
As a typical kid who grew up in the 80s, we ate our fair share of fast food- namely Taco Bell and Burger King. A popular item at the King was a chicken sandwich (because we thought we were being healthier by eating the FRIED and BREADED chicken sandwich over the burger). It was such a simple item on the menu- soft bread roll, breaded chicken, mayo, romaine. If we were feeling fancy we got the “deluxe” which had sliced tomato and a slice of American cheese.
My mom would often make her version of the Burger King Sandwich which was so dang good it landed in our family recipe book, and below is my version of that version. 🙂 The components are the same: soft French roll, chicken cut or pounded thin and smeared with Dijon mustard, coated in breadcrumbs, and baked in the oven. Toast the roll, smear a good amount of mayo and top with crisp romaine lettuce. That. Is. It.

My version: brine the chicken breasts for a few hours (I only do this half the time), pat dry, spread Dijon mustard on both sides and coat in toasted panko breadcrumbs. Spray a baking rack with non-stock spray and bake on a parchment lined baking sheet at 400 degrees until cooked through and crispy- about 25-30 min.

Meanwhile, make your house sauce of mayo, sriracha, lime juice and a touch of salt. Split your rolls in half and spread a little butter or mayo on each side and sprinkle garlic salt. Toast the rolls till lightly golden. Assemble the sandwich with house sauce, chicken and romaine lettuce. Wait for your kids to devour your fast food.
Cheers,
Christina
Crispy Baked Chicken Sandwiches
This baked chicken sandwich is just as satisfying as the fried version, but without all the grease and mess! It's inspired by the childhood favorite of so many of us – the original chicken sandwich from Burger King. Although my kids don't know this fast food favorite of the 80s and 90s… they sure love Mom's fast food. Keep it simple with a smear of Best Foods mayo or play with a few ingredients and make your own House Sauce. It doubles as a great fry sauce for a side of baked sweet potato fries!
Ingredients
- 2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
- 2 tbsp Dijon mustard
- 2 cups panko breadcrumbs
- 4 tbsp melted butter divided
- ¼ tsp garlic powder
- ¼ tsp Italian seasoning optional
- salt and pepper
- 4 soft French rolls
- ¼ tsp garlic salt
- romaine lettuce
- mayonnaise or house sauce
Instructions
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Preheat oven to 325°
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Combine 2 tbsp melted butter, garlic powder, italian seasoning and panko on a rimmed cookie sheet. Toast in the oven until lightly golden.
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After toasting bread crumbs, remove and set aside. Raise the oven temperature to 400°.
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Spray a cooling rack with nonstick spray and place it on a rimmed baking sheet.
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On a cutting board, place chicken between two pieces of parchment paper and pound thinly. Season each side with salt and pepper. Brush one side with mustard and place mustard side down onto breadcrumbs. Gently press to adhere.
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Turn chicken over and brush with mustard. Again, gently press the chicken into the bread crumbs to make sure it is fully coated. Cook chicken until fully cooked though and outside is crispy, about 25 minutes.
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Meanwhile, prepare rolls. Open each roll and place on a cookie sheet. Brush each side with remaining 2 tbsp of melted butter. Sprinkle with garlic salt. When the chicken has just a few minutes remaining, place the rolls in the oven to lightly toast. Alternatively, broil the rolls after removing the chicken from the oven.
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After chicken is cooked, place on a clean cutting board and cut lengthwise so they fit into the roll. Smear mayo or house sauce onto roll, then place chicken and lettuce.
Recipe Notes
One of our favorite parts of this sandwich is the house sauce – it’s different each time, but almost always includes a combo of mayo, sriracha, honey, lime juice and a touch of salt.