Completely a restaurant worthy grinder, this Cajun Grilled Chicken Grinder is smoky, spiced, and chock full of sautéed peppers, onions, tomatoes, and cheese. Oh yes, and some lettuce too.

Every time one turns around, the calendar days slip by quicker and more frantically than the previous year as an adult. In childhood, the school year seemed to stretch out in front of you endlessly, brimming with sports practices, music lessons, birthday parties, and endless amounts of homework. As children, my friends and I lived for the summer months or the occasional (sometimes a barrage!) of snow days, allowing ourselves a moment to revel in the dreaminess of the latest book, video game, or gliding on the little homemade ice rink my Step-Dad constructed for us way back when Women’s Figure Skating was hot and bothered by the shenanigans surrounding the Lillehammerr Olympics. I had not hit double digits yet, and the grace, beauty, and athleticism was fascinating to me.

Recently my hubs and I went to see I, Tonya, which was gritty and brilliantly done. The film allows you to formulate your own opinions and each of the actors depicted their real-life counterparts uncannily well. The weekend we went to see the movie was the one I had firmly entrenched myself in trying to perfect baking a perfect Soft Grinder Roll. That weekend I was on attempt number 2 with different adjustments to yeast ratios, sweeteners, etc, but unlike some of my other baking unsuccesses, I did not go into a snit and banish the offending rolls. We had eaten a plethora of grinders already, and it looked like we were going to eat more after attempt number 2.

Spiced, smokey chicken, juicy tomatoes, and a squirt of fresh lime juice make this grinder extra-special, and extra delicious.

The word “Grinder”, as it happens, tends to be a very New England term, specifically my home state of Connecticut. I posted about it on my personal Facebook page, and it was SO fun getting firsthand responses to what friends and family in different parts of the country knew Grinder Rolls as. Submarine Rolls, Torpedo Rolls, Hoagies, Heros, and the list went on. Personally, I like the grittiness of the word Grinder, and since we were close to Mass, clearly the “R” was going to be dropped so the word is pronounced “Grind-ahh”.

Out of all the Grinders we ate during that test period, one was by far and away the delicious winner and something I considered to be a finalist in the Olympics of Grinders. This Cajun Grilled Chicken Grinder is one for the ages, and absolutely special enough to make for an indoor (if the weather is not on your side) or outdoor picnic for a quiet, non crazy Valentine’s Day in. All of the elements of the Grinder are working together to give you a phenomenally good bite. First, without saying, is the softest, most pillowy Grinder Roll that you butter and crisp in a big skillet so the cut sides of the bread get all crispy and buttery. Then, the chicken packs a double whammy of flavor. First marinaded in a wonderfully flavorful Cajun inspired marinade, heavy on both the sweet and smoked paprika, the chicken tenderloins are grilled to get those smoky, charred bits over high heat to ensure you sear in the juices. Adding the crisped, juicy vegetables of your choice, topped with Havarti Cheese, and eaten with fresh lime wedges, it is an unbelievably tasty experience that is simple to do at home

Pan grilling the grinder roll in a skillet makes the insides nice and crunchy, but keeps that signature softness throughout the rest of the grinder roll. It is a pretty magical thing when you do this at home, making this grinder in particular very special!

Let’s talk about the way the ingredients are layered on the Grinder for just a minute, as I do think it is critical in keeping the bread nice and soft with those crisped cut sides from the pan searing from getting soggy from such juicy elements that are layered in between the bread. I always layer my condiment o the bread, then lay on each side some lettuce - whether it be mixed greens, or butter lettuce, or even iceberg lettuce. This act as a little barrier to help corral the juices from the chicken, tomatoes, and other vegetables you put on it. If I’m not melting the cheese on a Grinder (say, something like a Philly cheesesteak), I tend to put the cheese over the vegetables on top before the lettuce and bread finish off the Grinder. It’s just something I picked up throughout my many years of eating these little guys and getting annoyed at my leftovers getting soggy from improper layering.

So for this Valentine’s Day, as it is with so many past ones, I think my hubs and I are staying in to avoid the crazies at the restaurants for the holiday. These little Cajun Grilled Chicken Grinders are at the top of the list for a low key, more playful Valentine’s Dinner. Depending if you want to go fancy (yet VERY simple preparation) with something like this Lemon, Ginger, and Molasses Chicken, or something just a little out of the ordinary but mobile, these Grinders are a delicious option to show those you love you appreciate them

Sink your teeth into this perfect bite - crisp, chewy bread, juicy, insanely delicious chicken, peppers, onions, and plump tomatoes making it mouthwateringly yummy, with the bright acidity of lime juice at the end to make those spices SING!!

