Gochujang Chicken Salad Sandwiches
with Sesame Carrot Fries & Pickled Cucumber
- Milk
- Sesame
- Soy
- Wheat
Give your classic chicken salad sandwich a twist with gochujang, a fermented Korean chili paste that’s savory, sweet, and just a little bit spicy. Tangy, quick-pickled cucumber adds extra brightness to these sandwiches, which you’ll build on top of warm toasted potato buns. Add a side of roasted sesame carrot fries and dig in!
Ingredients
3 tablespoon
Sour Cream
(Contains: Milk)
1 teaspoon
Korean Chili Flakes
1 unit
Mini Cucumber
1 tablespoon
Sesame Seeds
(Contains: Sesame)
10 ounce
Chicken Cutlets
1 unit
Lime
9 ounce
Carrot
2 unit
Scallions
2 unit
Potato Buns
(Contains: Soy, Wheat)
1 teaspoon
Garlic Powder
1 ounce
Gochujang Sauce
(Contains: Soy, Wheat)
Not included in your delivery
1 teaspoon (tsp)
Sugar
2 teaspoon (tsp)
Cooking Oil
teaspoon (tsp)
Salt
teaspoon (tsp)
Black Pepper
Nutrition Values
Utensils
Cooking Steps
-
Adjust rack to middle position and preheat oven 425 degrees. Wash and dry produce.
-
Trim, peel and halve carrots crosswise; cut lengthwise into sticks (like fries—ours were 3 inches long and ½ inch wide).
-
Toss on a baking sheet with a drizzle of oil, sesame seeds, salt, and pepper. Roast on middle rack until browned and tender, 15-18 minutes.
-
Pat chicken* dry with paper towels. Season with garlic powder and a pinch of salt and pepper.
-
Heat a drizzle of oil in a large pan over medium-high heat. Add chicken; cook until browned and cooked through, 3-5 minutes per side. TIP: Lower heat if chicken begins to brown too quickly.
-
Transfer to a plate. Refrigerate until cool enough to handle, then dice into ½-inch pieces.
-
Meanwhile, halve lime. Trim and thinly slice cucumber into rounds. Trim and thinly slice scallions.
-
In a medium microwave-safe bowl, whisk together ¼ tsp sugar (½ tsp for 4 servings), juice from all the lime, and a pinch of salt until sugar has dissolved.
-
Stir in cucumber; cover with plastic wrap. Microwave 30-60 seconds. Stir and set aside until ready to serve.
-
In a large bowl, combine scallions, diced chicken, sour cream, gochujang, and as many chili flakes as you like. Season with a pinch of salt and pepper to taste.
-
Halve and toast buns.
-
Divide chicken salad between bottom buns; top with as much pickled cucumber (draining first) as you like. Close sandwiches.
-
Divide sandwiches between plates. Serve with sesame carrot fries and any remaining pickled cucumber on the side.
Customer reviews
Review summary
Updated on Dec 2025- Flavor: Many enjoyed the unique twist on chicken salad, though some found it mild; consider adding extra gochujang or spices for more kick 🌶️.
- Ease of prep: Quick and simple to make, with some suggesting pre-diced chicken to save time and effort.
- Suggestions: Try shredding the chicken instead of cubing, and add celery or jicama for extra crunch in the salad.
- Leftovers: Several mentioned it tasted even better the next day, making it great for meal prep and work lunches.
- Sides: Sesame carrot fries were a hit for many; others suggested sweet potato fries as an alternative.
- Toppings: The quick-pickled cucumbers added a zesty crunch; some preferred using regular pickles for convenience.
Reviews from our home cooks
Really enjoyed the chicken salad - great flavors, a little heat, creamy and rich sauce with a twist! The carrots as "fries" were interesting in theory but not satisfying in execution. Would have preferred maybe a carrot salad/slaw or sweet potato fries. The sesame seeds were a nice touch, and the cucumber pickles were deliciously zesty!
These were easy to prepare and I loved the sauce for the chicken! I also really like the freshness and crunch the pickled cucumbers gave the sandwich.
I don't usually like pickles but they complimented the flavors of the chicken salad really well and there was a good, filling amount. I also loved the carrot fries!
This was our "try something new" choice and it passed the test! The buns were the perfect compliment to the chicken salad. It was nice to have a healthier sandwich option for once.
I loveee the idea of this recipe but it needs some work. It was by no means bad, but I expected a lot more flavor and spice from the gochujang. I even added my whole entire packet of Korean chilis, and was still dissatisfied with the flavor and spice level. I ended up adding a good amount of sriracha to mine which helped a lot. I think maybe there's too much sour cream and that's what's dulling the dish, or perhaps the gochujang is just not strong enough in flavor, or there's not enough in the recipe. I love this idea but please workshop the recipe because something is off! I'd love to try a stronger, more flavorful version in the future!
Awesome flavor! I used my own fancy pickles that I had for the sandwich instead of the ones in the recipe. I did make those though and we ate them on the side.
Carrot fries were great done in the air fryer. 15 minutes at 400. Add Sriracha mayo as dipping sauce.
This was very different, but pretty good. I kept it on the less spicy side, but we enjoyed it. The pickled cucumber added a lot to the dish.
Delish, cucumbers were meh, but the rest was great! Could have had 2x the carrots though. Felt stingy for a single veggie side to only have 3 small carrots for 2 people
Good. A little sweeter than I expected. Could use a bit more spice/hotness. Also picked cucumbers are difficult to make on the stove top (we do not have a microwave)
