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Chicken Pesto Sandwich

Chicken Pesto Sandwich
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One of our ultimate sandwiches is this chicken pesto sandwich! It stars grilled chicken breast topped with herby basil pesto, fresh mozzarella, and ripe tomatoes, all nestled between two slices of crusty bread.

Ingredients

Scale
  • 2 boneless skinless chicken breasts (about 1 pound, organic if possible), butterflied or cutlets
  • 1/2 tablespoon olive oil, plus more for drizzling
  • 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
  • 1 teaspoon kosher salt
  • Freshly ground black pepper
  • 4 slices ciabatta bread (or focaccia bread, or another artisan style bread)
  • 1 cup baby arugula
  • 2 tomato slices
  • 2 tablespoons fresh basil pesto
  • 4 oz fresh mozzarella, thinly sliced

Instructions

  1. Pat the chicken dry with a paper towel. If not already butterflied, place your hand over the top of each chicken breast. Use a sharp knife to carefully slice the breast horizontally, leaving the edge intact so it can open up like a book (or butterfly!). Unfold the breast like a book, then cut along the fold to separate the two halves.
  2. Add the chicken to a container and add the olive oil, garlic powder, onion powder, smoked paprika, kosher salt, and a few grinds of black pepper. Mix with your hands until evenly coated. Cover and marinate in the refrigerator for 30 minutes (or up to 24 hours).
  3. Preheat a grill to high heat (450 to 550°F; or to pan sear the chicken, see the notes)*. Drizzle a bit of olive oil on the ciabatta bread.
  4. Grill the chicken breasts until grill marks appear and it releases from the grates, 2 to 4 minutes. Flip and cook until no longer pink in the center and the internal temperature is 165°F, 2 to 4 minutes. Remove to a platter and cover with foil. Allow to rest for 5 minutes for maximum juiciness.
  5. Grill the ciabatta until lightly browned, 1 to 2 minutes per side.
  6. Place the arugula in a bowl and mix with a small drizzle of olive oil and a pinch of kosher salt. To make the sandwich, on one slice of bread layer arugula, fresh mozzarella cheese, grilled chicken, pesto, and sliced tomato (seasoned with 2 pinches of salt). Top with the remaining bread slice and enjoy.

Notes

*You can also pan sear the chicken by cooking it in a skillet with olive oil over medium high heat for 2 to 4 minutes per side (skip the marinading time). Go to Pan Seared Chicken for instructions.

Find it online: https://www.acouplecooks.com/chicken-pesto-sandwich/