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Pesto Chicken Sandwich on Sourdough

| Chicken, Easy Weeknight Meals, Italian, Main Courses, Recipes, Sandwiches

You’re going to love this pesto chicken sandwich. Sourdough, toasted in olive oil and topped with grilled chicken, pesto, Swiss cheese, and fresh tomatoes. A perfect easy dinner for a cozy night in.

In the hierarchy of sandwiches, a Pesto Chicken Sandwich on Sourdough has to be near the top.

You’ve got bright and salty pesto slathered over toasty sourdough and piled high with perfectly grilled chicken, cheese, and tomatoes.

Pretty much all the best things in life in one delicious sandwich.

Pesto chicken sandwich halves stacked on a white plate.

Ingredient Notes

  • Sourdough bread: Slightly tangy sourdough is so good with this sandwich, but if you don’t have any, you can substitute any bread here. Ciabatta rolls or sliced focaccia would be especially good. 
  • Pesto: If you have a favorite pesto recipe, feel free to use homemade pesto in these sandwiches, but a jar of store-bought pesto makes these sandwiches even quicker and easier. You can usually find pesto in the pasta aisle at your grocery store near the rest of the pasta sauces. This recipe won’t use up an entire jar, so check out my post What to Do With Leftover Pesto for storage tips and recipes to use up the leftovers (I recommend making a batch of Pesto Chicken Pasta). 
  • Swiss Cheese: I love Swiss cheese for these sandwiches, but if you’re not a fan of Swiss, provolone would be a good alternative. 

Ingredients for a pesto chicken sandwich on a plate.

How to Make a Chicken Pesto Sandwich

  1. Cook the chicken breasts: We’ll be using my favorite method for cooking chicken breasts for sandwiches here, where you pound the chicken breasts to an even thickness and then cook them in a pan. They come out juicy and perfect every time.
  2. Assemble the sandwiches: Once the chicken is cooked, build your sandwich layers with pesto, chicken, tomatoes, cheese, and mayonnaise.
  3. Toast the bread: Brush the outsides of the sandwiches with olive oil and toast them in a hot pan until browned and beautiful.
  4. Serve and eat!

FAQ

Can I make pesto chicken sandwiches ahead of time?

I don’t recommend fully assembling these sandwiches and cooking them ahead of time, but if you’re looking to save time at dinner, you can slice the tomatoes and cook the chicken breasts up to 48 hours in advance (store in an airtight container).

When you’re ready to eat, heat the chicken in the microwave, assemble the sandwiches, and toast the bread. If your chicken is precooked, you should be able to toss these sandwiches together in less than 15 minutes.

What is the best way to reheat a sourdough sandwich?

While I don’t recommend making these ahead of time, they’re big sandwiches so sometimes you have leftovers. The best way to reheat them is to take off the tomatoes and reheat the sandwiches in the oven. 

Lightly grease a baking sheet with cooking spray or cover it with parchment paper. Open up the sandwich and divide the chicken between the two halves for quicker heating and place it on the baking sheet. Put the sandwich in a cold oven and set the oven to 350°F.  Heat until everything is warmed through. Reassemble the sandwich and enjoy!

Pesto chicken sandwiches on sourdough on a white plate.

What to Serve With Pesto Chicken Sandwiches

These sandwiches are absolutely superb with a side of sweet potato fries (frozen store-bought ones work just fine) and garlic aioli or Greek yogurt aioli if you want something lighter. 

Serve with a light veggie like roasted asparagus, roasted broccoli, or zucchini.

More Sandwich Recipes

Hand holding half of a pesto chicken sandwich on sourdough.

