Crispy Cilantro Lime Chicken Sandwich (Air-Fried or Oven Baked)

This sandwich packs a punch of flavor and crunch! A crispy, cornflake-crusted chicken breast is marinated coated with crispy cornflakes and then air-fried or oven baked and coated in a zesty cilantro-lime sauce.

A tangy cucumber-jalapeño slaw adds the perfect fresh bite, along with a drizzle of creamy cilantro lime sauce- all stacked on your choice of toasted bread. Every bite is crispy, juicy, creamy, and packed with bold flavor.

Ingredients You’ll Need

• 2 chicken breasts, cut into halves and slightly pounded out
• Salt and pepper, for seasoning chicken
• ½ cup all-purpose flour
• 1 cup cornflakes, lightly crushed
• ½ tsp sea salt
• 1 tsp paprika
• ½ tsp onion powder
• ½ tsp garlic powder
• 2 eggs, beaten
• 4 rolls, your choice of bread
• Oil spray

Sandwich Sauce

• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1 avocado, cut in half, remove seed, and scoop out flesh
• ½ cup cilantro
• 1 tbsp adobo sauce
• 2 tbsp lime juice
• 2 tbsp mayo
• 1 tbsp honey
• ½ cup sour cream
• ¼ tsp black pepper
• ¼ tsp sea salt

Cucumber Salad

• ½ large English cucumber, thinly sliced
• 1 jalapeno, thinly sliced
• 1 cup cabbage, thinly sliced and chopped
• 2 tbsp apple cider vinegar
• 1 tbsp honey
• ¼ cup mayonnaise
• ¼ tsp garlic powder
• ¼ tsp sea salt
• ¼ tsp red pepper flakes

Sauce for Coating the Chicken Breasts

• 3 tbsp avocado oil
• 4 tbsp finely chopped fresh cilantro
• ¼  cup lime juice
• ¼ cup honey
• ½ tsp sea salt
• ½ tsp pepper
• ½ tsp chipotle powder
• ¼ tsp red pepper flakes
• 2 garlic cloves, grated

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How to Make Crispy Cilantro Lime Chicken Sandwich

1. Make the sandwich sauce. Combine all of the sauce ingredients (olive oil, avocado, cilantro, adobo sauce, lime juice, honey, mayo, sour cream, salt and pepper) into a blender and blend until smooth. Place the sauce in a bottle or jar and refrigerate until you’re ready to assemble the sandwiches.

2. Make the cucumber salad. In a medium-sized mixing bowl add the mayonnaise, apple cider vinegar, honey, salt, garlic powder and red pepper flakes. Stir the sauce together. Add the cucumbers, jalapeno slices and cabbage to the bowl and toss to coat well. Set aside.

3. Set up three shallow bowls. In one bowl, combine the flour, salt, paprika, onion powder, and garlic powder. In another bowl will be the 2 beaten eggs, and a final bowl will have the crushed cornflakes. Season the chicken with salt and pepper. Dredge your chicken in the flour, then the eggs, and then coat with the crushed cornflakes. Spray both sides of chicken with cooking oil spray.

4. Cook the chicken. Air fry the chicken at 360ºF for 14-16 minutes. You can also line a baking sheet with foil, coat with cooking spray, and bake the chicken at 425ºF for 15-20 minutes. Make sure to flip halfway through. The internal temp should reach 165ºF.

5. Make the sauce for the chicken. While the chicken cooks, work on the sauce. To a large skillet, add avocado oil, cilantro, lime juice, honey, salt, pepper, chipotle powder, and garlic. Reduce over medium heat for around 5 minutes until it thickens to a thick syrup.

6. Assemble the sandwiches. Put the cooked chicken in the pan with the chicken sauce and coat both sides of the chicken with the sauce. Place your chicken on the rolls and top with the cucumber salad and sandwich sauce.

Crispy Cilantro Lime Chicken Sandwich (Air-Fried or Oven Baked)

This sandwich packs a punch of flavor and crunch. A crispy, cornflake-crusted chicken breast is marinated coated with crispy cornflakes and then air-fried or oven baked and coated in a zesty cilantro-lime sauce.

