Grilled Chicken Sandwich with Smoked Lemon Aioli & Housemade Bun

Juicy, grilled chicken thighs are layered onto a soft homemade sesame seed bun and finished with a smoky lemon aioli that brings just the right balance of brightness and richness. It feels elevated enough for a weekend cookout but easy enough for a weeknight dinner. It’s one of my favorite options in the summertime.

For the Buns

Ingredients
1 cup warm water
¼ cup pure cane sugar
3 1/4 teaspoons rapid yeast
⅓ cup avocado oil
1 egg (room temperature)
1 teaspoon salt
3 cups all-purpose flour + 1/2 cup more if needed.

Directions

1. Warm your water to 105°, add 1 tablespoon of sugar, and mix
2. Add yeast and allow it to bloom for 5-8 minutes.

3. While the yeast is blooming, add 3 cups of flour and 1 teaspoon of salt to a large mixing bowl.
4. Add the yeast mixture and the rest of the sugar into the bowl and mix into a shaggy dough.
5. Once shaggy, add your oil and egg.

6. Knead for 5-8 minutes (If the dough is not pulling away from the sides of the bowl, add extra flour in 1 tablespoon increments until it does), cover the dough, and allow to rise for 1.5 hours.

7. Weigh the entire dough ball on a food scale; mine was 858g.

8. Divide the dough into 8 portions (105-107g).

9. Spread each small dough ball between your hands and push in and up, creating tension at the top. Roll and slightly flatten each one between your hands.

1O. Once rolled, set them on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper, cover with plastic wrap, and place in a warm spot to rest for 30 minutes.

11. Heat the oven to 375° and brush the tops of your buns with 1 egg and a teaspoon of water.

12. Bake on the middle rack for 10-12 minutes (keep an eye on them the last couple of minutes, to ensure the bottoms don’t burn).

Tip: I use a light colored baking sheet to prevent the edges and bottoms from getting too dark or burning.

For the Chicken:

6 boneless skinless chicken thighs

1/4 cup olive oil

Two sprigs of thyme, leaves removed 

2 cloves garlic, grated 

Juice from half a lemon

1tsp garlic powder

1tsp onion powder

1/2 tsp smoked paprika

Salt & pepper 

Directions

1. Add your chicken thighs to a large container with a lid.

2. Add all ingredients for the marinade and mix to make sure each piece of chicken is fully coated.

3. Allow chicken to marinate for 30 minutes to 2 hours (I did 1.5). 

4. Get your grill heated to 400 degrees F. The grilling time for your chicken will vary depending on its size. I flipped mine every 3-4 minutes and let the lid down until the chicken reached 160 degrees internally, then let them rest for 5-8 minutes to reach 165.

For Smoked Lemon Aioli

½ cup mayonnaise

2 garlic cloves, grated

1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice

½ tsp liquid smoke (hickory flavor)

Salt and pepper to taste

Directions

1. Combine all ingredients into a medium-sized jar or container. Mix well and allow flavors to marry in the refrigerator for at least 15 minutes.