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Grilled Chicken Pesto Panini

By Brandy

Mar 03, 2016, Updated Jun 07, 2024

This grilled chicken pesto panini is a quick and easy weeknight meal. Made with grilled marinated chicken, sharp provolone cheese, pesto mayonnaise and ripe tomatoes. You’ll love this sandwich so much you’ll want to make it every single week!

I hate writing directions for sandwiches. I’m always all “add this to a slice of bread then top with another slice of bread” and I’m always worried people won’t get what I’m trying to say and then write me a nasty email about how I ruined their dinner. Then there is this other part of my brain that is all “OMG people know how to make sandwiches you’re totally overthinking this.”

It’s probably me overthinking things like usual. I’m such an over-thinker I even annoy myself. Did you know I refuse to wear a scarf while driving because I’m paranoid that I will get into a car accident and strangle myself. Seriously, this is a look inside my crazy crazy brain.

When I’m not thinking up weird ways that I could potentially die, I’m usually in the kitchen. Dreaming up delicious dishes I can make (so I can eat lunch) and then share with all of you. That’s where I thought about this grilled chicken pesto panini. I will agree that it’s not the most inventive sandwich BUT it’s damn tasty. I have made this sandwich twice and the first time I mixed it up and grilled the chicken right away and the second time I let the chicken marinate over night. Both sandwiches were delicious but if you have some extra time for marinating I wouldn’t turn that down.

Oh and don’t skimp on the sharp provolone cheese. It’s seriously the best part of the sandwich. Go sharp all the way!

{Looking for more delicious sandwich recipes? Try my baked apple butter ham and cheese sandwiches, chicken bacon spinach grilled cheese or my Cuban sandwich.}

Grilled Chicken Pesto Panini

This grilled chicken pesto panini is a quick and easy weeknight meal. Made with grilled marinated chicken, sharp provolone cheese, pesto mayonnaise and ripe tomatoes. You'll love this sandwich so much you'll want to make it every single week!

Yield: 4 sandwiches

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Cook Time: 30 minutes

Total Time: 45 minutes

Ingredients:

For panini: 

• 2 boneless skinless chicken breast
• 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• 2 teaspoons chopped fresh oregano
• 2 teaspoon chopped fresh basil
• 1 teaspoon minced garlic
• 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper
• Kosher salt and pepper, to taste
• 8 pieces crusty sliced bread
• 8 tablespoons pesto mayonnaise
• 8 slices sharp provolone cheese
• 2 small tomatoes thinly sliced

For pesto mayonnaise:

• 8 tablespoons mayonnaise
• 1 tablespoon pesto

Directions:

For panini:
Cut chicken breast in half length wise creating 4 thin slices of chicken breast.

In a bowl add the chicken breast, olive oil, oregano, basil, garlic, crushed red pepper, kosher salt and black pepper. Stir to combine.

Preheat you grill (or indoor grill pan) to medium high heat and grill your chicken until it's fully cooked. Once cooked add to a pan and let rest while you prepare the bread for the panini.

Baste one side of each slice of bread with olive oil and flip over. Spread the other side with 1 tablespoon of pesto mayonnaise and add 1 slice of provolone cheese to every slice of bread.

Top 4 pieces of the bread with 1 piece of grilled chicken and few slices of tomatoes. Top each sandwich with remaining slices of bread.

Add to your panini maker (mine can cook 2 sandwiches at a time) and cook until the cheese is melted and the bread is brown and crispy.

For pesto mayonnaise:
Add ingredients to a small bowl and mix together until well combined.

Note: I add one slice of sharp provolone to each slice of bread but depending on the size of the slice and the size of the bread you may need to cut it in half so it evenly covers the slice.