Cajun Grilled Chicken Grinders

Author: Iris Anna Gohn

Servings: 2 Foot Long Grinders, or 4 Six Inch Grinders

These Cajun Grilled Chicken Grinders are extremely simple to get going. The marinade comes together in a matter of minutes, and since chicken tenderloins are not very thick, the minimum marinating time would be an hour and you would still end up with great flavor. I marinated mine for a day and a half as my dinner plans changed one night, but I tend to marinate my meats overnight anyways just because it falls in line with something I call “stage cooking”. Basically, due to the unpredictability of my fatigue, I break things down in stages which makes my prep time vs. cook time on the day of much shorter and more efficient.

For example, you could wash, slice, and prep your veggies you intend to use on the grinders at the same time you make the marinade. That way, the chicken just needs to be grilled and the grinders assembled right before you eat them. The way I layer the vegetables (listed above) allows the grinders to stay un-soggy overnight - we actually ended up making two completely separate meals out of these on two different days after I assembled the grinders and they were perfect both days.

This marinade is delicious, and if you wanted a more traditional dinner, you could use the chicken with some dirty rice and vegetables. It is pretty versatile, as are most of the marinades I come up with - with just two of us here, I get pretty inventive with my leftovers!

Ingredients

For the Chicken Marinade:

1 1/4 to 1 1/2 Pounds Boneless, Skinless Chicken Tenderloins
1 Tbsp Sweet Paprika
1 Tbsp Smoked Paprika
1 Tsp Dark Brown Sugar
1 Tsp Dried Oregano
1/2 Tsp Dried Mustard
1/2 Tsp Sea Salt
3/4 Tsp Fresh Cracked Black Pepper
2 Tbsp Extra Virgin Olive Oil
3 Tbsp White Vinegar

To Assemble the Grinders:

2 Foot Long SoftGrinder Rolls (My RECIPE HERE or storegought)
Mayo
Mixed Greens
Sautéed Peppers and Onions (1/2 pepper, 1/2 onion)
Tomato Slices
Havarti Cheese
Sea Salt
Fresh Cracked Black Pepper
Lime wedges, for serving

Directions

For the Chicken Marinade:

In a medium bowl, whisk together the paprika, smoked paprika, dark brown sugar, oregano, dried mustard, salt, pepper, olive oil, and vinegar until everything is thoroughly combined and emulsified. It will smell VERY strong with the vinegar and spices - taste and see if you need to adjust the salt.
Gently toss the chicken tenderloins in the marinade, taking care to thoroughly coat each tender. I used my hands - don’t be afraid to get them dirty! If you are a bit squeamish about touching raw chicken, place the chicken into a large Ziplock bag, pour the marinade into the bag, squeeze the air out when closing it, and thoroughly massage the marinade onto the chicken that way.
Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and place in the fridge to marinate a minimum of 2 hours, up to 36.

To Grill the Chicken and Assemble the Grinders:

In a large skillet that will fit the size of your grinder bread, melt a bit of butter over medium heat. Make sure there is enough butter to evenly coat the bottom of the pan.
On another burner, heat your grill pan over high heat. Spray with cooking spray.
With a bread knife, slice the grinder rolls in half lengthwise. Place the bread cut sides down into the butter, and let the bread grill until nice and toasted. Repeat with the other grinder rolls and set aside until ready to assemble.
Drizzle a bit of olive oil in the hot sauté pan and add the peppers and onions, Saute for about 7 minutes until soft. Season with a. Touch of salt and pepper.
Once the grill pan is smoking, reduce the heat to medium high. Place 4 pieces of chicken on the pan. DO NOT TOUCH THEM. Let them sear over medium high heat for 2 to 3 minutes, then flip over and continue to sear for an additional 2 to 3 minutes until cooked through. Again, DO NOT MOVE THE CHICKEN. The temptation is strong, I know, but letting it sit in one place is what is going to create a great little crust over that high heat and seal those juices in.
Transfer the cooked chicken to a plate and cover with aluminum foil while you repeat the grilling process with the remaining chicken.
When all the chicken is grilled, cover with the aluminum foil and set aside while you spread mayo onto the toasted grinder rolls.
On each side of the grinder rolls, layer some lettuce on top of the mayo. This will help the juices of the chicken and tomatoes from seeping into the bread. The grilling of the bread creates a little barrier too, and that is why the mayo does not make the bread soggy, either.
Layer the grilled chicken , four tenderloins to a 12 inch grinder, then top with sautéed peppers and onions, and tomatoes into the grinder. Lightly salt and pepper the tomatoes, then top with Havarti Cheese.
Carefully place the top of the grinder on the chicken/veggies, then secure the sandwich with toothpicks on each side. Slice down the middle (or into 4’s if you want smaller sections), and serve with freshly squeezed lime juice as you eat the grinder.