Canadian National Dishes

Québec Hot Chicken Sandwich with Peas and Brown Gravy

Tender cooked chicken, soft white bread, hot brown gravy and green peas make this Québec casse-croûte-style sandwich hearty, simple and ready in about 35 minutes.

Canadian National Dishes
Share
A Québec hot chicken sandwich of shredded chicken on soft white bread, covered with brown gravy and green peas on a white plate.
Serve this Québec hot chicken sandwich hot, with brown gravy and green peas.
Prep 15 minutes
Cook 20 minutes
Total 35 minutes
Calories About 590 kcal per serving
Ingredients ↓
Overview

Québec Hot Chicken Sandwich with Peas and Brown Gravy

In Québec, a hot chicken sandwich is familiar casse-croûte fare: soft bread and cooked chicken under a generous pour of brown gravy, often finished with green peas. It is a knife-and-fork meal, not a crisp handheld sandwich.

Restaurant and family versions vary. Some are open-faced, some use two slices of bread, and the gravy may come from a prepared mix or a scratch-made sauce. This home version uses two slices and a quick onion gravy so each portion holds together while still soaking up sauce.

Starting with fully cooked chicken keeps the method practical for a weeknight. Warm it gently in the gravy, check that it reaches 74°C, then build the sandwiches just before eating so the bread softens without collapsing. Oven fries make a familiar optional side.

Practical

Practical

  • Whisk the stock into the flour mixture gradually to keep the gravy smooth.
  • Hold the bread until serving; gravy softens it quickly.
  • Check stock and Worcestershire before salting because both can add substantial sodium.
Ingredients

Ingredients

Sandwiches

  • 500 g fully cooked chicken meat, skin removed, shredded into bite-size pieces
  • 8 slices (about 300 g) soft white sandwich bread

Peas

  • 400 g green peas, measured frozen or drained if canned
  • 15 ml water, only if needed to warm frozen peas

Brown gravy

  • 30 g unsalted butter
  • 100 g yellow onion, finely diced
  • 30 g all-purpose wheat flour
  • 600 ml low-sodium chicken stock
  • 15 ml Worcestershire sauce
  • 1 g garlic powder
  • 1 g ground black pepper
  • 1 g fine salt, or to taste after checking the stock
Directions

Directions

Method

  1. Prepare the chicken and peasShred the fully cooked chicken into bite-size pieces and dice the onion. Keep the chicken refrigerated until reheating. Drain and rinse canned peas; frozen peas need no thawing.

  2. Soften the onionMelt the butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add the onion and cook for 5–6 minutes, stirring, until soft and lightly golden.

  3. Make the gravySprinkle in the flour and cook for 1 minute, stirring, to make a smooth roux without browning it deeply. Whisk in the chicken stock gradually until smooth. Add the Worcestershire sauce, garlic powder and black pepper. Bring to a gentle simmer, whisking, and cook for 4–6 minutes until the gravy lightly coats a spoon. Taste before adding salt because stock and Worcestershire vary.

  4. Warm the peasIn a covered saucepan, warm the peas over medium-low heat. Add the measured water only if frozen peas need it to prevent sticking. Stir occasionally until hot; do not let them break down.

  5. Reheat the chickenAdd the chicken to about half of the gravy and stir gently over low heat until steaming throughout. Check the centre with a digital thermometer; reheated chicken should reach 74°C. Keep the remaining gravy hot over low heat, stirring now and then.

  6. Assemble and servePlace one slice of soft bread on each warm plate. Add one-quarter of the chicken and some gravy, then top with a second slice. Spoon over more hot gravy and add one-quarter of the peas. Serve at once, with optional oven fries.

Practical

Practical

Serving

For make-ahead service, prepare the gravy and peas separately and refrigerate them with the chicken; reheat each component safely and assemble only when serving. If the gravy thickens while standing, whisk in a splash of hot stock. If it is thin, simmer gently for another minute or two. Low-sodium stock is useful because the Worcestershire sauce and bread contribute salt; check labels before seasoning. Store the bread separately from leftovers.

Make-ahead

Refrigerate leftover chicken, gravy and peas in shallow containers within 2 hours. Use within 2–3 days and reheat to 74°C. Do not keep assembled sandwiches for later; the bread becomes soggy. Check labels for lower-sodium stock and for allergens in Worcestershire sauce. Any substitution should retain a smooth, pourable gravy and be reheated to the same safe temperature.

Nutrition

Nutrition

  • Serving sizeOne two-slice sandwich with about 100 g peas and gravy
  • CaloriesAbout 590 kcal
  • CarbohydrateAbout 62 g
  • ProteinAbout 52 g
  • FatAbout 13 g
  • FibreAbout 8 g
  • SodiumAbout 730 mg

Rounded estimate from the listed ingredients using generic USDA FoodData Central SR Legacy values. It assumes about 490 mg sodium/100 g for bread, 74 mg/100 g for cooked chicken, 80 mg/100 ml for low-sodium stock and 980 mg/100 g for Worcestershire, plus the listed salt. Bread, cooked chicken, stock and Worcestershire vary by brand; sodium is especially approximate. Values are not a laboratory analysis or product-label claim.

Allergens and food safety

Allergens and food safety

This recipe contains wheat (bread and flour) and milk (butter). Worcestershire sauce may contain fish, and brands may include soy or other allergens; check all labels and cross-contact statements. Use cooked chicken kept refrigerated according to its package. Keep it separate from raw foods and wash hands, utensils and surfaces after handling. Reheat the chicken in the hot gravy until steaming throughout and at least 74°C in the centre, checked with a digital thermometer. Refrigerate leftovers in shallow containers within 2 hours, use within 2–3 days and reheat to 74°C.

Closing notes

Closing notes

  • The result: A soft, gravy-soaked Québec-style chicken sandwich with green peas.
  • Decisive technique: Reheat the chicken to 74°C and assemble each sandwich just before serving.