Grilled chicken breasts with tomatoes and fresh mozzarella tucked between two slices of a ciabatta roll slathered with pesto…it is everything a caprese sandwich should be!
Our friends taught us this recipe years and years ago and I’ve been adapting it here and there ever since. I adore a good caprese but I’m learning that not all caprese are to-die-for. Some are just a good, clean sandwich. And that’s great, I’ll still devour it, but the roll your eyes back in your head and forget all conversation at the table, now that’s this chicken caprese with balsamic glaze.
You all have loved our balsamic glazed caprese sandwich, but the truth is, this is the sandwich that came before that one! My mom called me one day in a total panic, company was coming for dinner and they were gluten free and vegetarian and she was drawing a blank on what to make. I told her about this chicken caprese sandwich and how easy it was to make gluten free and vegetarian and the rest is history!
Whether you want it with chicken or without, you’re going to love it! Read on for all my secrets for making this sandwich
Here are my Secrets to the BEST Chicken Caprese Sandwich!
- Really good bread. We prefer to use a sourdough, focaccia or as shown in the photos- ciabatta. I mean go for it here. Don’t just buy junky bread, go to a really great store that makes great bread. It matters. It’s the carrier for all the ingredients!
- Marinate your chicken in the best chicken marinade EVER. You get why. Our chicken marinade is so flavorsome!
- Garden tomatoes or farm stand tomatoes are best as they pack more flavor.
- Toast the inside of your bread after brushing it with olive oil (or melted butter) and then once golden and crusty rub it with a halved garlic clove. It is life-changing!!!!
Variations
- Ok here’s the deal, sometimes we panini style this sandwich or grill it, while other times we just let it be fresh. It is 100% up to you!
- Option 2 is to throw on a little spinach or fresh basil, or heck, try both!
Ingredients for Chicken Caprese Sandwich
Head over to our marinated chicken breasts recipe for all the ingredients to make the chicken. Then you will need the following ingredients to complete the sandwich:
- Chicken Breasts
- Garlic
- Mozzarella (fresh)
- Tomatoes (Roma)
- Pesto
- Balsamic Glaze
- Rolls
All the measurements and details can be found in the recipe card below.
How to Make Chicken Caprese Sandwich
The chicken can marinate for up to 12 hours, so it’s a great one to do first thing in the morning and let marinate all day. Then it grills up in just a few minutes. Assemble your sandwiches as follows:
- Slice your bread in half and brush a little olive oil on each side.
- Then pan fry the bread in a cast iron skillet over medium high heat until golden. You could also grill it.
- Rub each side with half of a garlic clove.
- Lather one half with pesto.
- Layer the chicken, mozzarella and tomatoes.
- Drizzle with a little balsamic glaze and then top with the other half of the bun.
These instructions can also be found in the recipe card at the end of the post. It can be printed or saved from there.
What Kind Of Cheese Do You Use in Caprese?
Fresh mozzarella is the typical type of cheese for anything caprese. And it really has to be fresh mozz…it’s just soooooo much better than the brick for this type of sandwich!
How Long Will Pesto Keep?
Homemade pesto can be kept for 5-7 days in the refrigerator. Read our post on our favorite pesto recipe to learn everything about making and storing pesto.
Be prepared for your eyes to roll back in your head when you take a bite out of this chicken caprese sandwich! The chicken is so dang juicy and flavorful, and then you add the layers of tomato, mozzarella, pesto and balsamic…you can just forget it about it!
More Caprese Recipes You Must Try:
- Caprese Sandwich
- Balsamic Caprese Chicken
- Caprese Orzo Pasta
- Grilled Peach Avocado Caprese Salad
- Caprese Salad
- Baked Caprese Crepes
Chicken Caprese Sandwich
Description
Ingredients
- 2 Chicken Breasts, large
- 1/4 Cup Olive Oil
- 1 Clove Garlic
- Pesto
- Mozzarella Cheese, fresh, sliced
- Tomatoes , fresh Roma, sliced
- Balsamic Glaze
- 4-5 Rolls, Ciabatta or Kaiser rolls, toasted
Instructions
- Make the marinated grilled chicken.2 Chicken Breasts
- Slice the bread in a half and brush each side with olive oil. Pan fry the bread in a cast iron skillet (or grill) over medium heat.4-5 Rolls, 1/4 Cup Olive Oil
- Rub each side of the bread with half of a garlic clove.1 Clove Garlic
- Lather one half of the bread with pesto.Pesto
- Layer the chicken, mozzarella, and tomatoes and drizzle with a little balsamic glaze.Mozzarella Cheese, Tomatoes, Balsamic Glaze
- Top with the other half of the bun. Enjoy!
Notes
Nutrition
Recommended Products
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Mandy Lowry
It says to cook the marinated chicken. What are you marinating the chicken with?
Sweet Basil
Hi Mandy! There are several links throughout the post to our marinated chicken recipe. Here is the link to it: https://ohsweetbasil.com/marinated-grilled-chicken-breasts/. Enjoy!!
Jessica Feely Photography
This looks delicious! 🙂 I love the recipes you post! We have a challenge in our family- my husband has to eat gluten free foods. Its usually pretty simple to make adjustments, but it gets pretty tricky with baking breads, desserts, or anything that involves flours and xanthum gum. Thanks for sharing !:)
Carrian
Thank you Lindsay! Your sandwich looks amazing. In fact it's one of our friend's favorite sandwiches so I'll tell her to come check out your recipe!