Grilled Jerk Chicken Sandwich
Tired of boring lunches? This Grilled Jerk Chicken Sandwich will have you wondering if it’s time for your lunch break yet!
This Grilled Jerk Chicken Sandwich post was sponsored by the Hass Avocado Board for the American Heart Association, through Kitchen Play.
This post may contain paid links. For more information, please see our disclosure policy.
The heart is a pretty cool thing. Seriously! The heart is about the size of your fist, and it pumps somewhere around 2,000 gallons of blood through your body each day. Stop and think about that. Imagine 2,000 gallon-sized containers of water. That’s a lot. And your heart does that every day!
We’ve all heard about the importance of regular exercise to keep your heart healthy, but the food you eat also plays a role there, too. Last October, the American Heart Association (AHA) and the Hass Avocado Board (HAB) teamed up on a 4-year strategic alliance to encourage Americans to eat the daily recommended amounts of fruits and vegetables. This mission has the potential to limit deaths from cardiovascular disease, stroke and diabetes.
Did you know that avocados are actually a fruit? Yup, they are! Fresh avocados are a heart-healthy fruit. They provide naturally good fats, are low in saturated fat, and are cholesterol- and sodium-free. So not only do avocados taste delicious, but they are good for your heart, too. Win! Avocados contain naturally good monounsaturated fat and are cholesterol free. Naturally good fats are an important part of a healthy diet.
We eat a fair amount of avocados around our house. Salads and sandwiches are our favorite ways to incorporate avocados into our diet. And the recipes are usually quick and easy. Take today’s Grilled Jerk Chicken Sandwich for instance. These sandwiches start with chicken marinated with jerk seasoning. Grill up that chicken and then top it with thinly sliced red onion and fresh avocados. Delicious! The jerk seasoning packs quite a spicy punch, and the creamy avocado is the perfect way to cool the heat back down.
Did you know that avocados do not ripen on the tree? They actually ripen after they’ve been picked. Pretty cool, huh? My sister actually had a friend in college who lived on an avocado farm in California. She said she could almost pick avocados from the bedroom window! Do you guys know the proper way to test an avocado for ripeness? Ripe avocados often have a deep purple-almost black skin, but it’s also important to feel an avocado, too. If you gently squeeze a ripe avocado in the palm of your hand, it should yield just slightly. You can speed up the ripening process by placing the avocado in a paper bag with a banana or apple. And on the flip side, you can store ripe avocados in the fridge for up to a couple of days to slow down the ripening process.
These Grilled Jerk Chicken Sandwiches made for an awesome dinner earlier this week. Laura and I split a sandwich and then filled our plates with roasted broccoli that we found on sale at our grocery store. What is your favorite way to use avocados?
If you’ve got an epic avocado recipe, then enter it into the Take Avocado to Heart contest! February is American Heart Month, and the Hass Avocado Board and the American Heart Association are hosting a recipe contest from February 9-27, 2017. Click here to enter your recipe! (Recipes can be entered in the categories of appetizer, entrée and dessert and must adhere to the AHA nutrition criteria.) Grand prize is $1,000; 2nd Place: $500; 3rd Place: $250. Go ahead and enter your favorite avocado recipe…hey, you never know!
In the meantime, if you’re looking for a good sandwich recipe, this Grilled Jerk Chicken Sandwich is mighty tasty! Marinating the chicken is the key here, and I actually used grated onions for the marinade. I came across this little trick a while back, and I’ve started grating the onion whenever I marinate chicken now. So grill up that marinated chicken and top it with a couple slices of ripe avocado. Enjoy!
Grilled Jerk Chicken Sandwich
Ingredients
For the Jerk Chicken
- ½ Tbsp jerk seasoning
- ½ cup red onion grated
- 1 Tbsp olive oil
- 2 tsp low sodium soy sauce
- 1 Tbsp white vinegar
- 1 Tbsp lime juice
- 1 lb boneless skinless chicken breasts
Instructions
For the Jerk Chicken
- Using a small bowl, combine all of the ingredients except for chicken; whisk together until fully combined.
- Place chicken breasts in a large glass baking dish. Add marinade to the baking dish, turning to fully coat chicken. Cover and refrigerate for 1 hour, or overnight.
For the Sandwiches
- Place a grill pan over medium-high heat until hot. Remove chicken breasts from marinade and place in grill pan. Discard any remaining marinade.
- Cook chicken until done (~12-15 minutes), flipping after 8 minutes.
