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!
Reader Testimonial: "Yessss! This recipe came out wonderful and it had such a lovely flavor. I can enjoy sandwiches again!! We do everything from scratch do avoid any chemicals in our foods. So glad I decided to make this recipe. Definitely a keeper!" - Cas
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 tablespoons honey
- 1 ½ teaspoons 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.
Amy says
So simple and yummy! Perfect texture. Great as a source of protein on toasts for breakfast.
Thanks so much, Amy! So glad you like it!
Trudy says
I'm excited to try this recipe.
Can I use a greased baking dish instead of a parchment lined baking sheet?
What size zip top bag is used? And should it be a freezer type or storage type?
Hi Trudy! I think you can try roasting the chicken breast without any oil in a baking dish since the roasting temperature is quite low. I use a quart-sized resealable bag for marinating the chicken breast...basically whatever bag you have where the chicken fits is fine! It just has to be a resealable bag meant for food and does not have to be a freezer bag. Thanks for the questions and I hope that helps!
Megan M says
I’m so grateful for your recipe as I’ve been wondering for a long time how I can make my own (healthier) lunch meat! Yours sounds perfect. Two Q’s:
1) How many sandwiches can I get out of two large chicken breasts?
2) If I freeze the finished product, how is best to thaw and use?
Thank you!!
Thanks for the questions, Megan! To answer your questions: 1) It depends on how thinly you slice the chicken breasts, how much meat you like in your sandwiches, how big the bread is... But I'd say you could get 6 sandwiches maybe? 2) If you freeze the deli meat, make sure to slice it first, freeze in portions, then defrost in the fridge when you want to use it. I hope that helps!
Lauren says
Thank you so much for this recipe! I stopped eating or buying deli meat after reading about the Boar’s Head listeria outbreak last year, but we missed having it around for a quick protein for lunches and snacks. I’ve made it several times since last month and it always turns out great. I now marinate bulk amounts, soak, then rub each breast with a different spice mixture for variety. I chill, slice, then freeze and we pull out one bag a week. So grateful for this simple recipe!
Thank you so much, Lauren! I'm so glad you like the recipe and are making it often!
Cas says
Yessss! This recipe came out wonderful and it had such a lovely flavor. I can enjoy sandwiches again!! We do everything from scratch do avoid any chemicals in our foods. So glad I decided to make this recipe. Definitely a keeper!
Thank you so much, Cas! I'm so glad you liked the deli meat!
Claire says
Would it work the same with turkey?
Thanks for the question, Claire! I have had readers make this recipe successfully using turkey breasts, taking into account their larger size and roasting for a longer time to achieve the correct internal temperature. One reader commented below that it took about 2 hours. I hope that helps!
Yana says
Made this! Turned out delicious!!!! Thank you!
Thank you for making the recipe, Yana!
Elizabeth Lo says
Hi! I prepped this on Sunday night (marinated and left in the fridge) but haven’t gotten a chance to cook the chicken. Do you think it is still ok to use? Thanks!
Hi Elizabeth! Considering that's been 5 nights already, and who knows how long the chicken has around prior to that, I would err on the side of caution and not use it. I am not a food/health professional, of course, so I can't confidently advise on it, but that is my personal opinion. Considering it is chicken, I would choose to take any chances. Thank you for the question!
Maddie says
Would this work with turkey tenderloins?
Hi Maddie! I have had readers do this successfully with turkey breasts (taking into account the larger size and increasing the roasting time), so I imagine it would work with turkey tenderloins. If you try it, please let me know how they turn out. Thanks for the question!
Wendy says
This looks like a fabulous recipe! Do you think I could used this recipe on small (chicken breast sized) beef roasts to make roast beef deli meat too? That's what I miss most since cutting out preservatives and other artificial foods. 🙂
Thanks for the question, Wendy! I think making deli style beef may require a different process, so I wouldn't suggest using this recipe to do it in case it doesn't turn out.
Judith says
Hi there
Regarding the salt, does it matter what grain it is? (Fine/coarse/etc)
Hi Judith! I used fine salt so that it dissolves/spreads easily over the meat. Thanks for the question and I hope that helps!
Christy says
How long does this keep for in the fridge?
How long would it keep in the fridge if it is vaccum sealed?
Or is it better to freeze it?
Thanks for the questions, Christy! The deli meat will keep for about 1 week in the fridge; I do not know if vacuum sealing it affects how long it will keep in the fridge. You can also slice the meat and freeze it in resealable freezer bags. I hope that helps!
Stephanie says
Hello,
Will the meat be sweet from the honey? Can you marinate it in something else other than honey? Also a waste of honey per breast just to let the spices stick and then have it washed off and discarded.
Thanks for the question, Stephanie! Even though you are rinsing off the marinade, the honey and seasonings all help with flavoring the chicken breasts and yes, the honey does make the meat mildly sweet. I have had other readers use mayonnaise or mustard with success so perhaps you could give those a try? I hope that helps!
JJ says
How long does it last in the fridge?
Hi JJ! Keep the deli meat refrigerated for up to one week. Thanks for the question!
Patty says
Can the extra meat be frozen?
Thank you!
Hi Patty! Yes, it can!
Zainab says
Great recipe but I’m diabetic and need to control my sugars. Any way you can give the carbohydrate count of this? It’s a bit confusing because of the washing
Hi Zainab! Thank you for the question. I would suggested looking up a recipe nutrition calculator or carbohydrate calculator online to find out the numbers from the recipe. From there you can probably figure out that the carbohydrate count will be less than what is shown considering you will be rinsing the marinade off. I hope that helps!
Yana says
Hi! I just put my chicken breast to marinate! Excited to try this out! What combination of dry herbs do you recommend? Thanks!
Hi Yana! I've had readers try rosemary, thyme, oregano, Italian seasonings...all with success. Dill would even work if you like a bit of tang. Thanks for the question and I hope that helps!
Tyler says
Thank you so so sooo much for this! Im from nyc but live in Paris now. And good turkey lunch meat is impossible to find. So I found you! I got 1kg of turkey breast from the butcher for around 30€. Slathered each breast in your marinade and then rolled them each tightly with cling wrap.
I did everything else you recommended but the turkey took just over two hours to cook.
Just used our bread slicer and sliced everything up. My wife said it looks like i bought it from a butcher.
Thank you again. This will be a weekend ritual for me on my weight loss journey.
Merci beaucoup, Tyler! I'm so glad you found me and thank you for trying the recipe and for sharing how long it took to roast. I'm so glad to hear it worked out with the turkey breast!