This chicken sandwich deli meat takes just a handful of simple ingredients to make and is healthy and delicious! It is the perfect alternative to store-bought deli meat and is lower in salt, lower in cost, and has no weird preservatives!
**I've added a video below (above the recipe) where you can watch how to make the deli meat and how I slice it thin!**
Did you know that you can make your own sandwich deli meat at home?
And that you can make it with something as simple and as readily available as chicken breast?
You don't need to make those giant deli loaves they have in the market, nor do you need a giant meat slicer.
All it takes is 5 ingredients, some patience, and a very sharp knife and you are winning!
Preparing and Curing
This deli meat is prepared using the Torihamu method, which I learned about through Just Bento's Homemade Chicken "Ham" recipe*. It involves marinating the chicken breasts for at least 24 hours in salt, honey, and other seasonings. The purpose of this step is not only to flavor the meat, but also to give the meat a slightly longer refrigerator "shelf life". Call it a homemade way of curing the meat, but without any chemical preservatives!
The marinade is made of honey, salt, onion powder, and garlic powder, and will be a very thick paste-like consistency. It might seem as if there's not very much to coat two chicken breasts, but never fear!
Spread the marinade all over the chicken breasts (I find that using my hands work best), and then place everything in a zip top bag (I use a quart-sized freezer bag). Squeeze out as much air as possible before sealing the bag and let the chicken hang out in the fridge for 2-3 days.
After the 2-3 day curing period is done, it's time to rinse the chicken and let it soak in a water bath for a bit. This additional step of soaking the meat in water before roasting is to desalinate the chicken, or remove some of the excess salt, while also balancing out the flavors.
Pat the chicken breasts dry and then simply roast them as is, or coat them in herbs, spices, ground black pepper, etc.
Cooking and Slicing
An important detail in this recipe is to roast the chicken breasts low and slow as it ensures the meat doesn't dry out and become tough. You could roast the chicken breast at a higher temperature for a shorter amount of time, but in the case of this deli meat, you don't want to rush it.
After roasting, let the chicken cool down to room temperature before storing in the fridge, waiting to slice it after they are completely chilled. And VOILA!
For those of you wondering how to slice them thin without an actual meat slicer, I use a sushi knife as you can see pictured below. The blade is thinner than regular knives, and I think the holes in the blade and the nonstick surface contribute to not grabbing the meat as you slice. I also don't rush the slicing...going a bit slower gives you greater control and it's helps get those nice thin slices.
I've used chicken for this recipe because chicken breast is readily available in the grocery store at any time of the year. It's also easy to handle (compared to a big turkey breast) and yields a decent amount of sliced meat without feeling like you have too much.
Also, as you can see from these photos, if you make two chicken breasts at once, you can make each one a different flavor!
Both chicken breasts started in the same marinade, in the same bag. But then I coated one in crushed black pepper because it is super tasty and we are all fans of pepper-crusted deli meat! You could do the same, or coat the chicken breast with spices or finely-chopped herbs for that added bit of flavor. I have also, in the absence of garlic powder, added Italian seasoning to the marinade, which imparted a delicious flavor to the meat. So you can play around a bit!
While my boys love to nibble on the meat straight from the fridge from a snack, let's not forget that it makes for awesome sandwiches, especially with homemade gluten-free bread, like my Soft Homemade Gluten-Free Bread pictured here!
A sandwich isn't complete with a nice stack of thinly sliced deli meat, but sandwich meat can be expensive, and this is especially the case here in Hong Kong where so much of the food is imported. Aside from cost, deli meat often contains ingredients you don't want, like too much salt and nitrates. But with this recipe, you don't have to worry about things like that any more!
This has got to be one of my favorite recipes that I make all the time. Easy, tasty, and healthier and more affordable than store-bought deli meat...what's not to love?
~ Lisa.
Watch How To Make It
Easy Homemade Sandwich Deli Meat
Ingredients
- 2 skinless, boneless chicken breasts (approximately 1lb. or 450 g total)
- 1 ½ tbs honey
- 1 ½ teaspoon sea salt
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
Optional coatings prior to roasting:
- Black pepper
- Dried herbs
- Spices
Equipment
Instructions
Marinating:
- Combine honey, sea salt, onion powder, and garlic powder and mix well.
