Easy chicken and pesto sandwiches that make lunch a million times more interesting. This simple lunch makes meal prep easy for the entire week.
Chicken and pesto sandwiches are my favorite. At least they are after having the most amazing one at a bakery I stumbled upon while I was in Boston.
Every since that sandwich, I’ve been making my own chicken and pesto sandwiches several times a week. They are the beeeeest! This sandwich is almost exactly like the one I had in Boston except they used arugula in their sandwiches – here we are using kale because I ran out of arugula and didn’t feel like going back to the store.
It’s so simple to make and put together, but it really comes together to make a sandwich that is so much fun to eat. If you really want to get a little extra, I recommend using sundried tomatoes or roasted red peppers in it. Seriously, so good.
Feel free to grab that arugula though because that lemon pepper flavor really goes well here!
When it comes to regular ol’ eating, I am definitely one for simple foods that are really well done. This is sandwich definitely fits the bill.
The pesto really makes this sandwich something special. What is great is that pesto is so easy to make. It only takes a handful of ingredients and few minutes to make enough to last you all week if you wanted to make these chicken and pesto sandwiches daily if you wanted.
And if you need a break, pesto is easily stored in the refrigerator for a week, or in the freezer for a month.
Originally, I wanted to wait until my purple basil grew in before sharing these chicken and pesto sandwiches with you because I thought that would be a fun color for a sandwich, but it hasn’t been growing at all and now it is dying, so I decided to go with my regular sweet basil.
If you’ve ever grown purple basil before, I need your tips because I’ve been trying to grow it all summer with no success! Seriously, my green thumb isn’t so green.
Because I can get a little extra sometimes, I also made my own bread for these sandwiches.
Before you roll your eyes, I am not telling you that you need to make your own bread to make your sandwich amazing. I mean, come on. If baking wasn’t my job, there is no way I would be doing that. Just use come nice ciabatta or even a nice baguette.
But if you do make your own bread, I am obsessed with my ciabatta. It’s addictive. There have been times I made some, ate it all, then made another batch. All in one day. I am shameless.
Anyway, this sandwich has to go on your to-make list for lunch cause well, it’s just too good and too easy to not try.
And this pesto – it’s everything.
Need more lunch ideas? Try:
Chicken and Pesto Sandwiches
Prep
Cook
Total
Yield 4 sandwiches
Simple and easy chicken and pesto sandwiches
Ingredients
- 1 large chicken breast
- salt
- pepper
- Italian seasoning
- 1 loaf ciabatta
- 2/3 cups pesto (see below for recipe)
- 1/2 small red onion, cut in slices
- 1 cup massaged kale (or arugula)
- 1 tomato, cut in slices
Instructions
- Heat a grill pan on medium high heat and brush with extra virgin olive oil.
- Butterfly the chicken breast, then cut in quarters. Season well with salt, pepper, and some Italian seasoning.
- Cook for about 4 minutes on each side on the grill, or until the chicken has nice grill marks and is cooked through.
- Cut a loaf of ciabatta into fours, then cut each quarter open. Spread an even amount of pesto on each piece of bread.
- Place a piece of chicken on each of the bottom pieces of bread, then top with the red onion, kale, and tomato, sprinkle a bit more salt and pepper as needed.
Courses Lunch
Cuisine American
Pesto
Prep
Total
Ingredients
- 1 cup packed basil
- 2 tablespoons pine nuts
- 1 clove garlic
- 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese
- 1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
- salt
- pepper
Instructions
- Add the basil to a food processor and pulse until chopped well.
- Add in the pine nuts and garlic and pulse again until chopped and completely combined.
- Add in the cheese and process until the cheese is completely combined.
- Drizzle in the oil, plus salt and pepper and process until it becomes a thick paste.
- Refrigerate up to a week in an airtight container.
These look absolutely delicious! I actually just made a pesto for last night’s dinner and was looking for a way to use the rest of it this week before it goes bad. These sandwiches are a great idea!
This is the perfect way to use up that pesto! It’s so simple to throw together, too!
This is one of the most beautiful sandwiches I’ve laid my eyes on! The perfect lunch!
Mmm this looks incredible Amanda! Chicken pesto is always my go-to when I buy sandwiches. Your photographs and styling here are gorgeous as well! <3
I have no gardening tips, but that sandwich looks amazing!