Hot Honey Grilled Chicken Sandwiches with Cheese

A Sweet and Spicy Grilled Chicken Sandwich

Hot Honey Grilled Chicken Sandwiches with Cheese are the perfect combination of sweet, spicy, creamy, and crunchy. Thin chicken breasts are marinated overnight in a mixture of rice vinegar, brown sugar, warm spices, and chili flakes.

The marinated chicken is then grilled until tender and juicy before being topped with melty Sriracha Gouda (or any cheese of your choice) plus a generous drizzle of hot honey. The sandwiches are piled onto buttery toasted rolls with honey goat cheese then topped with a crunchy ranch-dressed iceberg lettuce and green onion topping.

The reason I wanted to make this sandwich is that I had a taste for some kind of grilled chicken that was both sweet and spicy. This definitely hit the spot. The hot honey gives the chicken just the right amount of sweetness and heat. The Sriracha Gouda I chose is such a nice melting cheese that adds so much flavor to the sandwich.

With the cool, crunchy lettuce topping, honey goat cheese, and buttery toasted roll, it turned into the perfect quick summer dinner. Serve these sandwiches with a simple salad, potato chips, potato salad, or a cold pasta salad for an easy meal that still feels a little special.

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

There is a lot going on with this sandwich without it actually being difficult to make. The chicken can be marinated the night before. This means most of the work is already done when you’re ready for dinner. You get sweet and spicy chicken, melty cheese, creamy goat cheese, crunchy lettuce, and a buttery toasted roll all in one bite.

This is also a very customizable recipe. You can change the level of spice, use another melting cheese, leave off the goat cheese, or even skip the sandwich altogether and serve the grilled chicken over a salad.

Tips For Making The Best Grilled Chicken Sandwich

Use thin chicken breasts. I like thinly sliced boneless, skinless chicken breasts for sandwiches because they cook quickly and evenly and are much easier to eat on a roll than a very thick chicken breast. They also get plenty of flavor from the marinade.

Keep an eye on the grill. Thin chicken breasts cook quickly. Grill them just until they are cooked through and reach an internal temperature of 165°F so the chicken stays juicy.

Shred the cheese. I grated the Sriracha Gouda instead of putting thick slices on the chicken. The shredded cheese melts quickly and evenly over the entire piece of chicken.

Lower the heat before adding the cheese. Once the chicken is finished cooking, reduce the grill heat to low, pile on the shredded cheese, and close the lid. You only need enough heat to get the cheese nice and melty without continuing to cook the chicken too much.

Dress the lettuce lightly. You only need enough ranch to lightly coat the iceberg and green onions. You want the topping to stay cool and crunchy rather than becoming heavy or soggy.

Toast the rolls at the end. I butter the rolls and toast them on the grill while the cheese is melting. This keeps them warm and crisp when you’re ready to assemble the sandwiches.

Why I Use Seasoned Rice Vinegar In The Marinade

Rice vinegar gives this grilled chicken marinade a bright, tangy flavor that works especially well with the brown sugar and enhances the chili flakes and hot honey. The combination gives the finished chicken that sweet, spicy, and slightly tangy flavor I was looking for without needing a complicated marinade.

I like to prepare the chicken the night before and let it sit in the refrigerator until I’m ready to grill the next day. If you don’t have that much time, you can prepare the chicken earlier in the day and give it several hours in the refrigerator.

I don’t add additional salt to my overnight marinade. I prefer to season the finished chicken to taste if I think it needs it, especially when I’m using thin pieces of chicken that are going to sit in the marinade for several hours.

Sriracha Gouda and Cheese Substitutions

I found a small brick of Sriracha flavored Gouda at Aldi and thought it would be perfect for this sandwich. Gouda is a wonderful melting cheese, and the Sriracha flavor adds another little layer of heat that goes perfectly with the hot honey.

If you can’t find Sriracha Gouda, don’t let that stop you from making the recipe. Regular Gouda, smoked Gouda, Pepper Jack, Monterey Jack, provolone, or a mild cheddar would all be delicious.

I would choose a cheese that melts easily and isn’t so strong that it covers up the sweet and spicy flavors of the chicken and hot honey.

Don’t Skip The Crunchy Lettuce

One of my favorite parts of this sandwich ended up being the lettuce topping. I very thinly shred iceberg lettuce and combine it with sliced green onions, a heaping spoonful of ranch dressing, a little hot honey, and freshly cracked black pepper.

