This Chipotle Turkey Panini is made with toasted bread that’s generously slathered with scratch-made chipotle mayo and layered with sliced deli turkey and provolone cheese. It’s perfect for a quick and delicious lunch!
This Chipotle Turkey Panini tastes like what you’d enjoy at a café, sitting at one of those tiny, outdoor wooden tables. It’s warm, toasty, and great with a side of chips or a salad.
It has homemade chipotle mayo which only takes a few minutes to make and is much more satisfying than using powder. Plus, you’ll have enough leftover for other sandwiches like this Fried Egg Sandwich.
A panini press is best if you have one, but you can opt to use a pan instead. Just as long as it’s warm and melty on the inside!
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Homemade Chipotle Mayo: It tastes better when you make from scratch and it’s incredibly easy to make!
- Quick and Easy Lunch: Even with the mayo, the panini takes less than 30 minutes to make.
- Versatile: Feel free to add more inside your panini like red onions or avocado. You can even change up which cheese goes inside!
Ingredient Notes
The full list of ingredients and their quantities is in the recipe card below. Here you’ll find notes on why we chose certain ingredients as well as any substitutions.
- Rustic White Bread: The large slices are great for fitting everything onto the sandwich.
- Sliced Deli-Turkey: Oven roasted or herbed turkey will work.
- Provolone: You can also use havarti, muenster, Swiss, or gouda.
- Arugula: It holds up well even in a warm sandwich like this one. You can also use spinach.
- Tomatoes: We use Campari tomatoes, but you can use plum/Roma tomatoes.
- Extra-Light Tasting Olive Oil: You can also use safflower or sunflower oil. These are more neutral in flavor and won’t overpower the chipotle flavor of the mayo.
- Egg: This binds everything together in the mayo and makes it extra creamy.
- Chipotle Peppers in Adobo Sauce: You’ll need 4 peppers straight from the can.
Step-By-Step Instructions
This section provides a general overview as well as any pictures to guide you through the recipe. The full detailed recipe instructions are in the recipe card at the bottom of the post.
STEP 1: Make the mayo. Add the ingredients for the chipotle mayo to an immersion blender and blend until thick and smooth.
STEP 2: Build the sandwich. Spread 1 ½ tablespoons of mayo onto each slice of bread. Add the provolone, turkey, arugula, and tomatoes onto two of the slices. Close the sandwiches with the other pieces of bread.
STEP 3: Heat and press the panini. Cook one sandwich at a time in a heated panini press for 4-5 minutes until heated through. Slice diagonally and enjoy!
Expert Tips
- Make sure the panini press is fully preheated. For even cooking, you want to make sure it’s hot and ready to go. Otherwise, it’ll take longer to cook and the bread might be done before the inside is heated through.
- Use good, sturdy bread. Any rustic bread will do like ciabatta, sourdough, focaccia, etc. These have a better crunch and hold up nicely in the panini press.
FAQ
You can use a grill pan or regular pan and place something heavy on top as it cooks. Just be sure to flip the sandwich and cook until the cheese has melted.
It should last 1-2 weeks in the fridge when kept in a well sealed jar. The lemon juice and vinegar act as natural preservatives, so it should last a while even with the egg.
If you tried this recipe, let us know how it turned out for you! Leave a star rating and review below and tag us on Instagram @fancifuleats so we can see your amazing kitchen creations!
📖 Recipe
Chipotle Turkey Panini
Equipment
- Immersion Blender
- Panini Press
Ingredients
Chipotle Mayo:
- 1 cup (250 ml) extra-light tasting olive oil*
- 1 large egg
- 1 tbsp lemon juice
- ½ tsp fine sea salt
- 1 tsp dijon mustard
- ½ tsp distilled white vinegar
- 4 chipotle peppers in adobo sauce
- 1 clove garlic
Chipotle Turkey Panini:
- 4 slices rustic white bread
- 4 slices provolone cheese
- 6 oz (170 g) deli-turkey thinly sliced
- ⅔ cup (20 g) arugula packed
- 2 campari tomatoes sliced
- 6 tbsp chipotle mayo divided
Instructions
- Add all the ingredients for the chipotle mayo to an immersion blender and blend until smooth and thick. Transfer to a jar and set aside.
- Heat a panini press over medium-high heat.
- Spread 1 ½ tbsp of chipotle mayo onto each slice of bread.
- Layer two slices with provolone, turkey, arugula, and tomatoes (in that order). Close the sandwiches with the other slices of bread.
- Place one sandwich on the panini press and gently press down. Let it toast for 4-5 minutes until heated through. Cut in half diagonally and repeat with the other sandwich.
Notes
- Oil: You can use another light/neutral tasting oil like safflower or sunflower oil.
- Chipotle Mayo: The recipe makes about 12 oz (~350 ml) of chipotle mayo. Store the leftovers in an airtight jar and keep in the fridge for 1-2 weeks.
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