Marinated Barbecue Chicken Sandwiches with Poblano Pepper Ricotta Spread

Memorial Day weekend is good and gone! I have been looking forward to it since May 1st. Now, the nice, long, three-day break known as Memorial Day weekend is in the past! However, I am resolute to being okay with it since it was a pretty incredible weekend. This weekend always has a special place in my heart as it the beginning of barbecue season! We enjoyed our time on our newly finished deck with our fave: Marinated Barbecue Chicken Sandwiches with Poblano Pepper Ricotta Spread. Yes, there are a lot of words in this recipe title. But, there is no real way to  condense it. This sandwich is all you need and more for the rest of barbecue season.

Also, let me open up a debate that has haunted our friends for years: When does a sandwich officially become a burger? I mean, I think this is a burger because of the bun. But, is it the BUN that makes it a burger or not, or is it the burger patty? It’s so confusing! So, I’ve conceded to the idea that the only sandwich allowed to be called a burger is one with a ground beef patty. I feel good about this decision. But, you’re allowed to call it whatever you want.

This marinade is the bomb! I use it a LOT. It’s basically my go-to Mexican-style chicken marinade. It’s flavorful and warm and has just a hint of spice. The starting line-up includes:

Juice and zest of fresh limes
Vegetable oil
Salt & Pepper – as always
Smoked paprika
Cumin
Garlic
Onion powder
Dried parsley
Dried oregano
Chili powder
PERFECTION

It’s always a good idea to marinate chicken, especially when it’s going on the grill! It’s the only way to truly flavor the meat. Well, that’s not completely true. I do love a good dry rub on a pork shoulder or ribs. But chicken? It has to have a good old-fashioned marinade. It just takes a little preparing. I like to marinate the chicken overnight, but if you forget, a few hours will do the trick too.

So, when you’re grilling, do yourself a favor and toss on a few poblano peppers and some jalepeños until they are nice and toasty. The skins should be very dark and black in some spots. They are done once the skin starts to peel off. YES! Poblanos are my favorite peppers to barbecue! From there, just peel off the rest of the skins, chop them into pieces with some cilantro, and mix the two  peppers into some fresh (whole milk) ricotta cheese with a dash of salt and a splash of lime juice, hello! It takes this sandwich (burger) to a whole new level.

Since poblanos aren’t that spicy, I like to add roasted jalapeños to the mixture as well — especially if you LOVE the heat like me. Daniel, however, refuses to eat anything above the spice level of crushed black pepper. I DOUSE my pizza in Sriracha and Daniel will sometimes think that the pepperoni has too much heat. This guy 🙂

Speaking of this guy, baseball season is officially over as of last Wednesday. We decided to take the rest of the week off and spend time with each other. This made our 3-day weekend turn into a 5-day weekend, and it was absolute perfection. We got to talk about things that didn’t really matter, and laugh, and we even binge-watched The Keepers on Netflix. We haven’t been able to binge-watch since….um…. must have been The Jinx last Spring. Really, it was just what we needed and now we are happily back to work and into our routines again.

But one thing is for sure, with all this extra time, Daniel will be on the barbecue a lot more and that makes this girl excited. Happy wife, happy life. Be talking to you soon!!!!

Marinated Barbecue Chicken Sandwiches with Poblano Pepper Ricotta Spread

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The perfect chicken sandwich recipe: Marinated Barbecue Chicken Sandwiches with a Poblano Pepper and Cilantro Ricotta Spread

• Author: Karlee Flores
• Prep Time: 2 hours, 15 minutes
• Cook Time: 20 minutes
• Total Time: 2 hours 35 minutes

Ingredients

Scale 1x2x3x

|| Marinade ||

Juice of 3 limes

zest of 1 lime

1/2 cup vegetable oil

1 tablespoon smoked paprika

2 teaspoon salt

2 teaspoon dried parsley

1 teaspoon dried oregano

1 teaspoon onion powder

1 teaspoon ground cumin

4 garlic cloves, minced

5, thinly-sliced chicken breasts

|| Poblano Pepper Ricotta Spread ||

1 cup whole milk ricotta cheese

1 poblano pepper

1 jalapeño (if desired)

1 teaspoon salt

juice of half a lime

Toppings – avocado, tomatoes, fried egg

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Instructions

Whisk the marinade ingredients together and pour over chicken breasts. Mix thoroughly ensure the chicken breasts are completely coated. Cover and place in the fridge for at least 2 hours or overnight.

Grill the chicken and poblano peppers on the bbq.

Peel the roasted poblano peppers and chop. Place in a bowl with the chopped cilantro, ricotta, salt, and lime juice. Stir together.

Spread mixture on brioche buns, add grilled chicken, avocados, tomatoes, and top with a fried egg. 

Keywords: barbecue, burger, chicken, marinate, poblano, ricotta