Crispy Panko Turkey Sandwich With Fried Onions and Melted Cheese

Huhummm, I love panko breadcrumbs (its a japanese styele of breadcrumbs, they are extra large and fluffy, so the end result is super crunch when frying), so for today lets go and bread and fry some turkey nuggets with panko, and while I was at it, I fried a bit of onion with the leftover panko and egg, and I put it all in a sandwich with some nice slices of Alentejo bread.

Yeah it turned out a banger! By the way, I used one turkey breast, so I ended up with 6 breaded pieces, the rest I cut into chunks and ate in a salad, which was also delicious, but of course you can make about 2 to 3 sandwiches just like this one with the same amount of turkey.

I really like doing this kind of double duty cooking, you bread the turkey, you’ve already got egg and panko sitting there, so why not fry up some onion in the same breading while you’re at it. It barely takes any extra work and it makes the whole sandwich feel a lot more special, that crunchy fried onion next to the crispy turkey and the melted cheese is honestly what makes this one worth repeating. So, let’s get to the recipe, it’s simple, it’s quick enough for a weeknight, and it makes for one seriously satisfying sandwich.

Crispy Panko Turkey Sandwich With Fried Onions and Melted Cheese

Servings: 1
Time: 1hr
Difficulty: Normal
Rating: ★★★★★
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Yeah you know I don’t do much fried foods, so when i do, its gonna be sweeeeetttttttt ;D And yeah I made it into a sandwich, but it's just as good with some fries on the side, or stuffed inside a tortilla wrap, or tucked into a pitta bread, it's always yummy no matter how you serve it.

Ingredients

Bread – 2 Slices of Alentejo (Rustic) Bread
Turkey – 1 Breast
Onion – 1 (optional)
Flour – 4 Tablespoons
Panko – 8 Tablespoons
Egg – 2
Flamengo cheese – 2 slices
Ketchup – To Taste
Mayonnaise – To Taste
Oil – For Frying
Paprika – A Pinch
Pepper – A Pinch
Salt – A Pinch

Directions

Start by cutting the turkey breast into strips, try to make them roughly the same thickness so they cook evenly.

Set up three dishes: one with two whisked eggs (the photo shows only one, but I later whisked and added a second), another with flour mixed with a generous pinch of salt, pepper, and paprika, and a final one with panko breadcrumbs.

Heat a wide frying pan with about two fingers depth of oil. While the oil heats up, coat each turkey strip in the egg, then the seasoned flour, then back into the egg, and finally the pank, pressing down slightly so the crumbs stick before placing it on a plate, repeat the process for the remaining turkey.

Fry the turkey strips on both sides until golden brown and drain on paper towels. If you have any leftover ingredients, slice some onion into rings, coat the rings in the egg, flour, egg, and panko, and fry those as well (no need to waste anything).

Toast the bread, layer on the breaded turkey followed by the cheese and onion, add ketchup or mayonnaise if you want, and you’re all set! Bon appétit.

Notes & Tips: Pound the turkey strips a bit before breading if some are thicker than others, this keeps them cooking at the same rate so you don’t end up with dry edges and an undercooked center.

Don’t skip pressing the panko onto the turkey, that extra press is what keeps the crumb from falling off in the oil.

Keep the oil at a steady medium heat, around 350 to 375 degrees Fahrenheit (175 to 190 degrees Celsius). Too hot and the panko will brown before the turkey cooks through, too cool and the coating will soak up oil and turn greasy instead of crisp. But do note these are chicken strips so they dont need much time to cook through.

I’m always saying it, fry in batches and don’t crowd the pan, dropping too many pieces in at once cools the oil down fast and you lose that crunch and get soggy fried food.

If you want to save this for later, the fried turkey strips freeze well once fully cooled, just reheat them in the oven or an air fryer to bring the crunch back, the microwave will make them soggy as well.

Melt the cheese right on top of the hot turkey as you assemble the sandwich, or pop the whole thing under the broiler for a minute, it makes a real difference.

Toast the bread well, a soft untoasted slice will go limp fast once it meets that hot turkey and melted cheese. Especially if its not a nice rustic bread 😛

Take into account on the nutrition values below, i had plenty of leftovers, almost for 2 more sandwiches, so kinda divide a bit by 3 😀

This recipe for Crispy Panko Turkey Sandwich With Fried Onions and Melted Cheese was originally created on BakeAfter.com. Esta receita de Sandes de Peru Panado com Cebola Frita foi publicada em português no Iguaria.com.