4th of July is right around the corner, and in case you weren’t aware of it, it just so happens to be one of my favorite holidays. Sure it’s partly because of the fireworks, and partly because of the red, white and blue everywhere, but it’s mostly for all of the summer BBQ foods we get devour on this particular day. It’s a time for grilled burgers, hot dogs, chips and dips, and let’s not forget buffalo wings. Although, now that I think about it, we’re always looking for excuses to eat buffalo wings. Well, I’m here to tell you that you really don’t need an excuse. Go ahead and eat all of the buffalo chicken dishes your heart desires. These loaded buffalo chicken sammies take sweet Hawaiian rolls and fills them with a delicious salad of chicken, celery, carrots, bleu cheese, red onion, ranch and of course buffalo hot sauce. It’s the perfect bite of sweet and savory. They’re also topped with crushed blue corn tortilla chips because I’m forever in love with chips in my sandwiches, and something tells me you just might be too. Make these for your 4th of July gathering!
Let’s start by cooking the chicken. In a large bowl, mix together the chicken, olive oil, salt, pepper, granulated garlic and onion, and buffalo sauce until well combined.
**Tip: I’m using boneless skinless chicken breast cutlets for this because they’re thin and so therefore they cook up a lot faster and you won’t be over a hot grill for that long.**
Preheat an outdoor grill or stovetop grill pan over medium-high heat. Once hot, place the chicken on the grill in a single layer. Cook for about 4 to 5 minutes on the first side, flip over and continue to cook for another 2 to 3 minutes on the second side. Transfer to a plate and allow to cool for 10 minutes.
**Tip: Whenever you cook any protein like chicken or beef or pork, you want to let it rest for at least 5 minutes before cutting into it. This allows the juices to go back into the meat without drying it out.**
Using two forks shred the cooled chicken, or thinly slice it with a sharp knife. Transfer to a large bowl, and then toss together with the carrots, celery, and red onion.
Add the remaining buffalo sauce, half of the ranch, half of the crumbled bleu cheese (or feta) and some freshly cracked black pepper and toss until evenly combined. Give the mixture a taste and then adjust seasoning accordingly. You can add more salt, pepper or buffalo sauce as needed.
You can make the filling up to a day in advance, and keep it in the fridge in an airtight container until you’re ready to make the sandwiches. I love these sandwiches because you can eat them at room temperature or cold, which makes it perfect for making the filling in advance.
Using a sharp knife, cut a hole in the center of each roll, and then scoop out some of the bread to create a space for the filling. Divide the chicken filling among each roll. Then top with more ranch, crumbled cheese, crushed blue corn chips, red onion and fresh parsley.
**Tip: You can use whatever store-bought rolls you can find at the grocery store. I like using sweet Hawaiian rolls for this because the sweetness from the bread balances out with the heat from the buffalo sauce.**
They’re ready to be eaten, and to refresh your memory, these can be eaten at room temperature or cold, so it just depends on your taste and/or preference.
These loaded sammies make for a great appetizer or snack for all of your summer BBQ parties or potlucks. I love them because you can make a big batch and then your guests can just pull them apart and snack on them. They’re loaded with so much flavor!
You can assemble the sandwiches all together in the slab they came in, or you can separate the rolls and make each one individually. You can also cut the rolls in half and make these like traditional sandwiches or sliders and they’d be just as delicious.
This is also a great way to use up some leftover chicken or use store-bought rotisserie chicken to make it even easier for you. You can just shred the chicken and go forth as I’ve written it. These most definitely have to make an appearance at your 4th of July festivities. You won’t be disappointed.
- 3 chicken breast cutlets
- 1 tablespoons olive oil
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- 1 teaspoon granulated onion
- 1 teaspoon granulated garlic
- ½ cup buffalo hot sauce, divided
- 1 small carrot, peeled and grated
- 2 celery stalks, thinly sliced
- ¼ cup crumbled bleu cheese or feta, divided
- ¼ cup red onion, diced
- 2 tablespoons mayo
- ¼ cup ranch dressing, divided
- 12 sweet Hawaiian rolls
- crumbled blue corn tortilla chips
- fresh parsley for garnish
- In a medium bowl, toss together the chicken, olive oil, salt, pepper, granulated onion and garlic, and 2 tablespoons of the buffalo hot sauce until well-combined. Preheat an outdoor grill (or stovetop grill pan) over medium-high heat. Once hot, place the chicken in a single layer and cook for 4 to 5 minutes on the first side. Flip over and cook for another 2 to 3 minutes on the second side. Transfer to a plate or cutting board and let cool for 10 minutes.
- Once the chicken has cooled, shred with two forks or thinly slice with a sharp knife. Transfer to a large bowl, and toss together with the remaining buffalo sauce, carrots, celery, half of the cheese, half of the red onion, mayo, and half of the ranch. Toss until well combined.
- Using a sharp pairing knife, cut a hole at the top of each roll, scoop out a bit of the bread inside. Fill each with the chicken filling. Top with the remaining, ranch, cheese, red onion, ranch, crumbled chips and parsley. Serve at room temperature or chilled. Enjoy!
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