- Once chicken is fully cooked, transfer to a cutting board. Let chicken cool slightly and then slice into ¾ inch strips.
- Return grill pan to stovetop over medium-high heat. Brush the insides of the ciabatta rolls with olive oil and place face down in hot grill pan. Cook for 3-4 minutes, or until slightly crispy.
- Top each sandwich with several strips of Jerk chicken, red onion, avocado; cut in half.
Notes
This Grilled Jerk Chicken Sandwich post was sponsored by the Hass Avocado Board for the American Heart Association, through Kitchen Play.
The recipe and opinions are entirely my own. Thank you for supporting the brands that support Spiced!
I did know that avocado was a fruit, but didn’t know that our hearts pumped that much blood! Wow! We ALWAYS have tons of fruit and veggies in the fridge, especially avocados. I love ’em so much and could probably eat ’em like an apple. They are good on everything in my opinion 🙂 This sandwich looks delicious and I’m always up for a good sandwich, breakfast, lunch or dinner. Perfect with a coffee!
Yeah, the heart is a really impressive muscle! In fact, our dogs both just had their hearts checked out yesterday. (We’re gonna start giving them a new medicine to help keep their tickers ticking. They’re both getting up there in doggie years.) But for us humans, we can just make sure we keep with a heart-healthy diet. Avocados are an easy ingredient to use in just about anything…but sandwiches are always one of my favorites! 🙂 Thanks, Dawn!
I like your “professor-style” posts full of fun facts, David (But I hope you won’t set up an exam making us to remember all of them). I did know most of them except the one that avocado do not ripen on the trees. Wow, shocking one haha. These chicken avocado sandwiches sound and look great. I will have 1/2 for lunch and 1/2 for dinner, but ship me it without onions please:)
Haha! I guess I’m just channeling my inner student whenever I do these type of posts. But I figure if I find it interesting, then maybe someone else out there in the wide world of the internet will also find it interesting! No exams. I promise. Well, maybe a quiz. But it won’t count that much. 🙂 These sandwiches are super tasty, Ben…do make them for lunch sometime! And, yes, we can hold the red onions on yours. Thanks!!
Hi David. Spicy chicken, creamy avocado on a ciabatta roll, what’s not to love. It is 70 here so I could actually grill these outside.
Oh man, you could totally grill these outside! It was still too cold here when I made these last week…but we’ve been in a bit of a warm up here, too. In fact, I pulled the grill out on Sunday afternoon. I had to shovel some snow away to get to it…but it was mid-50’s, so plenty warm enough to fire up the grill! I hope you enjoy these sammiches, Dorothy…they’re legit tasty! 🙂
Love a bit of jerk chicken! Never tried it with Avocado though, I am intrigued. I agree with Ben, love the professor style posts. Always knew avocados were good for me, but never really knew why!
Do it, Matt! Creamy avocado combined with spicy jerk chicken is a match made in heaven! 🙂 And thanks for the ‘professor-style post’ love. I actually really enjoy writing these types of posts, too! I guess I just like learning (and sharing) all sorts of really random facts. Now you are armed with those facts, too…like the fact that avocados don’t ripen on the tree. Go figure!
Avocados are the jam! I can’t get enough of them, they are scientifically proven to battle belly fat which seems too good to be true, but that doesn’t stop me from devouring them every chance I get. It’s impossible to image 2,000 gallons of blood pumping through my body daily. Heart health is very important. I did know avocados are fruit; it’s one of those funny facts I like to share at dinner parties. I’m dying to make jerk chicken. I’ve never made it, but I love the flavor. Avocados with jerk chicken is a great combo. Great recipe David.
Yes! I totally second (and third and fourth) all of your avocado love, Mary! They really are such a wonderful thing. All too often avocados turn into guac (and there’s absolutely nothing wrong with guac…), but there are so many other ways to use avocados, too! 🙂 So now you can add the fact that avocados don’t ripen on trees to your cocktail party fun facts. Haha! And, yes, definitely try combining avocados with jerk chicken. The spiciness from the jerk chicken is kept in check by the avocados…and the combination is amazing! Thanks so much, my friend!
Way to spark an avocado craving! I’ve never had avocado with anything jerk flavored, so this needs to happen! Cheers for the science/nutrition lesson too- I think I warrant guac with every meal now 😀
Yes! Avocado + jerk needs to happen. The avocados are creamy + delicious…and they compliment the spicy jerk chicken so well! Plus, it’s hard to beat a delicious sammich! 🙂 Thanks, mate!
