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.
Summer Dawn
Hello from Honduras! Thank you so much for posting this recipe! We live on a tiny island where everything is imported and is usually close to expiring by the time it gets here. I am so happy to know I can now make my own deli meat!! Cheers!
Lisa
Hola! I'm so excited to see my recipes reaching your part of the world in Honduras, and am thrilled that this deli meat recipe will be useful for you! Thanks for your comment!
Will
I was looking for a healthier lunch meat. This is it! Thank you so much for posting this recipe. I am playing around with flavors. Your recipe is not only healthier, but also much tastier than store bought lunch meat.
Lisa
Thanks so much, Will! I'm glad you found this recipe...there is definitely room for flavor experimenting!
JP
72 hours in, just put down to soak for 1.5 hours...then roast...then...ahhhh....can't wait to try this...getting impatient now that it's close to the finish line....
Lisa
Your patience will be rewarded, JP! I hope you like it!
JP
Sooooooo good!! Thank you Lisa for this! It has a great balance of sweet and salt, the texture was beautiful....I used my meat slicer to get nice thin slices and the little "bits" will be great on a salad...if I don't stop eating the bits first! I followed everything exactly as you said, even held out last night from tasting it to let it sit in the fridge to chill first....well worth the wait...you were right...I was rewarded. My spice mix was Za'atar and a lot of fresh cracked black pepper....will definitely order your e-book.
JP
Lisa
Fabulous, JP! I'm so glad you waited it out! And the "bits" usually end up popping straight into my mouth from the cutting board, too!
Mary M.
This is a great recipe, but I had to cook mine WAY longer to reach 165 °. It still turned out juicy and delicious, I was just surprised, mine took 80 minutes.
Lisa
Ovens can definitely vary, so that's why it's best to go by meat temperature to make sure it's done. I'm glad you liked it, even if you had to wait a bit longer to enjoy it! Thanks for your comments, Mary!
Bee
I'm really looking forward to trying this. Do you need to cover the chicken before baking it, so it doesn't dry out?
Lisa
Thanks for the question, Bee. No, you do not need to cover it. The heat is low enough that the meat will not dry out.
Ming
I have made this several times now! It is perfect! My local grocery had boneless turkey breast on sale, so I used that instead. It was PERFECT! My favorite spice blend for the rub so far is just onion powder, garlic powder, and smoked paprika.
Thank you so much for sharing this wonderful recipe!
Lisa
Thanks for sharing that this recipe worked with turkey breast, Ming! I'm super excited to hear that!
Judy
Can you do this without the salt? I can't have salt in my diet.
Lisa
I'm not sure how it would work without the salt. Not using salt may affect the texture and it will most likely will affect the taste, but you could give it a try and see how it turns out. Thanks for the question, Judy.
Vicki
Thanks for this recipe! I started mine today, and am looking forward to trying it. Do you know how long it will stay fresh tasting in the refrigerator?
Lisa
I have kept mine in a sealed container in the fridge for up to 1 week and it's always been good. You can also freeze the chicken after you've sliced it. I hope you like it, Vicki!
Erica
Hi Lisa, I’ve made this for the second time now and it was even better than the first!!! I marinated it for the full 72 hours and then used oregano, paprika, black pepper, and a bit of cayenne pepper for the dry rub. I think I might double the recipe next time just because I love it so much. I usually eat it in sandwiches with mayonnaise, mustard, tomatoes, lettuce—the works! But it also tastes great on whole wheat bread with some avocado and a squeeze of lime juice, or even when snacking on it plain. For the pieces that were too hard to slice, I just chopped them up to eat with salad. It’s so versatile and so delicious. Thank you again for this recipe!!
Lisa
That's fabulous, Erica! I have made a double recipe of the deli meat several times and we have never had any problems eating it. Thanks for sharing your comments!
Steph
Hiya!
This sounds great! I have to try this as I can't stand the thought of processed meat in my child's sandwiches.
I do have a question:
Have you tried freezing the sliced meat?
I have to make 3-4 sandwiches every weekday and taking the meat out of the freezer would save me some time.
Steph x
Lisa
Hey, Steph! Yes, I have frozen the sliced meat with success, so definitely give it a try!
Jenni
This recipe is so easy and so delicious!
Lisa
Thanks, Jenni!
Amanda
could I make this with bone in turkey breast? I plan on trying it with chicken this week(need to defrost the chicken first). My kids love deli turkey. I usually buy a natural choice deli turkey, but even that has lots of added ingredients! All I can find at my local store(that doesn't have added stuff) is bone in turkey breast with ribs.
Lisa
If you use turkey breast, I would cut away and remove the bone so you are only dealing with the meat. Then I would probably cut the the breast in half lengthwise so you are working with two smaller pieces. In terms of roasting time, it may take longer to roast, depending on the size of the turkey breast pieces and I would make sure to check for doneness by checking the temperature with an instant-read thermometer. If you do end up trying it with turkey breast, let me know how it turns out!
Sumera
Lisa, thank you so much for sharing! This was my first time making homemade deli meat and I’m so in love! It was a long process but 100% worth the wait! My slices didn’t get quite as thin so may look into investing in a sushi knife. This will definitely be my go-to recipe for years to come. Thank you so much again!
**definitely follow directions as written as my meat was slightly salty after two days or marinating and 45 minutes of water soak. Should’ve left the breasts in the water for the last fifteen minutes, but got impatient! I baked at 250F for 55 minutes with two large chicken Breast and turned out perfect!
Lisa
Thanks for your comments, Sumera! I'm so glad you liked it...it's definitely a favorite in our house!