- Coat chicken breasts thoroughly in the honey marinade.
- Place chicken breasts in a zip-top bag. Press air out of the bag and seal.
- Refrigerate for 48-72 hours (2-3 days).
Preparing:
- Remove the chicken from the marinade and rinse with cool water.
- Place the rinsed chicken in a dish of cold water (make sure the chicken is submerged) and soak 30 minutes for every 24 hours you marinated it. (See note below.)
Roasting:
- Preheat oven 250 deg F (125 C).
- Remove the chicken from the soaking water and dry well with paper towels.
- Place the chicken on a parchment-lined baking sheet.
- Press black pepper or dried herbs into the chicken breast, if desired.
- Bake for 40-50 minutes, until the internal temperature taken with an instant-read thermometer is 165 deg F (74 C).
- Let cool at room temperature about 30 minutes.
- Place chicken breasts in refrigerator until completely chilled before slicing.
- Slice the chicken breast at an angle, as thin or as thick as you like. Store in a sealed container in the fridge for up to 1 week.
Notes
- The honey marinade will be a thick and paste-like. I find it easiest to spread over the chicken breasts with my hands to make sure covers the whole surface.
- When soaking the chicken in fresh water, soak 30 minutes for every 24 hour period it was marinated. ie. 72 hours marinating = 1.5 hours soaking
- When soaking the chicken in water, I put the chicken and water in a sealable container and place it in the fridge, making sure the chicken is submerged in the water. The purpose of this soaking step is to desalinate the chicken while also balancing out the flavors.
- You can marinate it for as little as 24 hours, but I find the best flavor comes from marinating it for 48-72 hours.
- Depending on if the thickness of the chicken breasts, it may take longer than 50 minutes to roast. The most dependable way to make sure they are done is to make sure the internal temperature is 165 deg F (74 C).
- I have found that dried herbs work better than fresh when roasting the meat.
Nutrition
Video added June 9th, 2023.
Chloe
I've made this twice already during quarantine when I couldn't go out and get cold cuts and I'm currently doing it a 3rd time. I've recommended this recipe to family as well. It tastes absolutely amazing and it's so easy to do!! I've also experimented with using different dry rubs on the outside before sticking it in the oven to amazing success. Thanks so much!!
Lisa
That's great, Chloe! I'm so glad you like it and have been experimenting with the flavors! Thanks so much for your comments!
Hope
I’m not sure if someone already asked this and I just missed it..... but what bread did you use in the very last picture of the sandwich. It looks amazing! Cant wait to try this for my husband’s lunches!
Lisa
Thanks, Hope! That is my Soft Gluten-Free Sandwich Bread and you can find the recipe by doing a search on the blog.
Katey
Hello,
How long the cooked/sliced chicken breast can be stored in a fridge?
Thanks for the recipe!
Lisa
Thanks for the question, Katey. I've kept it in the fridge for up to 5 days without any issues.
Lillia B
Delicious!!!!!! I made it and it was really good. It will definitely be our families chicken/turkey new lunch meat.
I would advise to follow instructions. I did not socked the chicken in water for as long as she recommended (bc I thought I new better) and the meat was a bit salty, not uneatable, but on the salty side. Still really good, I recommend it!
Lisa
Thanks, Lillia! I'm so glad you liked it!
Wayne
Made one with pepper one without..... the pepper won hands down !!! Thanks for this, easy & delish.
Lisa
Fabulous, Wayne! The pepper one is our favorite, too!
Will Skinner
Hey Lisa, would you be able to tell me what herbs & spices you use for the coating please?
Lisa
Thanks for the question, Will. I have found that dried herbs work better than fresh herbs for coating the chicken and have just updated the recipe to reflect that change. I have used Italian Seasoning, a combination of chopped dried rosemary and oregano, paprika, and a dusting of chili powder for a bit of spice. Our favorite, however, is still black pepper pressed into the meat. I hope that helps!
Farhan Shaikh
Hi
What other types of meat could you do this with?
