Crispy Cilantro Lime Chicken Sandwich with Cucumber Salad Recipe
This Crispy Cilantro Lime Chicken Sandwich features juicy, air-fried or oven-baked chicken breasts coated in a crunchy cornflake crust, slathered in a tangy, spicy cilantro lime sauce, and topped with a refreshing cucumber salad. Perfectly balanced with creamy avocado, zesty lime, and a hint of chipotle heat, it’s a vibrant and satisfying meal ready in just 40 minutes.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 25 minutes
- Total Time: 40 minutes
- Yield: 4 servings 1x
- Category: Sandwich
- Method: Air Frying
- Cuisine: American
Ingredients
Scale
Chicken
- 2 chicken breasts (cut into halves lengthwise and slightly pounded out)
- ½ cup all-purpose flour (can use gluten-free flour)
- 1 cup cornflakes (lightly crushed)
- ½ tsp salt
- ½ tsp paprika
- ½ tsp onion powder
- ½ tsp garlic powder
- 2 eggs (beaten)
- 1 Tbsp olive oil
- 4 bread rolls of your choice (toasted if desired)
Sandwich Sauce
- 1 avocado (cut in half, seeded, and flesh scooped out)
- ½ cup cilantro
- 1 Tbsp adobo sauce
- 3 Tbsp lime juice
- 1 Tbsp honey
- ½ cup sour cream
- ¼ tsp black pepper
- Salt (to taste)
Cucumber Salad
- ½ large English cucumber (thinly sliced)
- 1 jalapeño (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 red pepper flakes
Chicken Coating Sauce
- 4 Tbsp avocado oil
- 6 Tbsp finely chopped fresh cilantro
- 1 cup lime juice
- ¼ cup honey
- ½ tsp salt
- ½ tsp pepper
- ½ tsp chipotle powder
- ¼ tsp red pepper flakes
- 2 garlic cloves (grated)
Instructions
- Make the sandwich sauce: Combine olive oil, avocado, cilantro, adobo sauce, lime juice, honey, sour cream, and black pepper in a blender. Blend until smooth, then season with salt to taste. Transfer to a jar or bottle and refrigerate until ready to assemble.
- Prepare the cucumber salad: In a medium bowl, mix mayonnaise, apple cider vinegar, honey, garlic powder, and red pepper flakes. Add sliced cucumber, jalapeño, and chopped cabbage. Toss well to coat. Set aside.
- Prep the dredging stations: Set out three shallow bowls. In the first, combine flour, salt, paprika, onion powder, and garlic powder. In the second, beat the eggs. In the third, place the crushed cornflakes.
- Coat the chicken: Dredge each chicken piece first in the seasoned flour mixture, then dip in beaten eggs, and finally coat thoroughly with crushed cornflakes for a crispy crust.
- Cook the chicken: For air frying: place coated chicken in the air fryer basket and cook at 360ºF for 14-16 minutes, flipping halfway, until internal temperature reaches 165ºF. For oven baking: line a baking sheet with foil and cooking spray; bake coated chicken at 425ºF for 15-20 minutes, flipping halfway through until cooked through.
- Make the chicken coating sauce: In a large skillet, combine avocado oil, chopped cilantro, lime juice, honey, salt, pepper, chipotle powder, red pepper flakes, and grated garlic. Cook over medium heat for 5 minutes, stirring until the sauce thickens to a syrupy consistency.
- Coat the cooked chicken: Add the cooked chicken to the skillet with the thickened sauce and turn to coat both sides thoroughly.
- Assemble the sandwiches: Place the sauced chicken breasts on the toasted rolls. Top with the prepared cucumber salad and drizzle generously with the sandwich sauce. Serve immediately and enjoy.
Notes
- You can substitute gluten-free flour if needed to make the recipe gluten-free-friendly.
- If you prefer less heat, reduce or omit the jalapeño and red pepper flakes in the cucumber salad and chicken sauce.
- For best texture, toast the bread rolls before assembling.
- Ensure chicken reaches an internal temperature of 165ºF for food safety.
- The sandwich sauce can be made a day ahead and stored in the refrigerator to deepen flavors.
Keywords: crispy chicken sandwich, cilantro lime chicken, air fried chicken, chicken sandwich recipe, healthy chicken sandwich, crunchy chicken sandwich, avocado chicken sandwich
