How to Make a Copycat Panera Chipotle Chicken Avocado Melt at Home

At Panera Bread, the Panera Chipotle Chicken Avocado Melt is a popular sandwich. It comes on toasted bread and has chicken, bacon, melty cheese, avocado, and chipotle sauce. The smoky, spicy, and creamy flavors complement each other well.

Luckily, you can easily recreate this sandwich at home with simple ingredients. Making a copycat version allows you to customize it to your preferences and saves you money compared to ordering it from Panera. Read on for a step-by-step guide on how to make a Panera-style Chipotle Chicken Avocado Melt from your own kitchen.

Ingredients You’ll Need

• Chicken breasts or pre-cooked chicken (about 1 breast per sandwich)
• Bacon slices (2-3 per sandwich)
• Avocado, sliced
• Cheddar or Monterey Jack cheese slices
• Ciabatta or hearty white bread
• Chipotle sauce or mayo
• Lettuce
• Tomato

Make the Chipotle Sauce

The chipotle sauce is key for getting the authentic smoky, mildly spicy flavor of the original sandwich. You can find ready-made chipotle sauce or mayo at many grocery stores. But making your own allows you to amp up the flavor exactly how you like it.

Here’s a simple chipotle sauce recipe:

• 1/2 cup mayonnaise
• 1 canned chipotle pepper in adobo sauce, finely chopped
• 1 teaspoon adobo sauce from the can
• 1 teaspoon honey
• 1 garlic clove, minced
• 1/2 lime, juiced
• Salt and pepper to taste

Cut up the chipotle and put it in a small bowl. Add the adobo sauce, honey, garlic, lime juice, and a pinch of salt and pepper. Whisk together until fully mixed. Taste and adjust seasoning if needed. Store in the fridge until ready to use.

Cook the Chicken

Panera uses chicken breast for their sandwich. You can use a raw chicken breast or pre-cooked chicken strips or shreds.

To cook a raw chicken breast:

• Pound the chicken to an even 1/2 inch thickness. Season both sides with salt, pepper and any other spices you want.
• Heat olive oil in a skillet over medium-high heat. When hot, add the chicken and cook for 4-6 minutes per side until browned and cooked through.
• Let the cooked chicken rest for 5 minutes before slicing.

If using pre-cooked chicken, simply warm it up in the microwave or a skillet before assembling the sandwiches.

Cook the Bacon

Adding crispy bacon is always a good idea. In a skillet, cook two to three slices of bacon per sandwich until they are golden brown. Drain on a paper towel lined plate.

Toast the Bread

Ciabatta or a hearty white bread works best to stand up to the filling. Use a panini press or skillet to toast the bread until golden brown. You can also rub the outside of the bread lightly with olive oil or butter beforehand for extra richness.

Assemble the Sandwiches

Now you’re ready to put everything together! Here’s the construction order:

• Spread a layer of the chipotle sauce or mayo on the bottom piece of toasted bread
• Add the chicken slices
• Top with bacon slices
• Add the cheese slice(s)
• Layer on the avocado slices
• Add lettuce and tomato slices if desired
• Spread more chipotle sauce/mayo on the top bread slice and place on top

Put the sandwich together in a panini press and cook it for two to three minutes, until the bread is golden and the cheese is melted.

If using a skillet, just place the assembled sandwich in the skillet and cook for 1-2 minutes per side, pressing down lightly with a spatula.

Customize It!

Once you’ve made this sandwich a few times, try switching up the ingredients to create your own spin. Here are some tasty options:

• Use different cheeses like pepper jack or provolone
• Add caramelized onions or sauteed bell peppers
• Use turkey, roast beef or portobello mushroom instead of chicken
• Mix spicy ranch dressing into the mayo
• Top with guacamole or salsa
• Sprinkle on spices like chili powder or cumin
• Substitute spinach or kale for the lettuce
• Spread mustard or pesto on the bread
• Use a pretzel bun or sourdough bread

The possibilities are endless for customizing this sandwich to satisfy your personal cravings!

Cooking and Storage Tips

• Cooked chicken breast can be stored in the fridge 3-4 days. Pre-cooked chicken strips or shreds keep 5-7 days.

• The chipotle mayo will last 4-5 days refrigerated.

• Cooked bacon keeps about a week in the fridge. You can freeze raw bacon for 1-2 months.

• Assembled sandwiches are best eaten right away. But you can keep them tightly wrapped and refrigerated for up to 24 hours. Reheat in the oven at 350°F for 10 minutes before eating.

• Uncooked ciabatta bread can be frozen in a zip top bag for 2-3 months. Thaw at room temperature before using.

Enjoy Your Creation!

Now that you know how to recreate the Panera Chipotle Chicken Avocado Melt at home, you can satisfy those sandwich cravings anytime. Not only does it taste amazing, but it’s much more affordable to make yourself versus buying it. Plus you can customize the flavors to suit your personal preferences.

Pull out all the ingredients and fire up your skillet. In just 20-30 minutes, you’ll be sinking your teeth into a crave-worthy melty, meaty, creamy sandwich. This easy recipe is sure to become a go-to lunch or dinner in your house.

So next time a chipotle chicken sandwich is calling your name, whip up this copycat version and enjoy! From the perfectly cooked chicken, smoky bacon, gooey cheese, cool avocado and spicy chipotle sauce, it’s truly a masterpiece between two slices of bread.