Quick and Delicious Smoked Chicken Recipe Smoked Chicken and Sun-Dried Tomato Sandwiches

When you think about smoked meats, smoked chicken isn’t always the first thing that comes to mind (you may be thinking about brisket, ribs, pork butt, etc…) When smoked properly chicken is absolutely delicious and takes on a flavor and texture that can’t be achieved by baking, roasting, or frying. Smoked chicken is moist and complex—as it smokes, the bird takes on a deep golden brown color and produces the most tender and flavorful chicken you’ll ever eat. Best of all, this bird is highly versatile—use smoked chicken leftovers in a variety of ways—in a salad, on a delicious sandwich (see the following recipe), or combined with pasta. Try this smoked chicken recipes out for lunch, brunch, a get together, or any time you have leftover smoked chicken. Purchase a smoked chicken breast that’s slowly smoked over hardwoods, then cooled rapidly to preserve all natural flavor and juices.This process seals in all the moisture and flavor—the smoked chicken breasts are then carefully vacuum packaged in sets of two, come fully cooked, and are ready for you to enjoy. Hot or cold, smoked chicken is delicious. Smoked Chicken Recipe: Smoked Chicken, Sun-Dried Tomatoes, and Basil Pesto Ingredients You’ll Need for Smoked Chicken Sandwich Recipe: Dried tomatoes (3/4 of a cup), choose tomatoes that don’t come packed in oil 6 to 8 oz of smoked chicken breast, sliced thinly A bunch of arugula, washed well and dried completely (approximately 1 cup) A long loaf of bread of your choice (French or Italian works well) ½ cup of pesto Ingredients for Pesto: ¼ cup of olive oil 1/3 cup of pine nuts (lightly toasted) 1 cup of parsley leaves, washed well and dried completely 1 cup of basil leaves, washed well and dried completely 1 large clove of garlic ¼ cup of Kalamata olives (brine-cured salty olives, pits removed and finely chopped) Creating Smoked Chicken Sandwiches: 1.Place sundried tomatoes into a heat-proof bowl and cover with boiling water (enough to cover). Cover and let stand 20-30 minutes, until tomatoes have softened. Drain well and pat dry. 2.Cut your bread loaf diagonally into 4 pieces, half each piece horizontally—spread pesto on both cut sides of bread and create 4 sandwiches with smoked chicken, arugula, and tomatoes. Making Pesto for Smoked Chicken Sandwich: 1.Add garlic clove to your food processor and mince well. 2.Add your basil, parsley, and toasted pine nuts and blend well again.(Pine nuts can be toasted carefully (no oil necessary) in a skillet over low-medium heat. Stir constantly to prevent burning). 3.With motor running, add olive oil to emulsify pesto to a consistent paste. 4.Stir in finely chopped Kalamata olives. Erica Ronchetti is a freelance writer and editor for Smokedfoods, a provider of smoked chicken and delicious smoked recipes.Visit Smokedfoods.com for our award winning Natural Smoked Tasmanian Trout, smoked salmon recipes, and other smoked meat.

Posted in: chicken,Delicious,Quick,Recipe,Sandwiches,Smoked,Sun-Dried,Tomato