I’ve never been a sandwich master, but I really liked this chicken caprese sandwich recipe that tasted pretty gourmet: Grilled lemon chicken, toasted ciabatta, fresh pesto, tomato and mozzarella and topped with a balsamic drizzle. You can pack for lunch or eat it for dinner. Also a great picnic starter!

Nathan and I have been going to this Chicago sandwich shop called All Too Well (Taylor Swift inspired?) in Lincoln Park. It has all of these gourmet sandwiches with burrata, fig jam, arugula, prosciutto, mozzarella, etc. So I was feeling inspired to make a thick, flavorful sandwich that requires two hands to eat.

You can make this vegetarian of course too, if you want to skip the chicken.

Equipment

A bowl or container – to marinate chicken.
A grill or grill pan – I live in a small Chicago apartment, so I definitely don’t have a grill. That’s why I love using my Williams Sonoma grill pan for the stovetop because it still achieves those grill marks.
A couple cutting boards to slice chicken, mozzarella and tomato
A sharp knife
A food processor or blender – if you plan to make your own fresh pesto, you’ll need one of these. I use a Cuisinart one.
Aluminum foil – I like to use foil to cover plated chicken right after I take it off the heat. It keeps it warm and juicy.

Ingredients for a chicken caprese sandwich

Here’s what to add to your grocery list to make chicken caprese sandwiches:

1 lb of chicken breasts – I like to slice them as thin as I can to make cooking time pretty short.
Garlic cloves
Soy sauce – tamari or coconut aminos work too.
A lemon
Extra virgin olive oil
salt & pepper
1 loaf of fresh bread – I used ciabatta bread for this but you can also use focaccia, sourdough or a baguette. Fresh bread makes a huge difference, especially thanks to the crispy crust on the outside.
roma tomatoes – I usually have these on hand because they are versatile, but an heirloom tomato sounds perfect too.
1 large ball of mozzarella
Pesto – you can get store bought, or you can make fresh pesto as you are cooking your chicken. I have a couple of recipes to reference for pesto recipes: basil and parsley pesto or dill and feta pesto. Both are great for this sandwich.
balsamic glaze for drizzling – You can buy a bottle of this at Trader Joe’s pretty easily. While homemade pesto is noticeably better, I would argue a bottle of balsamic glaze is just as good as making it yourself (and less hassle).

How to make chicken caprese sandwiches

Let’s make them together!

Step 1

Marinate the chicken. Slice the chicken breast horizontally and create as many thin slices as you can. In a small bowl, stir together the garlic, olive oil, soy sauce, lemon juice and a pinch of salt and pepper. Add the chicken to a bowl and pour the sauce on it. Toss gently until the chicken is coated. Let stand for 1 hour or refrigerate overnight. I try to prep the chicken around lunch time so it’s ready to go for dinner.

Step 2

Grill your chicken. Grease a grill pan and heat over medium high. Place the chicken on the pan and cook for 3 minutes. Then flip each piece of chicken and cook for 2 more additional minutes – or until it’s cooked through. Remove the chicken from the pan and let it cool on a plate covered with foil.

Step 3

Toast the bread. Slice your ciabatta loaf into four sections, and then slice each one in half to create two sides of a sandwich. Drizzle a little olive oil on each piece of bread (the fleshy side) and place them soft side down on the grill pan. Let toast for 1-2 minutes.

Alternatively, add the bread to a small sheet pan and bake in the oven for 4-5 minutes at 350℉. You can also add the mozzarella slices to the bread and allow it to melt for a couple minutes if you prefer this method.

Step 4

Assemble the sandwiches. Slather pesto on one piece of bread, and top it with chicken. Add sliced tomato and mozzarella (if not added already) and drizzle on balsamic glaze. Add the other side of bread to finish the sandwich. Enjoy!

What goes well with a caprese sandwich?

If you need some side ideas to pair with a chicken caprese sandwich, I’d recommend a few of these:

Chips or veggies with beet hummus or pumpkin hummus
Herby Potato Salad
Kale and Leek Soup
Fresh watermelon
Panera Bread Style Mac and Cheese
A simple salad

Storage and Reheating Instructions

While you can make the chicken ahead of time, toasted bread sandwiches aren’t the best when they are prepared a day or so ahead of time. I like to keep the chicken stored separately in the fridge alongside some sliced tomatoes and mozzarella. When you are ready, toast your bread in the oven for a few minutes, and then add the chicken and mozzarella to warm up for a few additional minutes until melty and hot. Then top with tomatoes and a slather of pesto.

Pesto should always be kept in the fridge in a separate container as well. Consume it within 1 week. You can easily add leftover pesto to noodles for a quick pasta or to a pesto chicken quinoa bowl (especially if you have leftover chicken!)

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