Chicken Pesto Panini (Printable)

Juicy grilled chicken, aromatic basil pesto, and gooey mozzarella pressed between warm ciabatta for an Italian-style sandwich.

# 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 (optional)
09 - 1 handful fresh baby spinach or arugula (optional)
10 - 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened

# How-To Steps:

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. Allow to rest 5 minutes, then slice thinly.
03 - Spread 1 tablespoon pesto on the cut side of each bottom ciabatta half.
04 - Arrange sliced chicken, mozzarella, tomato, and spinach or arugula (if using) over pesto. Cover with top ciabatta halves.
05 - Lightly butter the exterior of each sandwich.
06 - Heat a panini press or grill pan over medium heat. Place sandwiches in press or 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 diagonally and serve immediately while warm.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • It delivers that restaurant-quality crispy-melty texture without any special equipment or skills.
  • You can throw it together in under half an hour, even on a weeknight when you're running on fumes.
  • The pesto does all the heavy lifting flavor-wise, so you don't need a long ingredient list or complicated steps.
  • Leftovers actually reheat beautifully, which almost never happens with sandwiches.
02 -
  • If your chicken breasts are thick, pound them to an even thickness before grilling or they'll cook unevenly and dry out on the edges.
  • Don't skip the resting time after grilling the chicken—cutting into it too soon releases all the juices and you'll end up with dry meat.
  • Butter the bread, not the pan, or you'll end up with uneven browning and a greasy mess.
  • 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.
03 -
  • Use a meat thermometer to check that your chicken reaches 165°F (74°C) internally—no guessing, no dryness, no food safety drama.
  • If your mozzarella is too wet, pat it dry with a paper towel before layering it in, or your sandwich will get soggy.
  • Press down firmly but not aggressively when grilling—you want compression, not a squished, flattened mess.
  • Let the sandwiches rest for a minute after grilling so the cheese sets slightly and doesn't all slide out on the first bite.
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