The Hawaiian chicken sandwich from Back Yard Burger was one of my favorite sandwiches ever. There’s not a lot to it; a sweet and salty marinated grilled chicken breast, cheese, pineapple and a leaf of lettuce. That’s it. But it’s soooo stinkin’ good.
Every single time I went to Back Yard I’d get that sandwich. Kind of ironic since it’s a burger place and I think I may have gotten a burger once or twice the whole time it was open. Anywho; I loved this sandwich but I didn’t love the dent it put in my wallet. It was pricy. So, I didn’t have my beloved chicken sandwich nearly as much as I’d like. But every time I did drive thru, it was guaranteed I would get that delicious chicken sandwich.
So, you can imagine just how heart broken I was when I learned that practically all the Back Yard Burgers were shutting down. What was I going to do? I love that sandwich. I wanted that sandwich. I neeeeeded that sandwich. I drove thru one last time before it closed, got my sandwich, took notes on the taste and promised myself I would make a copycat recipe.
Well, fast forward a few years and I still haven’t duplicated that recipe. Life got busy, folks! So, you can imagine my excitement when I saw a recipe for a Hawaiian Chicken Sandwich floating around on the cooking board I frequent.
Aaaahhh! I was so excited!
I had everything but buns on hand to make this sandwich. I dashed to the store, snagged some buns and bumped everything on my meal plan back a day so I could immediately make this sandwich. And it was beyond easy to make; the marinade is a few simple ingredients (a 1: ratio), toss them together, add the chicken and allow to soak for a bit. Then throw the chicken on the grill, give the pineapples a quick char and viola, your done.
To truly duplicate my beloved sandwich I added a small smear of mayonnaise to the buns and a leaf of lettuce and that was it. Supper was ready in about 20 minutes. And this sandwich was just as good, if not better than I remembered. The chicken was perfectly tender and juicy and really soaked up all the flavors of the marinade. The cheese was gooey and melty and the pineapple was slightly charred and caramelized to add another layer of sweet and juicy flavor.
It’s such a simple sandwich but it’s so delicious and full of flavor. Serve with chips, fries, baked beans, potato salad or your other favorite simple sides for a quick and simple meal!
Hawaiian Chicken Sandwiches
Ingredients:
1 Large boneless, skinless chicken breast
1 Small can pineapple rings
1 Tbsp soy sauce
1 Tbsp brown sugar
1 Tbsp Dijon mustard
2 Sandwich buns or Kaiser rolls
2 Slices provolone cheese
Directions:
Using a sharp knife, carefully slice through the center of the chicken, lengthwise (like butterflying but cut all the way through).
Combine pineapple juice, soy sauce, brown sugar and mustard and whisk to combine. Place chicken in a shallow dish or plastic bag, add marinade and allow the chicken to marinate for at least 4 hours or overnight.
Preheat grill.
Grill chicken for about minutes, flipping once halfway through the cooking process. When chicken is just about finished, place the pineapple rings on the grill to allow to caramelize slightly. When the chicken is about a minute from being pulled off the grill, add the cheese and allow to melt. Remove chicken and pineapples from the grill.
To serve-
Spread a thin layer of mayonnaise on the buns, if desired. Place lettuce leaves on the bottom bun, top with chicken, pineapple and top of bun.
Serve.
Recipe source: So Tasty, So Yummy
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