Pesto Chicken Sandwich on Sourdough

You’re going to love this pesto chicken sandwich. Sourdough, toasted in olive oil and topped with grilled chicken, pesto, Swiss cheese, and fresh tomatoes. A perfect easy and attractive dinner for guests or a cozy night in.
4.36 from 17 votes
Print Pin
Course: Dinner
Cuisine: Italian
Total Time: 30 minutes
Servings (Hover or Click to Change Yield): 4
Calories: 630kcal
Author: Tracy

Ingredients

  • 1 pound (about 2 medium) boneless skinless chicken breasts
  • 2 teaspoons Italian seasoning
  • Salt and pepper
  • 8 slices sourdough bread
  • 1/4 cup pesto divided
  • Mayonnaise optional
  • 2 medium tomatoes sliced
  • 4 slices Swiss cheese
  • Olive oil optional

Instructions

  • Place chicken breasts smooth-side up between two layers of plastic wrap or in a large disposable plastic bag and use a meat mallet or rolling pin to pound them to an even thickness. Start with the thickest part of the meat and strike it, working outward until the breast is the same thickness all over.
  • Sprinkle both sides of your flattened chicken breasts with Italian seasoning, salt, and pepper.
  • Heat an electric countertop grill or large skillet over medium heat. If using a skillet, grease cooking surface with cooking spray or a drizzle of olive oil. Cook chicken breasts for 5 to 8 minutes per side, until an instant-read thermometer inserted into the centers of the breasts reads 165°F. Transfer chicken to a cutting board and allow to rest for 5 minutes before slicing into 1/2-inch wide strips. Wipe out your pan.
  • Assemble sandwiches by spreading mayonnaise (if desired) and pesto over the bread. Top with chicken, tomatoes, and cheese, and brush tops and bottoms of the sandwiches lightly with olive oil or a thin layer of mayonnaise to help them brown.
  • Cook sandwiches over medium to medium high heat until first side is toasted and flip. The sandwiches are done when both sides are golden and the cheese is melted. If making in a skillet, you will probably only be able to fit two sandwiches at a time in the pan. Place cooked sandwiches on a plate in a warm oven while you repeat the process with the last two sandwiches to keep them warm.

Notes

Make Ahead Instructions: Chicken can be cooked up to two days in advance, but needs to be reheated before going on the sandwich because it won't heat through while toasting the bread. Assemble and toast the sandwiches just before eating.
Did you make this recipe?I'd love to see it! Tag @BakingMischief or hashtag it #BakingMischief.

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Comments

  1. Levonne says

    Omg can I just say this recipe was everything I hoped for And it was easy to make thank you so much for this Tracy

    Reply

    • Tracy says

      Sweet potato fries with garlic aioli and a really simple green salad is my favorite to pair with these!

      Reply

    • Tracy says

      I’m so glad it worked out for you! And mozzarella sounds soooooo good. Makes me want to try it right now…

      Reply

  5. Johanna says

    This made me so hungry. I have to make something to eat now (mission accomplished, good job :)) And I love the pictures, by the way!
    Greetings from the student kitchen,
    Johanna

    Reply

    • Tracy says

      Haha! And thank you. Photo compliments are definitely appreciated after the disaster that was this photo shoot! 😉

      Reply

    • Tracy says

      Ugh. Tacos seem like such a nightmare to photograph (like 90% of the reason there are currently no taco recipes on this blog). Good luck with your tacos! At least if it goes badly, they sound pretty tasty rage-eating options. 😉

      Reply

  11. Meghan | Fox and Briar says

    Well if you had a hard time taking photos of these it doesn’t show – these photos are fabulous! But I totally agree that when frustrated with photography there is a huge risk of eating the subject 🙂 This sandwich would be so hard for me to resist too, I LOVE pesto!

    Reply

  12. Tamara says

    I sympathize on the difficulty of photographing sandwiches, but you did a beautiful job on this one! Your recipe looks outstanding too! Nice job 🙂

    Reply

  15. Mary Ellen says

    I agree about sandwiches being hard to photograph. I think your photos look great, and so does the sandwich! Pesto on a hot, melty sandwich is perfection.

    Reply

  16. Dawn at Girl Heart Food says

    I know….some things are hard to photo, aren’t they? In the meantime, I think your photos are beautiful and wanting one of those sandwiches right about now. Pesto on sandwiches is the absolute best, isn’t it? Looking forward to trying this one soon 🙂

    Reply
4.36 from 17 votes (14 ratings without comment)

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