Open-Face Buffalo Chicken Sandwich
Crispy bread, spicy chicken, tangy fresh toppings and creamy avocado make this Buffalo Chicken Sandwich a keeper! Enjoy comfort food without sacrificing your healthy and eating goals.
Portion Control
Portion Control Recipe: Portion control is tricky because our brains have been taught over a long period of time that super-sized portions are normal and we will only be satisfied with more food than our bodies need. So, basically we need to satisfy our brains by making healthy portions of food look larger than they are. This recipe uses a couple different portion control strategies.
- Surface Area: An open-face sandwich naturally looks to be more food than a normal sandwich because it takes up more surface area on the plate. Also, you can stack the veggies real high on open-face sandwiches!
2. Volume: When comparing shredded chicken with a chicken breast, shredded chicken appears to be a much larger portion of food despite being the same exact amount of chicken. Both plates below contain the same amount of chicken.
Make Extras
Leftover/Meal Prep Approved: This recipe reheats very well in case you have leftovers or want to meal prep this recipe. Below are a couple lunches I packed up with leftovers of this recipe to bring to work. Easy, tasty and healthy!
Make Two Recipes in Half the Time: Make a double batch of the buffalo chicken portion of this recipe (ingredients 1-2 and steps 1-2) and use half of it to make these open-faced sandwiches and the other half to make Healthy Buffalo Chicken Cauliflower Dip!
5-for-1 Cooking Method/Meal Prep
This recipes is from one of my 5-for-1 Cooking Method meal plans. The 5-for-1 Cooking Method shows you how to “ingredient prep” a variety of different meals at the beginning of the week in the time it takes to prep one. It also focuses on using the fewest number of ingredients and reducing waste without sacrificing variety in your meals.
For a free copy of the 5-for-1 Cooking Method Mini Guide + Free Meal Plan, just input your email below to instantly receive it in your inbox. Happy cooking!
Open-Face Buffalo Chicken Sandwich
Ingredients
- 1 lb. chicken breasts, boneless skinless
- 1 1/2 cups buffalo sauce,
- 1-2 Roma tomatoes
- 1/4 head red cabbage
- 1/2 jalapeño
- 1/4 cup cilantro, lightly packed
- 1/2-1 tsp. lime juice
- 1/2 tsp. salt, or to taste
- 8 slices whole grain bread
- ranch dressing, optional (see note 2)
Instructions
- Cook Chicken: Place the chicken and buffalo sauce in a slow cooker on low for 4 hour if thawed or 6-7 hours if frozen (see note 1).
- Shred Chicken: Once the chicken is done cooking, remove it from the slow cooker, shred it with two forks and return the chicken to the slow cooker for an additional hour.
- Prep Fresh Ingredients: Dice the tomatoes. Thinly slice the cabbage. The thinner the slices the better! Remove the seeds from the jalapeño and finely dice the jalapeño. Roughly chop the cilantro. Combine the tomatoes, cabbage, jalapeño, cilantro, lime juice and salt in a bowl. Set aside or store in the fridge until needed.
- Toast & Avocado: Immediately before serving, toast the bread (if desired) and cut up the avocado into slices or cubes.
- Assemble: Assemble each plate/meal with two pieces of bread topped with buffalo chicken, avocado, the tomato/cabbage/jalapeno/cilantro mixture and a drizzle of ranch dressing (optional).