Chicken Pesto Panini Recipe

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Chicken with pesto, sun-dried tomatoes and fresh mozzarella sandwiched between tasty ciabatta bread makes this chicken pesto panini hard to top.

I'm all about sandwiches - from a bison bacon jam burger to a Greek falafel naan sandwich to a buffalo chicken cheesesteak to a buttermilk chicken sandwich.

But besides grilled cheese, one of my sandwich loves is the chicken pesto panini. Growing up it was just chicken and pesto. I've now improved the sandwich by adding sun-dried tomatoes.

To me, what makes a great sandwich is great bread. So don't use just plain old white bread here. Step up your game with some fresh ciabatta bread. You get that nice crust with every bite.

And while you can use store-bought pesto, why not make your own like this kale pesto or even almond basil pesto. So if you're looking for a quick and easy sandwich, this panini should be at the top of the list!

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Recipe Ingredients
Step-by-Step Instructions
Variations
FAQs
Pro Tips/Recipe Notes
Similar Recipes
Chicken Pesto Panini

two slices of a chicken pesto panini on wood board with bowl of pesto in background

Recipe Ingredients

Chicken - use leftover chicken or rotisserie chicken.
Pesto - homemade or store-bought works.
Sun-dried tomatoes - adds an intense sweet/tart flavor.
Mozzarella cheese - fresh is best.
Ciabatta bread - focaccia bread also works.

Step-by-Step Instructions

Toss the pesto in with the chicken, making sure everything is coated.
Prepare the panini. Layer the chicken, sun-dried tomatoes and mozzarella slices between the bread.
Preheat a ridged fry pan or grill pan over medium heat until hot. Spray with cooking spray. Place the panini in the pan and weight down with a second fry pan or a grill press. Cook until the underside is golden, about 2 ½ minutes. Turn the sandwich over, weigh it down again and cook until golden on the other side, about 2 ½ minutes. Alternatively, you can cook the sandwiches using an electric panini press according to the manufacturer’s instructions.
Cut in half and serve immediately.

process shots of how to make chicken pesto panini

Variations

Like anything, you can change up the sandwich to your liking.

Bread - ciabatta, focaccia, Italian, baguette, or sourdough works.
Cheese - while mozzarella is my go-to, fontina, provolone, Gruyère or even brie works great.
Pesto - traditional pesto works great, but also try sun-dried tomato pesto or red pepper pesto.

FAQs

What is a Panini?

In Italy where it originated, a panini just refers to a sandwich made with Italian bread. But here in the United States it means a sandwich that has been pressed and served warm.

What is the Best Bread for a Panini?

I personally love a good ciabatta bread but any Italian type bread works great.

Do I Need a Panini Press?

As you can see from the picture above I actually don't have a panini press. To me, you don't need a fancy panini press to make tasty sandwiches.

I use a handheld grill press, but you can easily use anything heavy like a cast iron skillet to press down the sandwich.

Pro Tips/Recipe Notes

To save time, break out this sandwich when you have leftover chicken or a rotisserie chicken.
If you don't like sun-dried tomatoes, try roasted red peppers.
Don't leave the panini on the pan/grill long or you will burn it. Check every minute or so until you get the nice char marks.

two slices of chicken pesto panini on wood board

Similar Recipes

If you’ve tried this chicken pesto panini or any other recipe on Chisel & Fork, please let me know how it turned out in the comments below. And if you prefer wraps, you can try this chicken pesto wrap! You can also follow me on Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest and YouTube to see more tasty meals and anything else I'm up to.