Cilantro Chicken Sandwiches with Chili-Spiced Tater Tots
Chicken marinated in a Tex-Mex spice mix layered with avocado, caramelized onions, fresh arugula, and lime juice make an insanely flavorful sandwich. Served with tater tots tossed in the same spices as the marinade for extra punch! A perfect lunch or dinner to share with family and friends.
Course Main Course, Side Dish, Snack
Cuisine American, Mexican
Prep Time 15 minutesminutes
Cook Time 20 minutesminutes
Marinade Time 1 hourhour
Total Time 35 minutesminutes
Servings 4sandwiches
Ingredients
Spice Mix
2tspsalt
4tspchili powder
1tspground coriander
1tspground cumin
1tspdried oregano
½tspcayenne pepper
Chicken Marinade
½bunch cilantro
1limezested
½Ccanola oil
Sandwiches
1lbboneless skinless chicken thighsor breasts if you prefer
1yellow onion
2Tbbutter
1Tbolive oil
4ciabatta rolls
2Carugula
2avocados
Mexican cremaor sour cream
lime juice
Ore Ida Mini Tater Tots
Instructions
To make marinade
Roughly tear the cilantro bunch into 2 to 3-inch sections. Place all of the ingredients and half of the spice mix (reserve the remaining half for your tater tots) into a blender or small food processor and blend until the cilantro is finely minced and the ingredients are well combined.
If you don't have a blender or food processor, you can also finely mince the cilantro by hand and mix together with the remaining ingredients. Whisk vigorously though so that you create a nice emulsified (a fancy way of saying thick and creamy like salad dressing) marinade. I've also linked to a small food processor for purchase above that is an amazing kitchen tool for very little money.
Place the chicken thighs into a gallon size Ziploc bag or a glass bowl and cover with marinade. Rub the chicken with the marinade to ensure every piece is thoroughly covered. Marinade for at least one hour and up to four.
To make tater tots
Prepare the tater tots according to the package instructions. I usually add about 5-10 minutes to the cook time to make extra crispy tots. Also, be sure to stir and flip the tots halfway through the baking for even cooking.
Once the tots are cooked, remove from the oven and season with as much of the remaining spice mix as desired. I usually use almost all of it, but you may want to use a lighter hand if you're feeding kids or sensitive palettes.
To make sandwiches
Once the chicken has marinated and while the tots are cooking, prepare the caramelized onions. Check out my Caramelized Onions post for details on how to make them.
Once the onions have softened and have started to caramelize around the edges, turn the heat down to medium-low and cook for about 10-15 minutes, stirring often. You want the onions to be a rich caramel color all over but not burned so turn the heat down at any sign of too much darkening. Once cooked, season the onions with a pinch of salt and pepper.
While the onions are cooking, place a large nonstick saute pan over medium-high heat. Once the oil is hot, remove the chicken from the marinade, shaking off any excess, and place directly into the hot pan. There is enough oil in the marinade that you won't have to worry about sticking.
Cook the chicken for 6-7 per side or until a nice char starts to develop around the edges and the meat is cooked through. If the outside starts to darken too quickly, turn your heat down to medium. Remove the chicken from the heat once cooked.
Split the ciabatta rolls down the middle and smear the inside with a little butter, about 1-2 tsp per roll. Place in the hot oven (whatever temp your tater tots need is fine or 400 degrees if you're skipping the tots) for 5-10 minutes until the rolls are hot and the edges are toasty.
Once the chicken has cooked and the rolls are toasted, build your sandwiches by first placing a chicken thigh on the bottom half of the bun. Top the chicken first with half of an avocado sliced, then ½ C of arugula, and a drizzle of crema and lime juice. Top with the other bun half and serve the sandwich with the seasoned tots. For extra deliciousness, drizzle the tots with crema too.