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a closed long plain sub roll cut across the middle, with sliced grilled chicken breast showing dark grill marks under a light creamy white barbecue sauce, soft browned sweet-onion strands and green dill-pickle chips, without red barbecue sauce or cabbage
Andrew Fowler

White BBQ Chicken Sub

Grill the breasts whole and slice across the grain after resting so the chicken stays juicy under the tangy white sauce. Sweet onion rings can cook alongside them, giving the filling a little char without a second vegetable pan. Reserve the sauce for the rolls before coating the cooked chicken, and let the meat lose its strongest heat so the mayonnaise doesn’t turn thin and oily. Add the cold pickle chips last; their sharp crunch belongs against warm onion and chicken, not buried under a red ketchup glaze.
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Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 25 minutes
Total Time 45 minutes
Servings: 4
Ingredients Method

Ingredients
  

  • 4 boneless skinless chicken breast pieces about 1 1/2 lb total and 3/4 inch thick
  • 1 large sweet onion cut into 1/2-inch rings
  • 2 tbsp neutral oil divided
  • 1/2 tsp fine salt
  • 1/2 tsp garlic powder
  • 1/2 tsp smoked paprika
  • 1/2 cup mayonnaise
  • 2 tbsp rice vinegar
  • 1 tbsp lemon juice
  • 1 tbsp prepared horseradish
  • 1 tsp light brown sugar
  • 1/2 tsp black pepper
  • 1/2 cup dill-pickle chips drained
  • 4 soft plain sub rolls 8 inches long

Method
 

  1. Heat a grill or grill pan to medium-high. Brush chicken with 1 tablespoon oil and season with salt, garlic powder and paprika; brush onion rings with the remaining oil.
  2. Whisk mayonnaise, rice vinegar, lemon juice, horseradish, brown sugar and pepper in a bowl. Set aside 1/2 cup for the cooked chicken and keep the remainder separate for the rolls.
  3. Grill chicken for 5 to 7 minutes per side until the centers reach 165°F. Grill onion rings alongside for 8 to 10 minutes, turning once, until tender with browned edges.
  4. Rest chicken for 5 minutes, then slice thinly across the grain. Toss with the measured 1/2 cup white sauce; separate the cooked onions into short manageable strands.
  5. Split the rolls and toast only the cut faces on the grill for 30 to 60 seconds. Spread with the reserved sauce, then divide chicken, grilled onion and drained pickle chips among them.
  6. Close the subs and cut across the middle. Serve one per person while the chicken remains warm and the pickles are cool.