Best Cheese for Chicken Sandwich [19 Ideas]
The chicken sandwich is a staple dish almost anyone likes. It is simple and convenient but can be easily turned into a delicacy with the right choice of condiments. Fine cheese can elevate even the blandest tastes and act as base and spice. A wide range of cheeses goes well with chicken, depending on how it is prepared. So, one question lingers: what is the best cheese for a chicken sandwich?
A fried chicken sandwich is the best with cheddar, a deli chicken sandwich with Colby Jack, and cottage cheese with chicken salad. Grilled chicken is simple as it is, so pair it with smoky mozzarella or tangy parmesan. Moreover, fresh vegetables and spicy sauces will go along well with these combinations.
The chicken sandwich is my favorite go-to meal for a friends-night, lunch in the office, or using the leftovers. A list of ideas below includes my favorite combos and a few tricks, sorted by way of preparation. Read on how to turn dull chicken sandwiches into a treat with the addition of the right cheese.
Best Cheese for Fried Chicken Sandwich
Fried chicken is an American favorite, and it has a pretty rich taste on its own. The best cheeses to use with it are melty, strong cheeses that will boost the taste.
Cheddar
Melty cheddar is an awesome contrast to crispy chicken, especially if you toast the bun. It is soft and somewhat gooey, so it will add up to the overall juiciness of the sandwich. Fried chicken tends to be dry if not prepared well, so the consistency of cheddar will help you mask it.
The taste of cheddar varies in order to its aging process. The older the cheese, the stronger the flavor, and vice-versa. So, if you’re going for a tangy taste, choose aged. In combination with buttermilk deep-fried chicken, you’ll get all the layers.
Make sure to grate cheddar in advance or use American pre-packed slices. However, a high-quality block of cheese will have a richer flavor than washed-out slices, but those are more convenient. Don’t forget to sprinkle the cheese generously on fresh-from-the-pan chicken, so it can melt nicely.
It goes well with Dijon mustard and pickles for even more tanginess. Succulent inside and crunchy outside, with a soft, gooey layer of cheese on top, you’ll have restaurant-worthy fried chicken. In combination with some refreshing salad leaves to smash the tang, this will become your go-to chicken sandwich.
Monterey Jack
Monterey Jack is an American classic that goes well with almost anything due to its mild flavor. A slice on top of crispy fried chicken will bring out its natural moistness. Jack is surprisingly rather sweet, but it has a bitter base note.
It goes nicely with barbecue sauce and a few grape tomatoes, as they have more natural sweetness than other varieties. This means they will add to that sugary note of the cheese, so you’ll have an explosion of flavors served in spicy sauce. Opt for simple kaiser, crisped slightly in the oven.
Swiss
Swiss is a mild cheese but has a nutty and sweet base note. It is an exquisite choice to fill the chicken breasts and deep or air fry them, cordon bleu style. Add some ham or prosciutto to enrich the final taste. What’s more, smash those flavors with chili-based condiments or pickled chili peppers, like habanero. Honey Dijon mustard and sriracha are fine options, especially with red onion and tomatoes.
Best Cheese for Grilled Chicken Sandwich
Grilled chicken tends to be bland if you’re not a spice enthusiast, but when paired with special cheeses, it will go from 0 to 100 in a blink of an eye.
Parmesan
Grated parmesan and chicken have an unbreakable bond. Salty parmesan with a bitter base note is, in fact, the spice as much as the cheese, though. You can grill spice-less chicken, garnish it with parm cheese, and still pull out the best flavor.
For the best taste, marinate chicken in Italian sauce, as its acidy taste will draw out all the nuttiness of parmesan. Sprinkle the cheese over your still-hot chicken so it can melt nicely and blend with all the flavors. You can add freshly chopped parsley and chili flakes in mayo and smear it on the bun, so you can have loads of flavors in all the layers. For a citrusy relish, add a few drops of lemon juice to the mayo to enhance the zesty notes of parsley.
