Tender chicken parmesan sandwiches with crispy chicken, marinara sauce, melted mozzarella, and pesto all loaded on buttery garlic bread.
I know, you don’t think you need a recipe for a parmesan chicken sandwich, right? You would think that you could just stick our absolutely delicious recipe for chicken parmesan in a hoagie and all would be well, but you would be wrong. We’ve got a few secrets that are very important.
These chicken parm subs were so so yummy. If you live in Utah you may have visited a sandwich shop called, Moochies. It’s delicious, sloppy, fattening and perfect. I decided to make our own version of the chicken parmesan sub from there and oh my! It was really quite yummy.
All of the different flavors used in this sammy really come together and make what could look like just another ordinary sandwich into something worth drooling over. Fresh bread, meat sauce, delicious, melty cheese and the secrets.
Ingredients for Chicken Parm Subs
These ingredients are pretty straightforward. Maybe the only surprise will be the pesto, but we love the extra layer of flavor it adds! Here is your shopping list:
For the Chicken
- Olive Oil – keeps the chicken from sticking to the pan
- Unsalted Butter – combined with the olive oil, it adds flavor and gets that chicken nice and golden
- Chicken Breasts – after you butterfly the chicken breasts, pound them out if you need to make them more even in thickness
- Seasoned Croutons – using a seasoned crouton is an easy way to add flavor and seasoning
- Marinara Sauce – feel free to grab whatever your favorite brand is
- Mozzarella – any sort of mozz will do, fresh, shredded, sliced…whichever you prefer. You could also use provolone.
- Pesto – you can make your own or get store bought
For the Sandwich
- Hoagie Rolls – any good bread will do but it needs to be sturdy enough to hold up to the parmesan cheese but not
- Unsalted Butter – using unsalted helps you control the saltiness of your food
- Garlic Salt – we love Johnny’s garlic spread from Costco
And the Secrets are…
First, you need to buy the best bread you can find. It needs to be soft and squishy but still firm and solid enough to handle this baby. Then the important part, I insist that you cut open the bread, butter both sides, sprinkle each side with garlic salt like Johnny’s or Lawry’s that have the parsley etc. Now toast it in the oven and then add sauce to the bottom piece.
Second, add pesto! Pesto is the addition that you never realized you were missing! It blends with the other flavors so well and adds a wonderful pop of brightness to every bite.
Third, use seasoned croutons to bread the chicken. It adds the perfect amount of flavor and the crushed up croutons is just the crispy crunch you want on your chicken.
Why You Will Love These Chicken Parmesan Sandwiches
- Easy – these come together in no time and seem so fancy but are so simple.
- Great for a crowd – since they are so easy, they are great for serving the next time you have family or friends over. Everyone loves them and the recipe is easy to double or triple. Slice the sandwiches in halves or thirds to make them more of an appetizer/slider.
- Family favorite – my kids go crazy for these sandwiches and Cade keeps asking when we are going to have them again.
- Lunch or dinner – these are hearty enough for a full family dinner but also easy enough to whip up for a lunch, win/win!
- Flavorful toppings – between the marinara, cheeses, pesto, and garlic bread, you won’t be lacking in flavor anywhere!
Are Sub Sandwiches the Same As Hoagies?
Sub sandwiches are the same thing as hero, grinder, baguette, and hoagies.
They may be called by different names in different locations. We have a great hoagie recipe right here on the blog if you want to make them from scratch.
They are all a type of sandwich that consists of a long roll of bread split width wise into two pieces, and filled with a variety of meats, cheeses, vegetables, seasonings, and sauces.
Does Parmesan Chicken Use Mozzarella Cheese?
Chicken parmesan is made with mozzarella cheese, and/or provolone. We like to sprinkle a little parmesan on top too for extra flavor.
Can I Use Chicken Thighs Instead?
Yes, you can definitely use chicken thighs if you prefer. Thighs take longer to cook than chicken breasts so make sure you give them enough time to cook to a safe temperature.
Is Chicken Parmigiana the Same as Chicken Parmesan?
Chicken parmigiana and chicken parmesan are the same dish.
It’s a breaded chicken breast with lots of melted mozzarella and/or provolone.
Can You Make Parmesan Chicken Sandwiches Ahead of Time?
Unfortunately, chicken parm sandwiches don’t keep really well. The bread gets soggy and the chicken uses its crunch. They are best eaten fresh and warm!
How to Reheat and Store Parmesan Chicken
If you know you are going to have leftovers, I would not completely assemble the sandwiches. Don’t put marinara on the bread, that will just make it all soggy.
Store the chicken in an airtight container and when you’re ready to reheat it, I would recommend using an air fryer or the oven to get is crispy again. Then assemble as written in the instructions.
Now you can see why you need a recipe for a sandwich! The secrets to success will having you making these chicken parm sandwiches on the reg!
