is fully cooked through, about 6 to 8 minutes, transfer the chicken to a bowl and set aside.

Sliced red bell pepper and red onion cooking in a ceramic frying pan on the stove.

Step 3: Turn the heat to medium and add a little more oil to the pan along with the peppers and onions. Cook for about 3 to 4 minutes to soften the veggies then add lime juice and salt. Stir to combine and remove from heat.

Two slices of sourdough bread on a blue stone plate that have been buttered.

Step 4: Butter the outside of each slice of bread.

Steps for assembling chipotle chicken melts on a cast iron griddle: add chipotle mayo, pepper jack cheese, peppers and onions, chipotle chicken, more pepper jack, then close the sandwiches.

Step 5: Assemble each sandwich in the following order: bread, chipotle mayo, a single layer of cheese, peppers and onions, chicken, another layer of cheese, bread.

Two sourdough chipotle chicken melts crisping on a cast iron griddle on the stove.

Step 6: Cook over medium low heat until crispy (about 4 minutes), flip and do the same on the other side.

Two chipotle chicken melts that have been freshly crisped on a wooden cutting board after being sliced in half.

Step 7: Transfer the perfectly crispy sandwiches to a cutting board and slice in half.

Expert Tips

  • Use pre-cooked chicken – Our crockpot chipotle chicken, rotisserie chicken, or plain, leftover grilled chicken are a great starting point for the chipotle chicken in this sandwich. Instead of starting with raw chicken, shred or chop plain cooked chicken and simply reheat in a frying pan with the seasonings. This will cut down on cook time and simplify preparation.
  • Make a large batch for meal prep –  Even if you’re only making one sandwich for lunch, you can cook up a larger batch of the chicken and veggies to use throughout the week. They’ll stay fresh in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days. Then you can enjoy easier chipotle chicken melts every day!
  • Mix it up – These cooked chicken and veggies also taste great in a wrap, over a salad, or in a Southwest-style burrito bowl.
A hand picking up half of a gooey, crispy chipotle chicken melt.

Serving Suggestions

All great sandwiches deserve a great side, here are some of our favorites:

These cheesy, spicy, and truly comforting sandwiches are super easy to make, and a joy to eat. Give this recipe a try and let us know what you think by commenting, rating, and sharing below!

Other Fun Sandwich Recipes

Love this recipe? You may enjoy these perfect lunch recipes, too:

Tell us what you think!

We hope you enjoy this recipe! When you try it out, please leave a review and a star rating in the comments below. Happy cooking! – Nicole and Alex

A cheesy chipotle chicken melt fresh off the stove with sliced red bell pepper and red onion on a blue stone plate.

Spicy Chipotle Chicken Melt

Nicole & Alex Langdon
This cheesy chipotle chicken melt recipe brings the heat with homemade chipotle mayo for a deliciously warm and comforting lunch! Perfect for a little something special when working from home or a fun weekend treat.
5 from 3 votes
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Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 25 minutes
Total Time 30 minutes
Course Dinner, Lunch, Main Course
Cuisine American
Servings 2 sandwich
Calories 863 kcal

Equipment

Ingredients
 
 

  • ½ pound raw chicken breast sliced into 1.5-inch long strips
  • 1 teaspoon chipotle powder
  • ½ teaspoon paprika
  • ½ teaspoon garlic powder
  • ½ teaspoon onion powder
  • ¼ teaspoon salt
  • 1 tablespoon cooking oil
  • ½ medium red bell pepper thinly sliced
  • ¼ medium red onion thinly sliced
  • 4 slices sourdough bread
  • 1 to 2 tablespoon butter
  • 2 tablespoons chipotle mayo
  • 6 to 8 slices pepper jack cheese

Instructions
 

  • Add cooking oil and sliced chicken to a small frying pan and season with chipotle powder, paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, and salt. Cook over medium-high heat until cooked through, about 6 to 8 minutes, stirring occasionally.
  • Transfer cooked chicken to a small bowl and set aside. Add more cooking oil to the frying pan, lower heat to medium, and add sliced bell pepper and onion. Sauté until vegetables are slightly softened, about 2 to 3 minutes. Then add in lime juice and a pinch of salt. Stir to combine and remove from heat.
  • Assemble the sandwiches. First butter the outside of each slice of bread, then assemble as follows: bread, chipotle mayo, a single layer of cheese, peppers and onions, chicken, another layer of cheese, bread.
  • Cook until the bottom turns golden brown and the cheese is melted, about 3 to 4 minutes, then carefully flip the sandwich and cook until the bottom is golden brown, another 3 to 4 minutes.
  • Transfer chipotle chicken melt to a cutting board, slice in half, and serve immediately.
One last step:Please consider leaving a review to let us know how it was!

Notes

Use pre-cooked chicken – Our crockpot chipotle chicken, rotisserie chicken, or plain, leftover grilled chicken are a great starting point for the chipotle chicken in this sandwich. Instead of starting with raw chicken, shred or chop plain cooked chicken and simply reheat in a frying pan with the seasonings. This will cut down on cook time and simplify preparation.
Make a large batch for meal prep –  Even if you’re only making one sandwich for lunch, you can cook up a larger batch of the chicken and veggies to use throughout the week. They’ll stay fresh in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days. Then you can enjoy easier chipotle chicken melts every day!

Nutrition

Serving: 1sandwichCalories: 863kcalCarbohydrates: 72gProtein: 54gFat: 40gSaturated Fat: 18gPolyunsaturated Fat: 5gMonounsaturated Fat: 13gTrans Fat: 0.3gCholesterol: 145mgSodium: 1712mgPotassium: 745mgFiber: 4gSugar: 9gVitamin A: 1986IUVitamin C: 42mgCalcium: 556mgIron: 6mg
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90% of Nicole’s thoughts are about food. She’s had a passion for cooking (and eating) for as long as she can remember! Growing up, she started cooking with her mom at a young age, learned family recipes from her Italian grandmother, took every opportunity to make cookies (so many bake sales), and always loved going out to restaurants to try new foods.

Nicole currently works part-time as a marketing professional for OmieLife while also working nonstop on The Candid Cooks. As a former mechanical engineer, Nicole has consistently found herself at the intersection of creativity and logical reasoning. She credits not only her passion for photography, design, and writing, but also her problem-solving nature and desire to learn, as the foundation on which The Candid Cooks was built.

Nicole’s hobbies include anything that gets her moving - mainly hiking, skiing, ice skating, and dancing - as well as reading fantasy novels and scrapbooking. Her favorite food is a big plate of nachos, as long as they’re cheesy enough!

5 from 3 votes

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4 Comments

  1. 5 stars
    This is irresistibly good… I love how the chipotle mayo melts into the cheese and bread so you taste it in every bite! This is definitely a go-to when I’m craving true comfort food.

    Reply

  3. 5 stars
    This Chipotle Chicken Melt recipe sounds delicious and perfect for a quick, flavorful lunch! I recently tried a similar recipe inspired by Taco Bell’s Chicken Chipotle Melt. It combines juicy chicken, creamy chipotle sauce, and melted cheese, making it a fantastic spicy delight. I loved adding avocado slices for extra creaminess!

    Reply