It’s Day 4 of Tequila Week (YAY) and this boozy, fruity sandwich is a perfect addition to this week’s roundup of recipes. Now, when I tell you that this sandwich was really yummy, I want you to understand what that means.
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This sandwich was SO GOOD and I got SO EXCITED that I forgot I’d just taken the skillet I was using out of the oven. And I grabbed the handle. I mean GRABBED it. With PURPOSE.
Obviously, I was immediately burned. Burned bad. To the point of an ER trip and complete hand uselessness for a yet-to-be-determined period of time. And I STILL liked the sandwich. Even though it messed my hand all up and led to me being on lots of pain meds and totally ruined my week. So yeah – this sandwich is really good.
I can’t believe tomorrow is already the final day of Tequila Week! How time flies when you’re having fun. I guess it also flies when you’re passed out 14 hours a day from pain pills you have to take because you basically burned your own hand off. But whatever. I prefer the fun. Happy Thursday!
Missed a day of Tequila Week? Catch up here:
Monday – Tequila Battered Onion Rings with Honey Lime Yogurt Sauce
Tuesday – Tequila Lime Shrimp Tacos
Wednesday – Raspberry Margaritas
Thursday – Blackberry & Tequila Glazed Chicken Sandwiches
Friday – Strawberry Thyme Margaritas
Ingredients
For the Chicken:
- 2 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
- 2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
- 1/2 cup fresh blackberries (frozen works just as well)
- salt and pepper, to taste
- 1/2 cup blackberry jam
- 2/3 cup tequila (I’ve been using Familia Camarena all week, and YUM)
- 1 tsp. lemon juice
To Assemble the Sandwiches:
- 4 pretzel rolls (or whatever sandwich/burger buns you have on hand!)
- 4–8 slices of fontina or havarti cheese
- 1 large tomato, sliced
- 4–8 pieces of romaine lettuce
- 4 tsp. mayonnaise
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 375 degrees. (You could also do this on a grill)
- Pound out your chicken breasts so that they have a larger surface area and are uniform in thickness. I like to put the chicken breasts in a plastic bag and hit them repeatedly with a heavy skillet (you can also use plastic wrap or wax paper and a mallet, but I like to think of pounding out chicken with a skillet as “anger management.” Hah). Pound the chicken out until it is about 1/2? thick.
- Slice each chicken breast in half so you have four equally-sized (ish) pieces.
- In a large, ovenproof skillet, heat olive oil over medium heat. Add blackberries, salt, and pepper and cook until berries have begun to break down, about a minute.
- Add blackberry jam to skillet and stir until the jam has heated up and formed a thick, syrup-y liquid.
- Add tequila to the skillet to deglaze and stir to combine. Stir in lemon juice and bring sauce to a simmer. Simmer for 5-7 minutes, until sauce has begun to reduce.
- Add chicken breast pieces to the pan. Press each piece down into the sauce and spoon some sauce over the top of the chicken as well. Cook for 5-6 minutes, then flip chicken to cook the other side.
- Spoon a good amount of the glaze over each piece of chicken, then remove skillet from the stovetop heat and place it in the 375 degree oven to finish cooking the chicken.
- Cook chicken for an additional 8-12 minutes, until it’s cooked through. Remove skillet from the oven WITH AN OVEN MITT and set aside. DO NOT TOUCH THE SKILLET WITH YOUR BARE HANDS RIGHT AFTER YOU TAKE IT OUT OF THE OVEN. Because that HURTS. (Mostly it hurts your hand, but also your ego).
- Scrape any blackberry seeds off of the surface of the chicken, then place a slice or two of the cheese on top of each piece of chicken while it’s still hot. This will help the cheese melt and get all gooey and yummy.
- Let the chicken cool for a few moments while you assemble the sandwiches. Spread 1/2 of each pretzel roll with 1 tsp. of mayonnaise. Top with a piece of cheese-covered chicken, followed by a few tomato and lettuce slices. Serve immediately and enjoy!
Is there any portion of this recipe that can be done ahead of time?
You can prep any sandwich accompaniments ahead of time! I recommend making the chicken the day of, though, so it doesn’t dry out.