A toasted chicken sandwich with avocado, dairy free cheese, peppers and cilantro. Cut in half and stacked on top of each other on a plate.

How I made this chipotle chicken avocado melt at home.

The chipotle chicken avocado melt is one of my absolute favorites at Panera, but it’s definitely not dairy free, so I thought I’d make it at home so that Marc can enjoy it, too.

Obviously, I took a few liberties to try to make it more practical at home. I used a loaf of store-bought sourdough bread, some leftover smoked chicken breast and I made a quick chipotle mayo instead of the dairy-based chipotle sauce that the restaurant uses.

And, of course, I used dairy free cheese. The original uses gouda cheese, so I went for Chao slices and I think they melted really well and the flavor is pretty similar. But, I honestly think the cheese isn’t necessary, so feel free to skip it entirely if you want.

A chipotle chicken avocado melt on a plate, cut in halves.

Here’s what you’ll need to make it

**This post contains affiliate links. I may earn commission from qualifying purchases at no additional cost to you. I will never recommend a product I don’t use or trust.**

A toasted sandwich on a plate with a sprig of fresh cilantro next to a bowl of chipotle mayo.

Ingredients & substitutions

  • Chicken – I used smoked chicken breast that we had leftover, but you can also use rotisserie chicken or even deli meat.
  • Dairy free cheese – We used Chao slices for ours, but you can use any dairy free cheese you prefer. Slices tend to work better than
  • Peppadew peppers – If you’ve never tried these, definitely give them a chance. They’re slightly pickled and a little spicy, similar to a banana pepper, but they’re absolutely delicious.
  • Chipotle sauce – The recipe I used is listed below, but you can also buy a pre-made version if you want to save yourself some time.

Making changes to a recipe can result in recipe failure. Any substitutions listed below are simple changes that I believe will work in this recipe, but results are not guaranteed.

Close up of a sandwich with melted cheese, chicken, peppa dew peppers, avocado and dairy free cheese.

How to make this chipotle chicken sandwich

Make the chipotle sauce. In a small bowl, mix mayonnaise with adobo sauce, minced garlic and lemon juice. Stir to combine and adjust seasoning with salt to taste.

Prep the ingredients. Slice all of your ingredients and have them ready to go before you begin assembling your sandwiches. If you want to prep ahead of time, hold off on the avocado until right before cooking so that it doesn’t turn brown.

I find that just opening the peppers and flattening them is enough, and I don’t bother chopping or slicing.

Toast your sandwich. Heat a large skillet to medium high. Then, brush olive oil onto the outside of your bread. Place the bread into the hot skillet and layer the sandwich while the bread toasts. After a few minutes, flip the sandwich and toast the other side.

A chipotle chicken melt cut in half and stacked on top of itself, showing the insides of the sandwich.

More sandwich recipes you will love

More dairy free chicken recipes you should try

Pin Print
No ratings yet

Chipotle Chicken Avocado Melt

By: Melissa Belanger
Inspired by Panera’s sandwich of the same name, this chipotle chicken avocado melt recipe is a delicious and filling sandwich you can make at home. Toasted sourdough bread is layered with zesty chipotle mayo, creamy avocado slices, smoked chicken and vibrant peppadew peppers to create a dairy free panini that’s full of bold flavor.
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 5 minutes
Total Time: 10 minutes
Servings: 1
Save this recipe!
Get this sent to your inbox, plus get new recipes from us every week!

Ingredients 

For the sandwich:

  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 2 slices sourdough bread
  • 1/4 avocado, sliced
  • 2 ounces smoked chicken breast, sliced
  • 3 Peppadew peppers, sliced
  • 1 tablespoon fresh chopped cilantro
  • 1 slice Chao creamy original
  • 1 – 2 tablespoons chipotle sauce

For the chipotle sauce:

  • 1 tablespoon chipotle adobo sauce
  • 1/2 cup mayonnaise
  • 1 tablespoon lemon juice
  • 1 clove garlic, minced
  • 1/4 teaspoon coarse salt

Instructions 

  • In a small bowl, stir the chipotle sauce ingredients together until smooth. If needed, adjust seasoning, to taste. Set aside.
  • Heat a large skillet to medium-high. Brush oil onto the outer side of each bread slice. Add to skillet and layer remaining ingredients starting with the cheese. Before adding second piece of bread, spread chipotle sauce on the inside.
  • When bottom is golden brown and cheese has melted, turn sandwich and continue to cook until toasted.
  • Remove from skillet and slice sandwich in half before serving.

Nutrition

Calories: 730kcal, Carbohydrates: 80g, Protein: 28g, Fat: 34g, Trans Fat: 0.02g, Cholesterol: 39mg, Sodium: 2656mg, Fiber: 8g, Sugar: 7g, Vitamin C: 57mg

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

Like this? Leave a comment below!

Hi! I'm Melissa.

I create easy, dairy free recipes because I know how hard living without milk can be. I believe you can live a completely satisfying life without dairy, and I want to teach you how.

Read more about me

You may also like:

Leave a comment

When leaving a comment or rating:
Feel free to share your recipe feedback, ingredient swaps, or tips for other readers. Rating a recipe you changed isn’t helpful to anyone - drop it in the comments instead. Keep it kind and on topic - disrespectful comments and ad complaints will not be approved.

Recipe Rating




3 Comments

  1. Aly says:

    Very tasty! Nice easy dinner. The recipe makes way too much chipotle sauce, could definitely ¼ the sauce recipe.

    Reply
    1. Lynda Lopez says:

      So I did a couple of adjustments. I did use a smoked gouda, not dairy free. I also used chipotle powder and some coriander instead of adobo sauce in the mayo. It tastes spot on for the Frontera chicken sandwich. Best dupe as it’s one of my favorites at panera.

      Reply
      1. Melissa says:

        That sounds great!

        Reply