This is my kind of Sandwich.. Awesome Man 🙂
Thanks so much, Sharmila! I love a good sandwich, too…and avocados on sandwiches are one of my favorite toppings! 🙂
David – So love this post! I love that avocadoes play a role in helping me with ma ticker cos they are just so darn delicious! And dude, you exemplified them in this sandwich – tho, I’d be happy sitting in a corner with that jerk chicken and some ripe avocado slices – an avocado-jerk chicken salad! Btw, have you heard of the Avocado Show set to open in Amsterdam with avocados in every dish http://www.eater.com/2017/1/18/14311054/avocado-only-restaurant-amsterdam ? Makes me wanna fly to Amsterdam for a taste test!
Btw, I’m a sucker for contests so will have to check out that “Take Avocado to Heart contest” Thanks so much for the heads up! Hope y’all enjoyed the long weekend and hope this week is off to a wonderful start for ya, my Upstate-NYC, friend!
I know, right? I mean if I can eat something delicious while also helping my ticker, then that’s a win-win, right? 🙂 Ooo…I love the idea of turning this into a salad, too. Delicious! So I haven’t heard about that Amsterdam avocado restaurant yet…but we will actually be in Amsterdam in June. So guess where I’m going? Yup! To get me some avocados! Our week is indeed off to a great start up here…and I hope yours is, too. Thanks, Shashi!
Wow that friend of your sister that lived on a avo farm in California was sooo lucky! I would have loved it! We love avos here in this house and unforturtanely avos are very expensive here on the islands. I could eat avos with all my meals, I´M NOT JOKING! 🙂
ps. Thanks for the interesting facts and info, I love learning about nutrition!!
Tell me about it, Johlene! When my sister told me she was visiting her friend who lived on an avocado farm, I was like “Say what!?!” Avocados are so delicious…and they’re really good for you, too. Win-win! Maybe take a trip to an avocado farm and bring back a suitcase full? 🙂
My husband’s cousin grows acres of avocados! It is amazing when we visit them and we always bring back a huge box of avos. I love them. This chicken sandwich sounds super yummy! That’s my kind of sammy!
What!! I seriously just need to come live with you, Kathy. Between the apples, raspberries, avocados and everything else…geez, there’d be no reason to ever go to the grocery store! 🙂 This sammich is definitely a good one…the creamy avocado + the spicy jerk seasoning is where it’s at!
I can’t even tell you how much I love avocado. I put them on everything and nothing. I’m so relieved to know they are so good for me. That jerk chicken sandwich sounds like the perfect vehicle to transport some avocado!
Yes! Avocados really do go well on everything and nothing. Haha…I love that description! We’re big fans of this sammich because the spicy jerk seasoning pairs so well with the creamy avocado. Give it a shot, Rachelle! Thanks!! 🙂
This sounds like a fantastic lunch! I love the texture that avocado gives to a sandwich. Also, with jerk spices, I bet it helps to cool it down a bit.
You are totally right, Jeff! The avocado here cools off the spicy jerk seasoning. I gotta say I’m a big fan of this sammich…it had me looking forward to lunch every day last week! Thanks, my friend!
We have some friends vacationing in Baja and they’ve been sending me photos of giant avocados just to make me jealous. So, yeah, I’m a huge fan! Especially when they’re stacked high on a gorgeous sandwich like this!
And mind. blown. btw, “The heart is about the size of your fist, and it pumps somewhere around 2,000 gallons of blood through your body each day.” – I had NO idea.
Oh my gosh…friends vacationing in Baja? Sounds awesome! Although we might not be friends anymore after they kept sending all of those amazing photos. Haha! The avocado on this sandwich was perfect! The creaminess balanced so well with the spicy jerk chicken. I might just have to make another round of these this weekend. Thanks, Marissa!
Love all the factoids here, thanks Dave and for reminding me that I need to make a batch of Jerk Seasoning. 🙂
Thanks, Kevin! Yes, isn’t jerk seasoning such a fun spice mix? I love pairing it with avocados because the creamy avocado offsets the spicy jerk chicken. Yum!!
This sandwich is just such a jerk….. Cause it’s not in my kitchen asking me to eat it!
Haha! Well then we clearly need to get you and this sandwich on speaking terms, GiGi! I promise the sandwich wasn’t trying to be a jerk to you. 🙂