This Italian-style sandwich recipe is great for grilled chicken (and also works with baked or rotisserie and leftovers), and perfect for road trips, picnics and weekend lunches. Our favorite bread is homemade, but a good store-bought one does the job well.
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Quick & easy sandwich
By now, you might be aware that Italian recipes, original or inspired by them, are favorites around here. This sandwich is no exception.
The components of this sandwich are homemade. But you can use store-bought shortcuts. Just know that pesto can be stored for a week in the fridge, while the bread rolls and cooked chicken can be frozen.
So you can have an almost freshly made sandwich without doing everything the same day.
We love pesto. It's so versatile and delicious, and it's just as good for an Italian-style potato salad as a fresh bowl of pasta.
FAQ
We use a very simple, quite traditional pesto for this recipe. But you can vary it and create different salad flavor profiles.
Cilantro pesto: easy to make with Mexican vibes.
Spinach lemon pesto: my favorite one for pasta, this will add a stronger spinach flavor to the salad.
Arugula: substitute half the basil for this peppery green.
Pine nuts: you can use them instead of walnuts.
Any way you like them. I normally use a cast-iron pan or skillet indoors, or the grill and barbecue them. Baked chicken leftovers or even rotisserie chicken also works.
We love the semolina bread to maintain the Italian flair of this chicken. But other sandwich rolls and bread work well, like yeasted beer rolls, semolina bread, store-bought sourdough, artisan bread or ciabatta rolls. I don't recommend packaged bread from the store as it's usually too soft.
How to make a pesto chicken sandwich
Marinating
It's a short marinade with simple seasonings, olive oil and lemon juice. Skip it if you're short on time.
Grilling
Outdoors or indoors. Though freshly cooked chicken retains more moisture, you can enjoy this recipe with leftover chicken.
Assembly
Warm the bread pieces; it makes a difference.
Add a few tablespoons of pesto. Don't overdo it so it doesn't overpower the rest of the flavors.
Extras
We love tomato slices, peppery arugula and mozzarella cheese (sometimes provolone). They pair well with the rest of the ingredients and add juice, crunch and creaminess.
Quick option
For a quick sandwich, skip the chicken marinade and cook the chicken with salt, pepper, a drizzle of oil and lemon juice. Use good bread and pesto from the grocery store.
Kitchen Notes
- Organization: read the recipe first and ensure you have ingredients at the correct temperature, utensils and equipment needed, and enough workspace. This will make the process so much easier.
- Bread: I don't recommend sliced, packaged bread as it's normally too soft and will soften too quickly with the juices and pesto. Use a more sturdy one.
- Storage: sandwiches are best eaten when assembled, but if you have leftovers, wrap them in aluminum foil or plastic and refrigerate them. Warm them up slightly before eating or let them come to room temperature.
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Chicken Pesto Sandwich
Ingredients
For the chicken breasts:
- 2 boneless chicken breasts, skinless
- salt and pepper, to taste
- 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
To assemble the sandwiches:
- 4 buns, I use semolina bread buns or burger rolls
- 8 tablespoons basil pesto, homemade or store-bought, see Notes below
- 4 slices mozzarella cheese
- 1 tomato, sliced
- handful of fresh arugula leaves
For the homemade pesto:
- ½ cup fresh basil leaves, packed
- ¼ cup fresh parsley leaves, packed
- 2 tablespoons chopped walnuts
- 1 small shallot
- ¼ cup asiago or parmesan cheese, about 2 ounces, grated
- black pepper, freshly ground, to taste
- ⅓ cup olive oil
Instructions
For the chicken pieces:
- Season 2 boneless chicken breasts with salt and pepper to taste, 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice and 3 tablespoons olive oil. Let stand for 10-15 minutes, turning once.
- Grill the chicken breasts for about 6-8 minutes per side on medium heat, or until they are cooked through and no longer pink in the middle. Make sure to flip them halfway through cooking. Don't overcook them so they are juicy and not dry.
- While the chicken is cooking, warm or lightly toast 4 buns, split in half, either on the grill or in a toaster.
- Once the chicken is cooked, remove it from the grill and let it rest for a few minutes. Then, slice it into thin strips.
To assemble the sandwiches:
- Spread 1 tablespoon of basil pesto on the bottom halves of the bread slices.
- Place 1 slice of mozzarella cheese on top and then sliced chicken, dividing between the four sandwiches. Drizzle another tablespoon of pesto on top of the chicken.
- Slice 1 tomato and divide among the sandwiches (you might not use it all); then top with a handful of fresh arugula leaves.
- Place the top bread halves on top to close the sandwiches. Serve immediately.
For the basil pesto:
- In a food processor or with an immersion blender, mix ½ cup fresh basil leaves, ¼ cup fresh parsley leaves, 2 tablespoons chopped walnuts, 1 small shallot, ¼ cup asiago or parmesan cheese, black pepper to taste, and half of the olive oil.
- Add the rest of the oil gradually and check a few times for salt and pepper. Adjust as needed. Remember, we're using it as a spread here, so we don't want it to be too oily or runny.
- If not using it all in the sandwich, keep it covered in the refrigerator.
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