5 from 2 votes

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 25 minutes mins

Cook Time 15 minutes mins

Total Time 40 minutes mins

Course Dinner, Main Course

Cuisine American

Servings 4 Sandwiches

Equipment

• Mandoline slicer

Ingredients

  

1x2x3x

• 2 chicken breasts cut into halves lengthwise and slightly pounded out
• Salt and pepper for seasoning chicken (I use sea salt)
• ½ cup all-purpose flour can use gluten-free flour
• 1 cup cornflakes lightly crushed
• ½ tsp sea salt
• ½ tsp paprika
• ½ tsp onion powder
• ½ tsp garlic powder
• 2 eggs beaten
• 4 bread rolls of your choice toasted if desired
• Cooking oil spray

Sandwich Sauce

• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1 avocado cut in half, remove seed, and scoop out flesh
• ½ cup cilantro
• 1 tbsp adobo sauce
• 2 tbsp lime juice
• 2 tbsp mayo
• 1 tbsp honey
• ½ cup sour cream
• ¼ tsp sea salt
• ¼ tsp black pepper

Cucumber Salad

• ½ large English cucumber thinly sliced
• 1 jalapeno thinly sliced
• 1 cup cabbage thinly sliced and chopped
• 2 tbsp apple cider vinegar
• 1 tbsp honey
• ¼ cup mayonnaise
• ¼ tsp sea salt
• ¼ tsp garlic powder
• ¼ tsp red pepper flakes

Sauce for Coating Chicken Breasts

• 3 tbsp avocado oil
• 4 tbsp finely chopped fresh cilantro
• ¼ cup lime juice
• ¼ cup honey
• ½ tsp sea salt
• ½ tsp pepper
• ½ tsp chipotle powder
• ¼ tsp red pepper flakes
• 2 garlic cloves grated

Instructions

 

• Make the sandwich sauce. Combine all of the sauce ingredients (olive oil, avocado, cilantro, adobo sauce, lime juice, honey, mayo, sour cream, salt and pepper) into a blender and blend until smooth. Place the sauce in a bottle or jar and refrigerate until you’re ready to assemble the sandwiches.
• Make the cucumber salad. In a medium-sized mixing bowl add the mayonnaise, apple cider vinegar, honey, salt, garlic powder and red pepper flakes. Stir the sauce together. Add the cucumbers, jalapeno slices and cabbage to the bowl and toss to coat well. Set aside.
• Set up three shallow bowls. In one bowl, combine the flour, salt, paprika, onion powder, and garlic powder. In another bowl will be the 2 beaten eggs, and a final bowl will have the crushed cornflakes. Season the chicken with salt and pepper. Dredge your chicken in the flour, then the eggs, and then coat with the crushed cornflakes. Spray both sides of chicken with cooking oil spray.
• Cook the chicken. Air fry the chicken at 360ºF for 14-16 minutes. You can also line a baking sheet with foil, coat with cooking spray, and bake the chicken at 425ºF for 15-20 minutes. Make sure to flip halfway through. The internal temp should reach 165ºF.
• Make the sauce for coating the chicken breasts. While the chicken cooks, work on the sauce. To a large skillet, add avocado oil, cilantro, lime juice, honey, salt, pepper, chipotle powder, red pepper flakes, and garlic. Reduce over medium heat for around 5 minutes until it thickens to a thick syrup.
• Assemble the sandwiches. Put the cooked chicken in the pan with the chicken sauce and coat both sides of the chicken with the sauce. Place your chicken on the rolls and top with the cucumber salad and sandwich sauce.

Notes

• Use a mandoline slicer to slice your cabbage, jalapeno, and cucumber for the best thin slices.

• The longer you let the sandwich sauce marinate, the more flavor it has. I recommend making it a few hours in advance if you have time.

Keyword Chicken

Did You Make This Recipe?Let me know how it was!

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