The "Stutto" Chipotle Chicken Salad
Chapter 4 — Lunch Bagels: The Heavyweight Delicatessen
There is a moment on a Saturday afternoon when breakfast is a distant memory, but dinner is too far away, and you require something of immense structural integrity to survive the rest of the weekend. Enter the heavyweight deli sandwich. At Tompkins Square Bagels, they serve a towering achievement of sandwich engineering known as "The Stutto": smoky, rich chicken salad layered with crisp bacon, mashed avocado, and salted tomatoes, barely contained within the dense, chewy crust of a proper New York bagel. If you want that sixteen-dollar Orchard Street experience at home—the creamy, highly absorbent, ultra-shredded texture of authentic deli chicken salad—you have to throw steaming hot chicken into a stand mixer. It is unapologetically decadent, obsessive but achievable, and entirely worth it.
Before you start
Cook the chicken.
Roast or gently poach the breasts until they reach an internal temperature of 165°F. They must be steaming hot for the mixer method to work.
Bake the bacon.
Lay slices flat on a parchment-lined baking sheet and bake at 400°F for 15-20 minutes until shatteringly crisp. Limp bacon ruins the structural integrity of the sandwich.
Salt and drain the tomatoes.
Lay the horizontal slices on a paper towel, sprinkle lightly with kosher salt, and let them sit for 10 minutes to draw out excess water. Pat the tops dry before assembly.
Ingredients
- boneless skinless chicken breasts1 1/2 lb
- heavy-duty mayonnaise3/4 cup
- canned chipotle peppers in adobo sauce2 whole
- adobo sauce1 1/2 tbsp
- fresh lime juice1 tbsp
- honey1 tsp
- smoked paprika1/2 tsp
- garlic powder1/2 tsp
- kosher salt1/2 tsp
- black pepper1/4 tsp
- celery1/3 cup
- red onion1/3 cup
- fresh cilantro1/4 cup
- everything or onion bagels4 large
- thick-cut applewood smoked bacon12 slice
- Hass avocados2 med
- beefsteak tomato8 slice
Method
- 01
Transfer the hot, freshly cooked chicken breasts directly into the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment.
Turn the mixer to low speed to break the breasts apart, then increase to medium for exactly 30 to 45 seconds until reduced to a fine, uniform shred. Stop immediately before it turns into a paste.
- 02
Whisk the mayonnaise, minced chipotle peppers, adobo sauce, lime juice, honey, paprika, garlic powder, salt, and pepper in a large mixing bowl until smooth.
Fold the warm, mechanically shredded chicken into the dressing vigorously so the torn fibers drink in the fat and flavor, then stir in the minced celery, red onion, and cilantro.
- 03
Cover tightly and refrigerate the chicken salad for at least one hour.
A cold rest is mandatory to allow the starches and fats to set, marrying the smoky chipotle flavor with the meat.
- 04
Apply the avocado mash directly to the bottom half of the bagel.
The avocado acts as a lipid-based waterproof layer, protecting the bread from tomato juice and serving as a structural glue for the entire sandwich.
- 05
Layer the salted tomato slices on top of the avocado, followed by the crisp bacon.
Snap the bacon slices in half and layer them in a cross-hatch pattern over the tomatoes to ensure every bite has crunch.
- 06
Mound a generous three-quarters of a cup of the chilled chicken salad onto the bacon.
Crown it with the scooped top half of the bagel, press down firmly with your palm to lock the ingredients into the cavity, wrap tightly in deli paper, and slice sharply on the bias.
Notes
Supermarket rotisserie chickens are a highly authentic substitute for home roasting.
Simply remove the skin, pull the warm meat from the bones, and run it through the stand mixer while still hot. Reduce the added salt in the dressing by half to account for the brine.
Adjust the spice level to your preference.
The recipe calls for 2 to 3 chipotle peppers. For a milder New York spice level, use just one pepper and rely heavier on the adobo sauce for smoke.
Always hollow out the top half of the bagel.
Scooping the soft doughy interior of the top bagel half creates a natural dome, preventing the heavy fillings from shooting out the sides when you compress the sandwich.