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Home » Recipes » Pesto Chicken Sandwich

Pesto Chicken Sandwich

Published: Sep 12, 2021 · Modified: Sep 21, 2021 by Tara Smithson

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Pesto chicken sandwich cut into halves on a cutting board with a side of basil pesto pasta

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Pesto chicken sandwich cut in halves, on a cutting board with a side of basil pesto in a white bowl this recipe

Holy new pesto creation..This pesto chicken sandwich blew my mind. The flavor combination between the pesto, mozzarella and fire roasted peppers is AMAZING and ultimately makes this another must try recipe!

This could be my new favorite recipe. I can’t even explain how good it was. My husband thought it was too fancy, but he’s not a fan of pesto. Therefore, his opinion matters zero. I still love him though. The fire roasted red peppers really made these paninis extra yummy. I had just bought this new pan, and I was so excited to try it out and let me just say, it delivered. If you don’t have ridges on your pan or a panini press, don’t worry about it. Just use a regular pan and it will still be just as good. It’s just that extra touch that makes it a little prettier. If you go with a regular pan, call it a toasty instead of a panini, so you don’t get publicly criticized.

Time to make: About 30 minutes, plus 10 minutes longer if you make my homemade basil pesto recipe (see below for link)

Servings: 4 sandwiches (I only have two showing in the photo, but this recipe is for four full sandwiches) It will feed the whole fam.

Ingredients for Pesto Chicken Sandwiches:

  • 8 slices of good bread (the kind they make in the grocery store* the good kind* I used an Italian round loaf, which turned out marvelous)
  • 2 chicken breast ( I carefully sliced each breast in half lengthwise to create 2 skinny chicken breast, which made 4 chicken breasts total)
  • 8 thin slices of fresh mozzarella cheese
  • ½ cup of roughly chopped fire roasted red peppers from the jar
  • 8 tablespoons of pesto sauce (I have a really great recipe for basil pesto or you can use store bought too) Link to recipe below.
  • 8 tablespoons of butter (I like salted here, but you go with whatever feels right)
  • a dash of salt and pepper
  • 1 tablespoon of olive oil
  • A skillet or grill pan
  • Panini press (optional: I don’t have one, so I didn’t use it)
How to Make Basil Pesto

How to Make Pesto Chicken Sandwiches:

Alright, here we go:

  1. Pat dry your chicken breast with a paper towel and season with salt and pepper. Into medium sized skillet over medium heat, add 1 tablespoon olive oil. Once heated, place chicken into skillet and cook about 4 minutes on each side until cooked entirely.
How to tell when my chicken is cooked all the way?

Use a meat thermometer and it should read 165 degrees Fahrenheit
When you cut into the chicken, juices should run clear
Chicken should no longer look pink inside

Just a note: I used the same grilling skillet the whole time. You can use two pans if you would like. It speeds the process up a bit.

*I love this grill pan and I will link it below. It makes the perfect grill marks. No one will even know it was cooked on the stove top.

2. When the chicken is fully cooked, remove chicken from the pan onto a plate. Turn off heat on stovetop. Wipe the pan clean once it cools enough.

Assemble the sandwiches!

It sounds really serious, but it’s not. I’m never really that serious, which is probably why my kids and dog never listen to me. It's a struggle.

3. Add 2 tablespoons of pesto to each sandwich. I just spread it on one side of each sandwich.

4. Now two slices of fresh mozzarella, a few roasted red peppers & one of the thin chicken breasts onto each sandwich.

Inside of the pesto chicken sandwich with grilled chicken, mozzarella, roasted red peppers, and basil pesto

5. Close her up! Get the panini press ready or the skillet, like I did.

6. Heat your pan back to medium heat and add 1 tablespoon of butter. This is important *Make sure if you are using a skillet like this, that the butter gets between each crevice. Otherwise, it cooks a little funny.

7. Add your sandwiches, then press onto the top of the sandwich with a flat lid or one of those smash burger things. Oh, I am totally buying one of those next..