Fresh Mozzarella
Fresh, non-melted mozzarella will smash the taste of grilled chicken, whether it is heavily or lightly spiced. Grilled chicken tenders on the bottom, fresh slices of mozzarella on the top, with tomato and basil in between, will give you a very nutritional meal.
This wanna-be Caprese salad, with chicken and bread, is a real dash of Italy. Keep the seasoning simple, though. High-quality virgin olive oil is simply enough to sprinkle on a homemade sourdough slice of bread, toasted till golden to ensure flavors burst.
Smoked Mozzarella
Smoked mozzarella is a perfect balance between fresh cheese and smoky flavor. It still keeps its soft texture, though, while the taste makes it special. It goes well with other bold flavors and is the best fit for rustic chicken sandwiches.
Make a marinade out of lemon, herbs, and garlic when grilling chicken to pair with smoked mozzarella. Zestiness will enhance the smoky flavor, especially when paired with homemade basil pesto. You won’t go wrong with fine store-bought pesto, either.
Sun-dried tomatoes and arugula will complement this ingredient combination the best. Broil the chicken for a bit before serving it, with the cheese on top, so it can melt lightly. The best bread to use for this Italian-style sandwich is ciabatta or focaccia.
Pepper Jack
Add a layer of pepper jack cheese to heat up your regular grilled chicken sandwich. It has high-fat content, so it’s undoubtedly creamy and silky when melted. This is a bit more Mexican variety of famous Monterey Jack cheese, enriched with ground pepper and a wide range of chili peppers.
Habanero chilies, jalapeños, and sweet peppers are the winning combo that makes this cheese pop. Grilled chicken is the simplest chicken dish there is, so adding a slice or two of this spicy cheese will elevate its modest flavors. You won’t go wrong with lightly seasoning it with salt and pepper because pepper jack will act like a rich season mix.
You don’t need to blend special sauces; just spread a spoonful of mayo and add a few slices of cucumber and lettuce for a freshness. You can add pickled chilies, too, if you want it oh-so-spicy, but this is a nice 5-minute-prep lunch idea for a piquant sandwich with two key ingredients.
Best Cheese for Deli Chicken Sandwich
Deli chicken is rarely eaten warm, so the best choice for these sandwiches are cheeses that work well cold and melt nicely if you want to toast it.
Colby-Jack
Colby Jack is the other half of any deli meat, especially chicken. Its taste varies from mild to sharp and everything in between. So, choose the one you like the best, sweet or tangy. Have it with mayo, pickles, or fresh salad, as it tastes amazingly cold and simple.
Havarti
Mild Havarti cheese is a perfect match with deli chicken. It has a subtle aroma, so it’s very convenient as an ingredient of any go-to sandwich. It’s tasty with simple additions, like lettuce, mayo, and sour cream with finely chopped pickles. But on the other side, it is a blank canvas to mix and match different flavors and textures.
It also melts to a silky texture, a bit stretchy, so it’s delish when toasted. For charcuterie board lovers, you can add fresh pear or fig in the sandwich to skyrocket all the flavors. Yum!
Tilsit
When compared with Havarti, Tilsit is slightly saltier and fuller in flavor. It has a tender, buttery texture with a light aroma. It is simple but easily turned into a delicacy by adding herbs and sauces, like sriracha, to spice things up. Ciabatta and baguette are the best bread options, plus never skip the salad to smash the taste with freshness.
Best Cheese for Spicy Chicken Sandwich
Spicy chicken needs to be handled carefully, as it’s a thin line between edginess and going over the top. Here are some examples to complement all of the spices.
Muenster
When young, this cheese has a mild flavor that pairs nicely with spicy chicken. However, it can be intense and strong when aged, so skip it if you don’t want too many flavors altogether. Lettuce is an option to add some freshness, though.
