With fresh basil, sliced fresh mozzarella, and juicy ripe tomatoes, this grilled chicken caprese sandwich is an easy and flavorful dinner for any night of the week!
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If you’re looking for even more sandwich recipes, be sure to try this 5-ingredient chicken Parmesan sandwich, a pastrami reuben, an easy weeknight salmon sandwich, and this grilled burger recipe, too!
I’ve taken the basic flavors from the classic Italian Caprese salad and turned them into a hearty entree! Since the salad typically includes sliced fresh mozzarella, tomatoes, and sweet basil, as well as salt and olive oil, you’ll find all of those delicious components tucked inside the caprese chicken sandwich! It’s a combination that just goes beautifully together — especially when you add a simple 2-ingredient pesto mayonnaise as well.
A Few Notes Before You Get Started
- I’ve included directions for basic grilled chicken (to keep it quick and easy); however, you can use a simple grilled chicken marinade for even more flavor. Don’t want to grill your meat? No problem! Use store-bought rotisserie chicken, oven baked chicken breast, or cast iron chicken breast instead. These grilled chicken thighs also work well in the sandwich!
- If you want to prep ahead, grill the chicken in advance over the weekend. When you need a quick meal, just assemble the sandwiches and pop them under the broiler to melt the cheese.
- Pick a hearty, crusty bread or sandwich roll that can hold up to the sandwich fillings. Good options include kaiser rolls, ciabatta rolls, sourdough bread, and focaccia bread.
- Use store-bought basil pesto for an easy shortcut or prepare your own homemade pesto when fresh basil is abundant. Both options work great!
- Instead of pesto mayo, drizzle the sandwiches with a balsamic glaze.
Directions
A caprese chicken sandwich works well for warm summer nights when you want to fire up the grill, and it’s also a quick weeknight dinner option if you take advantage of store-bought rotisserie chicken (or leftovers from another meal). You’ll find step-by-step instructions in the recipe card below, but here’s the overview:
- Rub the chicken with olive oil. Season with salt and pepper. Feel free to add other herbs and spices to the meat if you like! An Italian seasoning blend would be an easy way to give the chicken even more great flavor. Garlic powder, onion powder, dried basil, dried oregano, or crushed red pepper flakes (for heat) are also nice options.
- Grill the chicken. When it’s cool enough to handle, slice it into strips.
- Stir together the pesto mayo. This condiment takes the chicken caprese sandwich to a whole new level! Add enough to have it oozing out of your bun, or just spread a thin layer on top — you can totally tailor these sandwiches to suit your tastebuds.
- Assemble the sandwiches by layering the pesto mayo mixture, sliced grilled chicken, and slices of fresh mozzarella cheese on the bottom half of each bun.
- Place the bottom of the sandwiches under the broiler until the cheese melts.
- Finish assembling the sandwiches by adding the tomato slices, fresh basil leaves, and top halves of the buns.
Serving Suggestions
Pair the grilled chicken caprese sandwiches with a green salad dressed in red wine vinegar dressing, a classic pasta salad, this refreshing cucumber tomato onion salad, or with a side of potato chips, French fries, or baked potato wedges.
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Chicken Caprese Sandwich
Ingredients
- 4 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves or chicken cutlets (about 4 ounces each)
- Kosher salt and ground black pepper, to taste
- Olive oil, for drizzling
- 4 sandwich rolls, ciabatta rolls, sliced sourdough bread, or focaccia bread, sliced in half horizontally
- ¼ cup prepared basil pesto
- ¼ cup mayonnaise
- 8 large basil leaves
- 2 plum tomatoes or roma tomatoes or 1 large tomato, sliced
- 4 slices fresh mozzarella (from an 8 ounce ball of mozzarella)
Instructions
Grill the Chicken
- Heat a nonstick pan, grill pan, or outdoor grill over medium-high heat. Coat the grill grates or pan with about a teaspoon of oil so that the chicken doesn’t stick. Pat the chicken dry with paper towels, rub with olive oil on all sides, and season with salt and pepper to taste. Sear or grill the chicken on each side until golden, crispy, and cooked through (about 5 minutes per side for small, thin chicken breast halves, up to 10-12 minutes per side for larger, thick chicken breasts, or about 6-7 minutes for chicken thighs). The meat is done when it reaches an internal temperature of 165°F. Allow the meat to rest for about 5 minutes before slicing and using in the sandwiches.
Prepare the Pesto Mayo
- In a small bowl, stir together pesto and mayonnaise.
Assemble the Sandwiches
- Toast the sandwich rolls. Spread 1 tablespoon of pesto mayonnaise on the inside of the top and bottom of each roll. On the bottom half of the roll, place a layer of chicken and a slice of mozzarella. Place the bottom rolls with the chicken and cheese under the broiler for a few minutes, just until the cheese melts. Add a slice of tomato and a couple of basil leaves on top of the melted cheese. Top with the remaining half of the roll, pesto mayonnaise-side down.
Notes
- I’ve included directions for basic grilled chicken (to keep it quick and easy); however, you can use a simple grilled chicken marinade for even more flavor. Don’t want to grill your meat? No problem! Use store-bought rotisserie chicken for a shortcut, or try oven baked chicken breast or cast iron chicken breast instead. These grilled chicken thighs also work well!
- Pick a hearty, crusty bread or sandwich roll that can hold up to the sandwich fillings. Good options include crusty kaiser rolls, ciabatta rolls, sourdough bread, and focaccia bread.
- Instead of pesto mayo, drizzle the sandwiches with a balsamic glaze.
Nutrition
This recipe was originally published in June, 2013. It was updated in September, 2024.
That pesto Mayo I must try! I love this recipe. It looks so healthy but delicious at the same time.. and for me that’s sometimes hard to achieve. Awesome to find inspiring recipes like this
Totally! The pesto mayo MAKES the sandwich! 🙂 I hope that you get to try it soon!
We had these for lunch yesterday we had a crowd of hungry Marines here(our sons unit) on there way back to their duty station after a logistics trip. We grilled the chicken the day before and put everything together when they arrived, We wanted something that could be put together fast and be out of the ordinary Bologna and cheese if you know what I mean. They were a HUGE Hit most ate 2 and some even 4 of them and these were BIG Sandwiches!! Thank You for this great Sandwich We Used Mesquite Grilled Chicken and added some strips of Apple wood Bacon!
Yay!!! That’s huge praise, Sandra! Thank you SO much for letting me know. Glad that they are “Marine-approved!”
Would they make you fat.? I’m on a diet
I have no idea, Mary! 🙂 I don’t know what your diet is, but I think these sandwiches could certainly fit into any healthy meal plan. Just adjust your other meals that day to meet your individual dietary needs.