Pushing pan lid onto sandwiches in pan

8. Flip these puppies after three to four minutes on each side. Make sure to add one tbs of butter in the flip transition. When in doubt, you need more butter.

Ta-DA!!! Onto the next batch!

I am telling you..everyone is going to love these. I serve the sandwiches with a little extra pesto to dip the panini in!

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Pesto chicken sandwich cut into halves on a cutting board with a side of basil pesto pasta

Pesto Chicken Sandwich


★★★★★

5 from 1 reviews

  • Author: Tara Smithson
  • Total Time: 30 minutes
  • Yield: 4 sandwiches 1x
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Description

Holy new pesto creation! These pesto chicken sandwiches blew my mind. The flavor combination between the pesto, mozzarella and fire roasted peppers is AMAZING and ultimately makes this another must try recipe!


Ingredients

Scale
  • 8 slices of good bread (the kind they make in the grocery store* the good kind* I used an Italian round loaf, which turned out marvelous)
  • 2 chicken breast ( I carefully sliced each breast in half lengthwise to create 2 skinny chicken breast, which made 4 total chicken breasts)
  • 8 thin slices of fresh mozzarella cheese
  • ½ cup of roughly chopped fire roasted red peppers from the jar
  • 8 tablespoons of pesto sauce (I have a really great recipe for homemade pesto or you can use store bought too) Link to homemade recipe below.
  • 8 tablespoons of butter (I like salted, but you go with whatever feels right)
  • dash of salt and pepper
  • 1 tbs olive oil
  • A skillet or grill pan
  • Panini press (optional: I don’t have one, so I didn’t use it)
 

Instructions

  1. Pat dry the chicken breast and season with salt and pepper.
  2. Place medium skillet onto stovetop at medium heat. Add 1 tablespoon of olive oil. Place chicken into skillet and cook 4 to 5 minutes on each side until cooked entirely.
  3. When they are done, remove chicken from pan and place onto plate. Turn off heat. Wipe clean once cools.
  4. Assemble the sandwiches..Add 2 tablespoons pesto to each sandwich. I just spread it on one side of each sandwich.
  5. Then, onto each sandwich..2 slices of fresh mozzarella, a few roasted red peppers & one of the thin chicken breasts.
  6. Close her up! Get the panini press ready or your skillet, like I did.
  7. Heat the cleaned grill pan to medium heat and add 1 tbs of butter. This is important *Make sure if you are using a skillet like this that the butter gets between each crevice. Otherwise, it cooks a little funny.
  8. Add your sandwiches, then press the top of the sandwich with a flat lid
  9. Flip these puppies after 3 to 4 minutes on each side. Make sure to add one tbs of butter in the flip transition. When in doubt, you need more butter.
  10. Serve hot with a side of pesto. 

Equipment

grill pan

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Notes

Link to homemade basil pesto recipe: https://simplymadeeats.com/2501/how-to-make-basil-pesto/

  • Prep Time: 30 minutes
  • Category: sandwiches
  • Cuisine: Italian

Keywords: pesto chicken sandwiches

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In love with Pesto? Try my homemade pesto recipe or pesto tortellini..

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About Tara Smithson

Hi! I'm Tara with Simply Made Eats. Total foodie turned food blogger. I have been cooking simple, delicious meals for my family & friends for the last decade. I love creating real recipes with fresh ingredients & sharing my recipes for others to create in their own kitchens.

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Comments

  1. Holly

    February 17, 2022 at 2:06 am

    This was heavenly!

    ★★★★★

    Reply

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Hello & Nice to Meet You, I'm Tara! A total foodie turned food blogger & content creator. Welcome to Simply Made Eats, where I share delicious, simple & real ingredient recipes from my little kitchen. Thank you so much for being here with me!

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Hi! I'm Tara with Simply Made Eats. Total foodie turned food blogger. I have been cooking simple, delicious meals for my family & friends for the last decade. I love creating real recipes with fresh ingredients & sharing my recipes for others to create in their own kitchens.

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