Chicken Panini
A pressed Italian-style sandwich with grilled chicken, melted provolone, sun-dried tomatoes, and pesto. The signature grill marks and crispy exterior come from a panini press — but a cast iron skillet weighted with another pan works fine too.
Prep Time
10 min
Cook Time
10 min
Servings
6
Calories
660 cal
🛠 Interactive Recipe Tools — Use them right here on this page
Smart Servings Scaler
- Chicken750 g
- Bread3 slices
- Cheese1 ½ cup
- Lettuce3 cups
- Tomato3 medium
- Onion1 ½ medium
- Mayonnaise4 ½ tbsp
- Salt1 ½ tsp
- Black Pepper¾ tsp
All quantities scaled automatically from 6 servings.
Ingredients
Makes 6 servings · Use the Servings Scaler above to adjust
- Chicken750 g
- Bread3 slices
- Cheese1.5 cup
- Lettuce3 cups
- Tomato3 medium
- Onion1.5 medium
- Mayonnaise4.5 tbsp
- Salt1.5 tsp
- Black Pepper0.75 tsp
Instructions
- 1
Pound 2 boneless chicken breasts to ½-inch thickness between sheets of plastic wrap. Season heavily with salt, pepper, Italian seasoning, and a squeeze of lemon.
- 2
Heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a skillet over medium-high. Cook the chicken 4-5 minutes per side until just done (165°F internal). Rest on a board for 3 minutes, then slice thinly.
- 3
Slice a ciabatta loaf in half horizontally (or use 2 ciabatta rolls). Spread the inside of both halves with 2 tablespoons of pesto per side.
- 4
Layer: 2 slices of provolone cheese, the sliced chicken, ¼ cup of chopped sun-dried tomatoes (oil-packed, drained), a handful of arugula, and another 2 slices of provolone (the cheese on both sides melts and glues everything together).
- 5
Brush the outside of both bread surfaces with olive oil. This is what creates the crispy golden crust.
- 6
If you have a panini press: press for 4-5 minutes until golden and cheese is melted. No press: heat a cast iron pan over medium, place the sandwich in, weight with another heavy pan, cook 4 minutes per side. Slice diagonally and serve.
Watch how to make Chicken Panini
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💡 Expert Tips
- 1.Cheese on both sides. The double layer melts and binds the sandwich, preventing fillings from falling out when you bite. Single-layer cheese leaves gaps.
- 2.Pound the chicken thin. Thick breasts don't fit in a panini and take too long to cook through. Half-inch is the sweet spot.
- 3.Olive oil the outside, not butter. Italian-style paninis use olive oil for the crispy exterior — it adds flavor that complements the Mediterranean fillings.
- 4.Weight the sandwich. The compression creates that signature flat shape with deep grill marks and an even golden crust.
🔬 Why It Works
A great panini is a series of textures and flavors compressed into a single bite: crispy oil-brushed crust, melty cheese, tender chicken, chewy bread, tangy sun-dried tomatoes, peppery arugula, herbaceous pesto. Cheese on both sides of the fillings melts and acts as glue. The weighted-press technique creates the characteristic flat, dense, deeply golden sandwich that defines the genre. Without weight, you have a glorified grilled sandwich; with weight, you have a true panini.
Frequently Asked Questions
No panini press — what do I do?▾
Best bread?▾
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