A delicious grilled chicken sandwich topped with melted mozzarella cheese, fresh tomato, basil pesto, and fresh arugula all on a toasted ciabatta roll. This pesto chicken sandwich is perfect for lunch or dinner.
Easy to make and ready in just 30 minutes!
Why make this grilled chicken sandwich
Talk about flavor! This chicken sandwich has it all! The basil pesto adds a punch of flavor and it pairs perfectly with the fresh tomato and arugula.
Let's be real, I usually only eat a chicken sandwich at a restaurant because it's hard to get the flavors just right. But with this pesto chicken sandwich, I've created a totally delicious sandwich that everyone in my family loves!
This sandwich is filling enough to serve for dinner, but it doesn't weigh you down. And since it can be ready in less than 30 minutes, it makes a perfect weeknight meal.
Cook on your outdoor grill or pan-fry the chicken on your kitchen stove. You pick the method that works best for you and get delicious results!
If you love adding pesto to everything, you'll want to check out my pesto grilled cheese sandwich, pesto garlic bread, tortellini salad, and pesto swirl bread.
Key ingredients
- Chicken breast - boneless skinless breasts. I take full sized pieces and slice in half for a thinner piece of chicken that cooks quicker and is the perfect size for a sandwich.
- Ciabatta rolls - These are a sturdy, flat roll that grill up nice and crisp adding a perfect crunch. Ciabatta buns hold up and don't become soggy.
- Pesto - Make homemade pesto or buy at the store.
- Mozzarella cheese - Fresh mozzarella slices melt easily and add a creaminess. You may also use gouda or havarti.
- Tomato - Find vine ripened tomatoes, if they are available. The tomato adds a lot of flavor, so you want a good one.
- Arugula - Adds just the right amount of pepperiness and flavor. Romaine, iceberg lettuce or baby spinach may also be used.
Step by step directions
Cook your chicken
- Sprinkle salt, pepper, and garlic powder on both sides of the chicken breast
- Cook over a hot barbecue grill or in a hot saute pan with a bit of olive oil
Assemble sandwiches
- Brush olive oil on the inside of the buns
- Place buns on the grill and toast just until golden. If using a saute pan, you can toast buns in the pan.
- Put mozzarella cheese on top of chicken breasts and place under broiler until melted and slightly golden.
- Cheese may also be melted on the grill. Place cheese on top of chicken breast in the final few minutes of cooking.
- Add a layer of pesto to the top bun
- Place chicken on the bottom bun
- Add tomato and arugula
- Place top bun on and serve
Recipe tips
- Slice your chicken breasts so they are evenly sized. This helps create consistent cooking times for each breast
- Adjust this recipe to the number of people you are serving
- Don't skip toasting your bun. The toasting creates flavor, and texture and helps keep your bun from becoming soggy when adding all the sandwich ingredients
- Assemble just before serving
Variations
- Ciabatta rolls not available? Use a Kaiser roll or sourdough roll. Just make certain to toast to help avoid sogginess.
- Use gouda, havarti, swiss, or Monterey jack cheese
- Replace arugula with baby spinach or crunchy romaine lettuce
- Add crispy slices of bacon
- Drizzle balsamic vinegar over the tomatoes
Frequently asked questions
This sandwich is best assembled just before serving. However, parts of this recipe can be prepared ahead of time.
Cook your chicken breast ahead of time. Reheat under the broiler for 1-2 minutes and then add the cheese.
Have everything ready to assemble, but don't put the sandwich together until you are ready to serve.
Serving suggestions
If you make this recipe, I’d love to hear about it! Leave a comment below and snap a picture and tag me on Instagram @beyondthechickencoop
Be sure to check out all my main dish recipes!
Pesto Chicken Sandwich Recipe
Equipment
- Basting Brush
- Chef Knife
Ingredients
Chicken
- 2 chicken breasts
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ⅛ teaspoon pepper
- ⅛ teaspoon garlic powder
Sandwich
- 4 ciabatta rolls
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 4 slices fresh mozzarella
- ½ cup pesto
- 1 tomato (sliced)
- 2 cups arugula
Instructions
Chicken
- Slice chicken breasts in half so you have thinner pieces2 chicken breasts
- Sprinkle chicken with salt, pepper and garlic powder¼ teaspoon salt, ⅛ teaspoon pepper, ⅛ teaspoon garlic powder
- Cook over a preheated grill until cooked through. Chicken can also be cooked in a saute pan with a touch of olive oil.
Sandwich
- Lightly brush the inside of the ciabatta rolls with olive oil. Place rolls with oil side down on hot grill and cook just until toasted. If using a saute pan, the rolls may be toasted in pan as well.4 ciabatta rolls, 1 tablespoon olive oil
- Place cooked chicken on a cookie sheet and top each breast with mozzarella. Place under a broiler until cheese is melted and bubbly.4 slices fresh mozzarella
- Spread a generous amount of pesto on the top half of the bun½ cup pesto
- Assemble sandwich by placing chicken breast on bottom bun, then tomatoes and topping with lettuce1 tomato, 2 cups arugula
- Serve right away
Notes
- Slice your chicken breasts so they are an even thickness. This helps create consistent cooking times for each breast
- Adjust this recipe to the number of people you are serving
- Don't skip toasting your bun. The toasting creates flavor, texture and helps keep your bun from becoming soggy when adding all the sandwich ingredients
- Cheese may also be melted on the grill. Place cheese on top of chicken breast in the final few minutes of cooking.
- Assemble just before serving
- Ciabatta rolls not available? Use a kaiser roll or sourdough roll. Just make certain to toast to help avoid sogginess.
- Use gouda, havarti, swiss or monterey jack cheese
- Replace arugula with baby spinach or crunchy romaine lettuce
- Add crispy slices of bacon
- Drizzle balsamic vinegar over the tomatoes
Nutritional Disclaimer:
Nutritional information is provided as a courtesy and should only be construed as an estimate rather than a guarantee. To obtain the most precise nutritional information in a provided recipe, you should calculate the nutritional information with the exact ingredients you are using when preparing the recipe using your preferred nutrition calculator.
Diane Vondornburg says
One of the best sandwiches we've ever had. I used boneless, skinless chicken thighs in lieu of chicken breasts, pounding the thighs to a similar thickness. I sautéed the thighs and the chocolate along with the remainder of the recipe ingredients created a truly scrumptious dinner sandwich or for any other time of the day.
Kathy says
Hi Diane,
I'm certainly glad you loved this sandwich. Chicken thighs certainly work, but I'm not certain about the rest of the changes you made. Chocolate? Hmmm....what recipe were you using! 🙂
Sarah says
Excellent recipe that everyone in the family loved! Thanks for sharing, it's a keeper for me.
Kathy says
Yay! Thanks so much for letting me know! 🙂
David @ Spiced says
Oh this sounds fantastic, Kathy! I love chicken + pesto - it's such a good combination of flavors. And you know how I feel about grilling season! This post just made me so excited to finally fire up the grill again...it's been a long, cold winter but I see signs that the snow might be going away. Putting this one on the list for sure!!
Kathy says
Thanks! This is perfect for warmer weather grilling!
Enjoy!