You aren’t trying to make a heavy coleslaw. The ranch should just barely coat everything so that the lettuce stays crisp. That cool crunch is really good against the warm grilled chicken and melted Gouda.

You an also add cucumber, shredded carrot, or finely sliced cabbage as well!

The Honey Goat Cheese Is Optional, But Delicious

I also had some honey flavored spreadable goat cheese, so I added a schmear to the bottom of each toasted roll before adding the chicken.

You absolutely don’t need to buy it specifically for this recipe. If you can find it, I really liked what it added. The tanginess of the goat cheese works with the rice vinegar marinade, while the honey flavor ties into the hot honey on the chicken.

Regular spreadable goat cheese would also work, or you can leave it off completely. Mister Tipsy does not enjoy goat cheese. I didn’t add any to his sandwich and he still enjoyed it very much.

How To Make Hot Honey Grilled Chicken Sandwiches

The night before you’re planning to make the sandwiches, add approximately one pound of thinly sliced boneless, skinless chicken breasts to a zip-top bag.

Add 1/4 cup seasoned rice vinegar, approximately 3 tablespoons avocado oil, 1/2 tablespoon onion powder, 1/2 tablespoon garlic powder, 2 teaspoons dried chili flakes, 1 teaspoon paprika, 1 teaspoon white pepper, 1 teaspoon black pepper, 1 teaspoon cumin, 1/2 tablespoon dried oregano, and 1 tablespoon brown sugar.

Seal the bag and massage everything together so that all of the chicken is coated. Refrigerate overnight.

When you’re ready to make dinner, take the chicken out of the refrigerator approximately 30 minutes before grilling.

Heat your grill to approximately 350°F. Remove the chicken from the marinade and grill it over medium heat, flipping once or twice, until it is cooked through and reaches an internal temperature of 165°F.

While the chicken cooks, thinly shred approximately 2 cups of iceberg lettuce and slice 4 green onions, using both the white and green parts.

Add the lettuce and green onions to a bowl with a heaping tablespoon of ranch dressing, a small drizzle of hot honey, and freshly cracked black pepper. Toss everything together until it is lightly coated.

When the chicken is finished cooking, reduce the grill heat to low.

Butter your rolls and place them cut-side down on the grill until lightly toasted.

Cover each chicken breast with the shredded Sriracha Gouda and close the grill lid. Let the cheese melt over the chicken.

Once the cheese is mostly melted, drizzle hot honey right over the chicken and cheese.

To assemble the sandwiches, spread a schmear of honey goat cheese on the bottom of each toasted roll. Add the chicken and melted Gouda. Next, pile on the crunchy ranch lettuce and green onion mixture. Then finish with another drizzle of hot honey and freshly cracked black pepper.

What To Serve With Hot Honey Grilled Chicken Sandwiches

These sandwiches make a great summer dinner because you really don’t need much on the side. A pile of potato chips and some pickles would be perfectly fine with me.

If you want to turn them into more of a complete dinner, serve them with a cold pasta salad, potato salad, cucumber salad, corn salad, or a simple green salad. Click the pictures below for some salad recipes that would be perfect with these sandwiches.

Make The Chicken Without The Sandwich

The marinade is worth saving even if you don’t want to make the entire sandwich. The grilled chicken is delicious on its own and would be great sliced over a big salad, served alongside vegetables and rice, or made ahead for lunches.

You could also leave off the Gouda and hot honey if you want a more basic grilled chicken. The marinade gives the chicken plenty of flavor on its own.

I also think this same marinade would be delicious with pork chops. Just adjust the grilling time depending on the thickness of the pork.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I Cook the Chicken in a Skillet Instead?

Yes. You can cook the marinated chicken in a skillet instead of grilling it. Heat a small amount of avocado oil in a skillet over medium to medium-high heat and cook the chicken on both sides until browned and the internal temperature reaches 165°F. Lower the heat before adding the cheese and cover the skillet briefly to help it melt.

What Cheese Can I Use Instead of Sriracha Gouda?

Regular Gouda, smoked Gouda, Pepper Jack, Monterey Jack, provolone, or mild cheddar would all work well. Choose a cheese that melts easily.

Is the Honey Goat Cheese Necessary?

No. The honey goat cheese is completely optional. I love the extra creamy, tangy-sweet layer it adds, but these sandwiches will still have plenty of flavor without it.

Can I Make the Chicken Less Spicy?

Absolutely. Reduce the amount of dried chili flakes in the marinade and use regular Gouda instead of Sriracha Gouda. You can also control the heat by using less hot honey when assembling the sandwiches.