Lisa
That, I don't know, Farhan. Using pork for ham requires a very different process, I think, and for beef, I would simply use leftover roasted beef.
Nina
I am cooking the chicken per instructions as we speak, and it's been in the oven for about two hours now... still can't reach 165F! I've been checking on it every 15 minutes for the last hour and it's just not going up. I just bumped the oven up to 300F, I hope it works.
They are pretty big breasts, 3 in a 2lb pack, but do you think I am missing something else? Send help!
Lisa
While those do sound like big chicken breasts, 2 hours sounds like a long time, and it doesn't make sense that the temperature isn't going up. All I can suggest is to check the temperature of the oven with an oven thermometer to make sure that it's the temperature it's supposed to be? Is the thermometer you're using to measure the temperature of the meat accurate? Is there space between the chicken breasts on the pan for the heat to circulate? Those are the only issues I can think of. I hope it worked out!
Nina
Thank you for the tips, Lisa!
I suspect that part of the issue lies with me opening the oven every 15 minutes after the first hour or so; maybe it just didn't get a chance to stay at temp. While I've never baked anything as low as 250 in this oven, higher temperatures (350-400) have so far worked as written. I may need to check that my thermometer is accurate, though.
I did have space between them, and after cooking at 300 for another 15 minutes, they seemed done. They did turn out tasty, so no harm done! Thanks again!
Lisa
Thanks for the update, Nina. Whew! I'm glad they worked out in the end! Hopefully it will be a smoother process the next time you make it!
Erica
Lisa, thank you so much for this recipe!!! I followed your instructions exactly (but without onion powder because I don’t have it) and it came out perfect. I used oregano, cayenne pepper, black pepper, and paprika for the dry rub.
I grew up eating sandwiches with deli meat but where I live now good deli meat is imported and expensive, and all the local brands are highly processed and full of preservatives. And of course, now it is not so safe to go to the supermarket. Today I finally fulfilled my sandwich cravings. I wish I had searched for this recipe sooner!
Lisa
Thanks, Erica! I'm so glad it turned out and that you're able to enjoy deli meat again...and this time homemade! Thanks for your comments!
Bianca
Hi which way do you cut the breast like if your cutting it from the top down or side to side ?
Lisa
If you look at the photos above of me slicing the meat, I lay the breasts down on a cutting board and slice at a shallow angle/as horizontal as I can make it to the board to get broad slices as opposed to just slicing straight down. Hope that helps.
Marlene
Can I try this with pork loin?
Lisa
Thanks for the question, Marlene. I don’t know if this can be done with pork loin or not as I have only used chicken. I think making ham is a different and much longer process, but I don’t know for sure.
Sarah Rose
Do you ever freeze these to thaw in batches?
Lisa
I have not made a big enough batch of the deli meat to freeze portions, but I see no problem in being able to do so. I actually plan to make a few more chicken breasts the next time I make it so I can freeze portions. The deli meat always disappears faster than I expect when I make only one or two breasts!
Kristine
Lisa, I will never eat chicken away from home again! This recipe is to die for.
I used split bone-in breast because that’s all I had and my grandson never got his sandwiches. The chicken disappeared. Thank you very much.
Lisa
Your poor grandson! Hahaha! I'm so glad you liked it, Kristine...I guess you will have to make more next time so your grandson can get his sandwich!
Ally
After learning how much preservatives were put in deli meat; I've decided to try to make my own. This simple and turn out great! Thanks for the recipe!
Lisa
That's great to hear, Ally! I'm so glad it worked out.
Karen Tockman
I wonder what the sodium content is for this? We limit it in our house, so I used significantly less in the marinade. I see that you do a soak afterwards, but I imagine it probably still retains quite a bit of sodium. I will let you know the result afterwards. I love the idea of making my own at home, as we don’t ever buy it due to sodium and the the processed nature of it. I am going to invest in a sushi knife for sure!
Lisa
According to MyFitnessPal, it calculates about 380mg of salt per serving. However it does not take into account the water soak afterward to wash off the salt and desalinate the chicken breasts. So I think the sodium content is much less than 380mg, and I have never found the meat to taste salty. Please let me know how it turns out with the reduced salt, Karen!