Santa Fe Grilled Chicken Sandwich Recipe {Carls Jr Copycat}

This Carl’s Jr. copycat Santa Fe Grilled Chicken Sandwich has a teriyaki sauce marinated chicken breast that is served on a whole wheat bun, topped with cheese, a whole green chile, lettuce and an easy Santa Fe sauce.

Love a good chicken sandwich? You can also try this Ranch Chicken Sandwich with Ranch Slaw or these Buffalo Chicken Sandwiches.

It’s something I never thought I’d say, but I totally fell in love with a fast food sandwich. I tried the Santa Fe Grilled Chicken Sandwich from Carl’s Jr a few times now, just because I loved it so much.

But sometimes, it’s a hit or miss – sometimes the chicken is overcooked, sometimes the bun is hard. So I decided it was time to take matters into my own hands and make it myself. At home.

And just like it usually is, the homemade version is so much better!! It does take some time to marinate, but really, once the chicken is marinated, it doesn’t take that much longer than it would take to go through the drive through.

Ingredients

• Chicken: You’ll need two chicken breasts that you will end up cutting in half to make 4 portions.
• Teriyaki Sauce: I marinated the chicken in my favorite homemade teriyaki sauce recipe. I love that teriyaki sauce, and it’s another recipe that comes together super quickly.
• Mayonnaise: You can use regular mayonnaise or reduced fat mayonnaise.
• Spices: You’ll use a mixture of spices to make the Santa Fe Sauce – it calls for paprika, curry powder, cayenne pepper, and salt.
• Cheese: The restaurant version uses American cheese, so that is what I used. If you want, you can switch this up to cheddar.
• Buns: Again, using what the restaurant version uses, I go with whole wheat buns. But regular white buns can be swapped in, as well.
• Green Chile: You all know I’m a green chile girl, and I love that there is a whole chile thrown on top! I just used canned chiles, but if you have the time, feel free to roast and peel your own.
• Lettuce: This is just to finish off the sandwich! I used romaine.

How to Make This Santa Fe Grilled Chicken Sandwich

1. First up is cutting your chicken breasts in half horizontally, making 4 thinner breasts. Place the chicken in the teriyaki sauce and let it marinate. Overnight is best, but 4 hours will work.
2. Make the sauce by combining the mayonnaise and the spices. You can set this aside or refrigerate it until needed.
3. Cook the chicken on a grill or on a grill pan until cooked through to 165ºF. When the chicken is almost done, place the slice of cheese on top and let it melt.
4. Spread the sauce on the underside of the bun tops. Place the chicken on the bottom bun, add a green chile, then top with lettuce and the top bun. Serve!

More Favorite Copycat Recipes:

California Pizza Kitchen BBQ Chicken Pizza
Olive Garden Chicken and Gnocchi Soup
Boston Market Cornbread
Texas Roadhouse Rolls
Red Lobster Cheddar Biscuits
Doubletree Cookies

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Santa Fe Grilled Chicken Sandwich Recipe

5 from 2 votes

Author: Deborah Harroun

Prep Time: 20 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 10 minutes minutes

Marinating Time: 4 hours hours

Total Time: 4 hours hours 30 minutes minutes

Servings: 4 servings

Course: Main Dish

Cuisine: American

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This Carl’s Jr. copycat has a teriyaki sauce marinated chicken breast that is served on a whole wheat bun, topped with cheese, a whole green chile, lettuce and an easy Santa Fe sauce.

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Ingredients

Chicken

• ▢ 2 large boneless skinless chicken breasts, 10-12 oz each
• ▢ 1/2 cup Homemade Teriyaki Sauce

Sauce

• ▢ 1/3 cup mayonnaise
• ▢ 1/4 teaspoon paprika
• ▢ 1/4 teaspoon curry powder
• ▢ 1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• ▢ 1/8 teaspoon salt

Sandwiches

• ▢ 4 slices American cheese
• ▢ 4 whole wheat buns
• ▢ 4 canned whole green chiles
• ▢ lettuce

Instructions

• Butterfly the chicken breasts open, and cut each breast into 2 thinner pieces. (Alternately, use 4 smaller chicken breasts and pound to an even thinness.) Combine the chicken with the teriyaki sauce in a large ziptop bag. Marinate for at least 4 hours, up to overnight.
• In a bowl, combine the mayonnaise, paprika, curry powder, cayenne and salt. Set aside.
• Preheat a grill or a grill pan over medium. Spray with nonstick cooking spray then add the marinated chicken breasts, discarding any remaining marinade. Grill until no longer pink and juices run clear, about 10 minutes, turning once. When the chicken is almost finished cooking, place one slice of cheese on top of the chicken to melt.
• Spread one fourth of the sauce on each of the undersides of the top buns. Place the chicken on the bottom bun, then add a green chile on top, followed by some lettuce. Top with the top bun and serve.

Recipe Notes:

Nutrition information provided as an estimate only. Various brands and products can change the counts. Any nutritional information should be used as a general guide.

Nutrition Information

Serving: 1sandwich, Calories: 573kcal (29%), Carbohydrates: 23g (8%), Protein: 58g (116%), Fat: 27g (42%), Saturated Fat: 8g (50%), Polyunsaturated Fat: 10g, Monounsaturated Fat: 7g, Cholesterol: 161mg (54%), Sodium: 2004mg (87%), Potassium: 512mg (15%), Sugar: 6g (7%)

Keywords: chicken sandwich, copycat recipe