Grilled Chicken Pesto Panini (Printable)

Juicy grilled chicken, vibrant basil pesto, and gooey mozzarella pressed between warm ciabatta for a satisfying meal.

# What you need:

→ Chicken

01 - 2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (14 oz)
02 - 1 tablespoon olive oil
03 - 1/2 teaspoon salt
04 - 1/4 teaspoon black pepper

→ Panini

05 - 4 ciabatta rolls, sliced in half
06 - 4 tablespoons basil pesto
07 - 7 oz fresh mozzarella, sliced
08 - 1 medium tomato, thinly sliced
09 - 1 handful fresh baby spinach or arugula
10 - 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened

# How to make it:

01 - Preheat a grill pan or skillet over medium-high heat.
02 - Brush chicken breasts with olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Grill 5–6 minutes per side, until cooked through and juices run clear. Let rest for 5 minutes, then slice thinly.
03 - Spread 1 tablespoon pesto on the cut side of each bottom ciabatta half.
04 - Layer sliced chicken, mozzarella, tomato, and spinach or arugula on top of the pesto. Cover with the top ciabatta halves.
05 - Lightly butter the outside of each sandwich.
06 - Heat a panini press or grill pan over medium heat. Place sandwiches in the press or in the pan, pressing down with a heavy skillet, and grill 3–4 minutes per side, until bread is golden and cheese is melted.
07 - Slice each panini in half and serve warm.

# Helpful Hints:

01 -
  • Everything melts together in under ten minutes, so you get that cafe experience without leaving your kitchen.
  • The pesto seeps into every bite, turning simple chicken into something that tastes like you spent all day cooking.
  • You can use up leftover grilled chicken or even rotisserie meat, making this a brilliant way to avoid food waste.
  • It feels fancy enough for guests but easy enough that you will make it on a random Tuesday.
02 -
  • Don't skip resting the chicken after grilling, slicing it too soon releases all the juices and you end up with dry meat and a soggy sandwich.
  • If you don't have a panini press, a cast iron skillet works perfectly as a weight, just press down firmly and let the heat do its thing.
  • Butter the bread right before grilling, not earlier, or it will soak in and you won't get that crispy exterior.
03 -
  • Press down firmly when grilling but don't smash the sandwich flat, you want compression without squeezing out all the fillings.
  • If your pesto seems dry, stir in a teaspoon of olive oil before spreading to make it easier to work with and more flavorful.
  • Grill your sandwiches in batches if needed, crowding the pan lowers the temperature and you lose that crispy crust.
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