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Keep reading for the best chicken pesto sandwich recipe you’ll ever find! Perfect for dinner or lunch on-the-go, you only need a few ingredients and 20 minutes to prepare this delicious sandwich.
Looking for a quick recipe that tastes like a million bucks? This chicken pesto sandwich is it! If you’ve tried my avocado caprese sandwich and turkey pesto panini, you’re going to love this recipe – it’s a keeper! Follow along to learn how I make juicy chicken sandwiches that are packed with so much flavor.
This post is sponsored by Oléico. As always, all opinions are mine.
Table of Contents
Why This Recipe Works
- Quick: Much like our pesto salmon, this sandwich is ready in less than 30 minutes, making it a delicious dinner that you can make when you’re craving something quick but delicious. It’s perfect for new cooks and busy families!
- Flavors: Just like my caprese chicken, every bite of this sandwich is packed with amazing flavors. Juicy, well-seasoned chicken, pesto, tomatoes, and mozzarella; it cannot get any better!
- Crowd-Pleaser: These sandwiches are great even for picky eaters. Whether you’re serving them at a family gathering, picnic, or lunch with friends, you’re almost certain to get rave reviews.
Ingredients
- Chicken: Boneless, skinless chicken breasts work best in this recipe. Following the instructions will ensure they remain juicy when cooked. If the chicken breasts are too thick, slice them lengthwise so they cook faster and evenly.
- Seasoning: You need salt, pepper, garlic powder and Italian seasoning.
- Oil: I used Oléico Safflower Oil, which you can find at your local Safeway. It has a high smoke point, which is perfect for searing the chicken. It also has a mild flavor and is non-GMO in addition to being expeller pressed, meaning no chemicals were used to extract the oil.
- Bread: You can use a variety of breads including ciabatta, baguette or sourdough.
- Pesto: You can use homemade pesto or store-bought. If you’re in luck and garlic scapes are in season, try making this recipe using my garlic scape pesto.
- Mozzarella: Sliced mozzarella cheese melts so well and complements the chicken and pesto very well.
- Tomatoes: Opt for large tomatoes such as tomatoes on the vine or beefsteak tomatoes.
- Baby spinach: A bit of greens to finish off the sandwich. Make sure to use small and crisp leaves.
How To Make Chicken Pesto Sandwich
- Slice the chicken breast in half lengthwise and season each piece with salt, pepper, garlic powder and Italian seasoning.
- Heat the oil in a pan over medium high heat and sear the chicken breasts for 5-7 minutes on each side until fully cooked. Remove and set aside.
- Spread the pesto on 8 bread slices and top 4 of them with mozzarella slices. Heat some oil in a pan over medium heat, place the bread slices (with mozzarella and one without) in the pan, cover and sear for 2-3 minutes until the cheese is melted.
- Assemble the sandwich: top the seared pesto bread with tomatoes, baby spinach and seared chicken. Then top with the cheesy pesto bread. Slice in half and serve.
Variations
Here are a few suggestions that might suit your taste buds:
- Add other vegetables such as red onions, arugula or microgreens.
- Use a different type of cheese such as provolone or Swiss cheese.
- Make the sandwich using ciabatta or baguette.
Serving Suggestions
We love serving this chicken pesto sandwich with a side of caprese salad or oven roasted potatoes. Green salads such as Mediterranean salad or cucumber tomato avocado salad would work very well, too.
Frequently Asked Questions
While it’s best to make the sandwich right before serving, you can prepare some of the ingredients ahead of time. Season the chicken and refrigerate in an airtight container for up to 6 hours. Then, sear it when you’re ready to make the sandwiches.
I prefer chicken breasts when it comes to sandwiches. However, you can use boneless skinless chicken thighs, too. Keep in mind that the cooking time will be different.
The main reason for dry chicken breast is overcooking. To avoid this, you can use an instant read thermometer. The chicken is ready once the instant thermometer inserted in the thickest part reads 165 degrees F.
You can find Oléico Safflower Oil at your local Safeway.
More Sandwich Recipes
Quick and Easy Dinner
Avocado Caprese Sandwich Recipe
Quick and Easy Dinner
Roast Beef Sliders Recipe
Beef and Lamb
Mediterranean Style Steak Sandwich Recipe
Did you make this recipe? I’d love to hear about it! Please comment and leave a 5-star🌟 rating below. You can also follow us on Instagram, Facebook, Pinterest or subscribe to our newsletter to get a free e-Cookbook!
Best Chicken Pesto Sandwich
Ingredients
- 2 chicken breasts, boneless skinless
- 1 tsp kosher salt
- 1/2 tsp black pepper
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 2 tbsp Italian seasoning
- 4 tbsp Oléico Safflower oil
- 8 slices bread
- 8 tbsp pesto
- 12 oz mozzarella, cut into slices
- 2 tomatoes on the vine, sliced
- 1 1/2 cup baby spinach
Instructions
- Using a sharp knife, slice the chicken in half lengthwise so you have 4 chicken cutlets.
- Mix the salt, black pepper, garlic and Italian seasoning in a small bowl and season both sides of the chicken cutlets.
- Heat 2 tablespoons oil in a pan over medium high heat. Sear the chicken cutlets for 5 to 7 minutes on each side until fully cooked. Remove the chicken from the pan and set aside.
- All the the bread slices on a flat surface and top them all with pesto. Top 4 of the bread slices with the mozzarella slices as well.
- Heat the remaining oil in a pan over medium heat. Place the bread slices in the pan (in batches) and sear covered for 2-3 minutes until golden and the cheese is melted.
- Top the bread with tomatoes, spinach, seared chicken and another slice of bread. Make sure to use one bread with melted mozzarella for each sandwich.
Video
Notes
- I prefer using boneless skinless chicken breast for this recipe, however, boneless skinless chicken thighs work too. Keep in mind that the cooking time may increase.
- You can use homemade pesto or store-bought to make these sandwiches.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Love it Easy and YUM!!!!!!!!!!!!