Chicken Mayo Sandwiches are a bakery classic across Pakistan and India – the creamy white sandwiches rely on two secret ingredients for their unique flavour and texture. Traditional version plus a veggie version below along with tips on prepping chicken, slicing bread neatly, making them ahead, and serving menus!
In stores here (Canada) it is gum and candy that’s the impulse buy, but in bakeries across Pakistan it was actually chicken sandwiches.
They would be sitting on top of the bakery cases, wrapped in plastic wrap, a clear sign that they had to be grabbed and eaten even before you got home. They were simple, creamy, and hard to not devour. These sandwiches are very much the same.
For a karachiite like me, these sandwiches are just as big a part of my culinary DNA as a great chaat.
What makes bakery style Chicken Sandwiches special?
You can see all the ingredients below, but the two standouts that make them what they are are the cream and white pepper. The cream adds a soft, sweet note and texture and that little bit of white pepper makes them interesting. Without them the chicken sandwiches just feel boring.
Speaking of boring, while I adore the regular sandwiches if you want to mix it up it’s as easy as adding a small amount of whatever veggies you have handy. I had carrots, green onions/scallions, and a bell pepper/capsicum, but shredded cabbage works too!
You can also add veggies to half the mix and leave the other half plain for a 2-for-1 that’ll impress!
Making and Shredding the Chicken
While you can absolutely use any shredded chicken you may have, or even a rotisserie chicken, here are two ways of cooking your chicken breast for sandwiches.
Instant Pot
For each chicken breast (250g) add the following ingredients to the instant pot, pressure cook for 14 minutes, and natural release. This chicken comes out so soft it practically shreds itself.
- 1 ¼ cup water
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 tsp soy sauce
- 6-8 peppercorns
- 1 green chili (optional)
- ½ a small onion
Stove top
Boil the same ingredients as above together with the chicken until it’s super tender. This can take an easy 25 minutes so please keep an eye on water levels. Once you are done you can shred it by hand, using two forks, or for larger batches you can use a hand mixer or stand mixer and shred the chicken.
Storing your Boiled Chicken
If you are planning on using it within 2-3 days you can refrigerate the chicken. If you are using it later then ALWAYS freeze the chicken in the broth you made to protect it from drying out!
Talking Bread
In bakeries they always use white bread aka double roti. I don’t make them rules you know. When I serve these at iftars, on Eid, or just for tea time or snacks I use white bread too. However, you can absolutely use whatever bread you prefer.
Cutting neat Bakery Style Creamy Mayo Sandwiches
This falls firmly in the category of things I overthink so you don’t have to. Here are my tips for making the neatest looking sandwiches
1.) Use cold bread, easier to spread on, easier to slice
2.) If you plan on removing the crust then trim your bread using a serrated knife BEFORE adding the filling. This ensures that you don’t “waste” any filling, and that you can run the ends through a food processor to make your own bread crumbs.
3.) After your trim the crusts off your first sandwich use that bread as a ‘template’ to make the other ones so they’re all the same size. While you can try cutting a higher stack of the time I find it best to cut a pair (one sandwich) or two pairs (two sandwiches). High stacks tend to get a little wobbly and uneven.
Prepping & Storing
Depending on the space you have you can store the chicken mix in the fridge or the prepped sandwiches. While they can keep for up to 5 days the flavour is best in the first two.
What to serve with Bakery Style Chicken Sandwiches
Ohmigoodness, I thought you’d never ask! I have given two options below. If you are vibing tea time then you can go with 1 and for iftar there is option 2!
Made this recipe? I’d LOVE it if you would leave a review below! You can also tag me in your recreations on Instagram @flourandspiceblog
Creamy Chicken Mayo Sandwich Two Ways
Bakery style chicken sandwiches with two secret ingredients!
Servings: 8 sandwiches
Ingredients
- 16 slices bread white is traditional, please refrigerate before cutting!
- 250 g chicken (one chicken breast) cooked and shredded
- ½ cup mayo (120g)
- 3 tbsp cream (heavy, whipping, or table)
- salt (see notes)
- ¼ tsp black pepper
- ¼ tsp white pepper
- 1-2 minced green chilies
Optional veggie add ins
- 3-4 tbsp shredded carrots (22-30g)
- 3-4 tbsp sliced green pepper (22-30g)
- 3-4 tbsp sliced green onion – green parts (7-10g)
Instructions
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Combine all the sandwich ingredients you are using in a bowl and mix well. You want a homogenous almost paste like mix.
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Taste and adjust seasoning if needed.
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Trim the edges off your bread to make squares and freeze the crusts to make breadcrumbs later. Note if you aren’t trimming the crusts then this will make 5-6 sandwiches not 8.
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Divide your mixture amongst 8 of the cut squares and spread
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Sandwich the bread slices together and slice the sandwiches according to preference.
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These sandwiches can easily be made a day or two ahead and stored in the fridge.
Notes
- for salt do remember that saltiness varies by the mayo and the chicken. I typically put ¾ tsp and adjust if needed! Once you sandwich the chicken mix it will dilute the taste so you do want it well seasoned.
- veggie add ins are entirely optional and entirely customizable
- Want to know how to cook the chicken or cut neat sandwiches? tips in post!
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