Pesto Chicken Ciabatta Sandwich Recipe

This pesto chicken ciabatta sandwich tops grilled chicken with melted mozzarella, fresh tomato, pesto, and arugula on toasted ciabatta rolls. The chicken is cooked on a grill or stovetop and the mozzarella melts on the chicken before assembly. One batch makes four sandwiches and takes 30 minutes from start to finish.

Adding mozzarella to the chicken while it cooks gives the cheese a warm surface to melt against directly. A cheese slice placed on a finished sandwich never gets hot enough to soften fully without overbaking the bread. Melting it on the chicken in the final 2 minutes bonds it to the meat before assembly.

Resting the chicken for 3 to 5 minutes after cooking keeps the juices in the meat rather than soaking into the bread. A fillet placed straight off the heat releases most of its liquid into the bottom bun on contact. The rest window also gives you time to finish toasting the ciabatta so both are ready together.

Pesto Chicken Ciabatta Sandwich Recipe

Recipe by Emily MitchellCourse: DinnerCuisine: AmericanDifficulty: Easy

Servings

4

servings

Prep time

10

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minutes

Cooking time

20

minutes

Calories

501

kcal

Pesto Chicken Ciabatta Sandwich Recipe: grilled chicken, fresh mozzarella, arugula, tomato, and pesto on toasted ciabatta. Ready in 30 minutes. Serves 4

Ingredients

• Chicken

• 2 boneless skinless chicken breasts

• 1 tablespoon olive oil

• ¼ teaspoon salt

• ⅛ teaspoon pepper

• ⅛ teaspoon garlic powder

• ⅛ teaspoon dried thyme

• Sandwich

• 4 ciabatta rolls

• 1 tablespoon olive oil

• 4 slices fresh mozzarella

• ½ cup pesto

• 1 tomato, sliced

• 2 cups arugula

Directions

• Cut each chicken breast in half horizontally to form 4 thin fillets. Pat dry, drizzle with 1 tablespoon olive oil, and season both sides with salt, pepper, garlic powder, and dried thyme.
• Cook fillets in a skillet over medium-high heat for 2 to 3 minutes per side. Place a slice of mozzarella on each fillet, cover with a lid, and cook for 1 to 2 minutes until the cheese softens. Remove from heat and rest for 3 to 5 minutes.
• While the chicken rests, brush the cut sides of the ciabatta rolls with the remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil. Toast cut-side down in the skillet until golden, then flip briefly to warm the outside.
• Spread pesto generously over the top half of each toasted roll.
• Place a mozzarella-topped chicken fillet on the bottom half of each roll. Add tomato slices and arugula, close the sandwich, and serve immediately.

FAQs

What pesto alternatives work if I don’t have classic basil pesto?

Sun-dried tomato pesto works well here and adds a sweeter, more concentrated tomato flavor alongside the mozzarella. Walnut pesto made with basil and walnuts instead of pine nuts is a close substitute with a slightly earthier finish. Store-bought pesto thinned with a little olive oil is the fastest option when time is short.

How do I know when the chicken is cooked through without a thermometer?

Without a thermometer, cut into the thickest part of the fillet and confirm no pink remains inside. The juices should run clear when you press the fillet lightly with a spatula. Thin fillets cut to half a breast thickness cook through consistently in 2 to 3 minutes per side over medium-high heat.

Can I scale this recipe to feed a crowd?

Scaling this recipe for a crowd works well because each component can be prepared separately and assembled to order. Cook the chicken fillets in batches and hold them warm on a baking sheet in a 200°F oven. Set out the pesto, tomato, arugula, and rolls separately so guests can build their own sandwiches at the table.

What other chicken sandwich brings a completely different flavor to a weekly lunch plan?

Two sandwiches in a weekly plan work best when they use different sauces and different heat levels. This pesto ciabatta version is herbaceous and mild, while a buffalo version brings heat and tang to the same format. A crispy buffalo chicken sandwich on Emily Chicken uses buttermilk-fried chicken with buffalo sauce for a sharply different flavor profile.

What other quick chicken sandwich covers the evenings when prep time is short?

This pesto ciabatta version is the active-cooking option in a two-sandwich lunch week. A simpler build using cooked shredded chicken covers the evenings when prep time is short. A grilled chicken cheese sandwich on Emily Chicken comes together in 20 minutes and makes a fast weeknight alternative.