More Sandwich Recipes to Try:
- Caprese Sandwich
- French Dip Sandwich
- Chicken Salad Sandwich
- Club Sandwich
- BBQ Beef Sandwich
- Egg Salad Sandwich
- Turkey Bacon Avocado Sandwich
Garlic Bread Chicken Parmesan Sandwiches
Ingredients
For the Chicken
- 2 Tablespoons Olive Oil
- 2 Tablespoons Unsalted Butter
- 2 Chicken Breasts, , butterflied
- Seasoned Croutons, , crushed
- Jarred Marinara of Choice
- 8 Ounces Mozzarella, Sliced
- Parmesan
- Pesto
For the Sandwich
- 4 Hoagie rolls, or French Baguettes
- 1 Stick Unsalted Butter, softened
- Garlic Salt with Herbs, we prefer Johnny's Garlic Spread from Costco
Instructions
- Drizzle 2 tablespoons olive oil and place 2 tablespoons of the butter in a large pan and heat to medium high heat.
- Meanwhile, dredge the chicken in the finely crushed croutons on both sides.
- Place 2 breasts at a time in the pan and after a minute turn down to medium low. Cook for 5 minutes (consult how to cook chicken in a pan) and flip, cooking another 5-7 minutes or until cooked through to 160 degrees. Remove to a plate, add more butter and oil and repeat with remaining chicken. Set aside.
- Meanwhile, prepare the pesto.
- Butter the insides of the bread and sprinkle with garlic salt. Heat the oven to broil and cook open faced until golden. Remove to set aside.
- Add a spoonful or two of sauce to the bottom bread and place the chicken on top.
- Cover the chicken in the sauce and add mozzarella.
- Place under the broiler until the cheese is bubbly, then top with a sprinkle of parmesan cheese and add a smear of pesto to brighten the meal. Top with the other bread and dig in!
Notes
Nutrition
Recommended Products
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Jane
Well……I’m definitely drooling!!!!!! Just happen to have all the ingredients. YAY!!!! Thank you!
Sweet Basil
Yay!! Enjoy!
Dee
Haven’t made this yet but can’t wait to try it! Will be making for our next monthly neighborhood block luncheon. I ordered Johnny’s garlic spread from Amazon. Will use Mezzetta’s basil pesto, Rao’s marinara sauce, and will follow the tip to use seasoned croutons instead of breadcrumbs. (Just found Olive Garden croutons in the grocery store and they’re great.). Might just have to grill up some eggplant and put that on there, too!
Sweet Basil
Yessss! Now I am wishing I lived in your neighborhood so I could join in on the luncheon! Please let me know how it turns out! Thanks, Dee!
Dee
Well, today was our block party and the sandwiches were a hit! Everyone loved them! I used all the ingredients that I said I would. Softened one lb. of butter overnight and blended in a 1/2 cup of Johnny’s Garlic Spread. That’s great stuff! Will definitely use that for garlic bread from now on. Crushing up the Olive Garden Garlic and Romano croutons at 8:30AM was fun. That got everyone up! I left the croutons in their original packaging and used an unopened Marsala wine bottle to whack the heck out of them. Then I opened each package and put them into a gallon size ziplock freezer bag and whacked them until they were like breadcrumbs. Took a bit longer for me to make as I made enough sandwiches for 20 people and they all went! Next time, in addition to the chicken parm sandwiches, I do want to try this with some roasted eggplant, fresh mozzarella cheese, roasted red peppers and some broccolini! Thanks for a great recipe!
Sweet Basil
Hi Dee! LOVE to hear this! Thank you so much for the feedback and I’m so glad it was a hit at your block party! I think your additions for the next round sound amazing!
Kristin
hi! looks like an amazing recipe but there is no “green” link I see for the chicken in the recipe. can you help guide me some on that? thanks!
Sweet Basil
Hey Kristin! I apologize for the confusion! I have fixed the link to the chicken. Enjoy!
Tracey McAdam
The link “For The Chicken” that is supposed to be in green is no longer green that takes you to the recipe!! I think I would like to try this recipe but I can’t without the chicken recipe. Thanks!!
carol
I totally do not understand this recipe. Where’s the chicken? ???
Sweet Basil
Hi Carol, in the recipe it says “For the Chicken” and you just click the green word, chicken which is a link and that will take you to the recipe.
winn sirotta
ground turkey?
Anna
I can’t believe this recipe is 6 years old and I only just now saw it on Pinterest. I’m trying it tomorrow!
Sweet Basil
Oh man, I cannot even tell you how much I love it. That buttered bread is a game changer! enjoy!
stephanie
This looks delicious and I really want to try but I’m confused. The pictures look as if the chicken is breaded and I don’t see anything in the recipe steps that breads the chicken. Is this a grilled chicken sandwich with meat sauce?
Sweet Basil
Hi Stephanie, in the recipe it says “For the chicken” and you just need to click the link to follow the recipe for the chicken instructions. 🙂
Stephanie
I actually tried Moochie’s not too long ago and I wasn’t too impressed. I ordered their cheesesteaks after being told it was the best in SLC, but sadly it wasn’t. Maybe I should stop by and order something else?
Emily
WOW, do those look good. I wish I could try one.
Talita
Hey, Carrian! I’m glad you liked my blog! I hope your husband had good experiences here in Brazil!
Cheers
Talita
Yummm… This looks really delicious!
Maria
My hubs will love this one!