Cream Cheese
Clean cream cheese is the lightest base you can have. Along with the spicy chicken, cream cheese is the safe choice as it’s somehow bland in taste but will work well with piquant meat. It can pair with anything, so just put everything you like in the sandwich, from tomatoes to sweet chili sauce.
Aged Gouda
Gouda is unsurprisingly on every list of cheeses ever. But this time, it pairs best with Moroccan-style spicy chicken. What gives it special touch is the spice mix used for the marinade: cardamom, cinnamon, and coriander, plus pita instead of bread. Also, try to add some green olives, toasted almonds, and some raisins for a dash of sweetness.
Caramel-tasting aged gouda is specific, especially when paired with rich-flavored ingredients. It has a nutty starting note, so it blends nicely with the slight bitterness of almonds and olives. If you like the exotic taste, don’t skip this idea!
Best Cheese for Chicken Salad Sandwich
Creamy chicken salad is best-served cold as it keeps the chicken succulent and fresh. When it comes to sandwich combinations, opt for cheeses that aren’t watery to keep your bread sogginess free.
Cottage cheese
Traditional chicken salad requires mayonnaise as the creamy base, but cottage cheese is a healthier and tastier version of it. Chicken salad with this cheese abounds with proteins and is a highly nutritional lunch option. Cottage cheese has a somewhat granular texture, so skip it if you’re not a fan, or blend it with lemon, herbs, garlic, and even some mayo.
Those two key ingredients make a soft and juicy salad, so add some crunch to smash it. You can hold on to the traditional: finely chopped cucumber, red onion, bell pepper, and sweet corn. Dice some celery, almonds, and dried cranberries for a bit different taste.
Cantal Cheese
Cantal cheese is the right choice for those who fancy a bit stronger flavor with a glass of Cabernet Sauvignon for dinner. Cantal is buttery in texture but not creamy enough to work as the base for a salad. Plain greek yogurt makes a solid base to add a remarkable amount of bitterness by grating the cheese generously.
Add some green and black olives, as their slight nuttiness works well with an earthy cantal starting note. Chop some garden-fresh vegetables to add some crispiness, like cherry tomatoes, lettuce, and spring onion. Drizzle it with lemon juice and extra virgin olive oil, and you’ll get real flavor rhapsody.
Blue Cheese
The creamy texture of blue cheese is an ideal adhesive for chicken and vegetables. It has an intense aroma and a sharp taste, so you’ll need fresh vegetables and some zest to smash it up. Let’s see how to enhance its taste to the maximum! The best choice for the bread is sourdough, slightly toasted, for the texture.
When it comes to chicken, you can use roasted leftovers or grilled chicken, as the touch of smokiness goes wonderfully with cheese. White wine vinegar or lemon will reduce the sharpness, along with red and green grapes for sweetness. The grassy texture of celery sticks and the bitterness of parsley are also a great addition to the ingredients listed above.
Best Cheese for Shredded Chicken Sandwich
The shredded chicken sandwich is probably always made out of leftovers. Here are some ideas to turn your day-old chicken into a restaurant-worthy dish.
Provolone Cheese
Provolone tastes highly complex; it goes from buttery to nutty, with sharp strings connecting it. When you’re using cheese like this, keep other ingredients simple so they don’t smother its rich flavors. It would be a shame not to feel all of the layers.
Provolone will work better than any overwhelming spice here, so add some onions and tomato to boost the juiciness, and that’s it! For the best flavor, sauté the onions till golden brown and crispy, then fry or reheat the chicken on the leftover grease.
Comté
The taste of comté differs as the process of aging flows. It goes from a milder, buttery taste to spicy and nutty. Young comté has a dried apricots-like base with a note of caramel, so it pairs well with carrots and red peppers. Also, mix some mayo and yogurt with lemon juice for a savory sauce.
Greek Feta
Greek feta is not too salty to be overwhelming but has a tangy, peppery flavor. Mix it with some olives, virgin olive oil, and fresh mint for a dash of Mediterranean. You can also add some beans for an earthy note and make a tzatziki sauce as a spread.
