This easy chicken pesto sandwich recipe features tender grilled chicken breasts and flavorful basil pesto mayo, grilled bell pepper, melted Swiss cheese and fresh baby spinach. Perfect for busy days or a satisfying meal on the go.
Mix the mayonnaise and pesto in a small bowl until well combined. Place the pesto mayo in the refrigerator while you prepare the other ingredients.
Place the chicken breasts between two pieces of parchment or wax paper and pound into even thickness, around 1 inch.
Brush both sides of the chicken with oil and season with salt and pepper. Cook the chicken on a preheated grill or grill pan over medium-high heat for 6-7 minutes or until the internal temperature reaches 165 degrees F and the chicken is cooked through.
Top the chicken with the Swiss cheese and set aside.
While the chicken is cooking, prepare bell pepper. Slice the bell pepper into ½ inch rings and remove the seeds. Brush the bell pepper rings with oil and grill for 2-3 minutes per side to soften.
Toast the bun on the grill or under the broiler.
Spread a dollop of the presto mayonnaise on the bottom bun, top with the chopped spinach, followed by the grilled chicken, then the grilled bell pepper.
Spread another dollop of mayonnaise on the top bun and place it on top of the bell pepper to complete the sandwich. Serve immediately.
Notes
This recipe can easily doubled or tripled if you are feeding more than two people. If you have leftovers, store the chicken, mayonnaise, and bell pepper in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to three days. Only toast the exact number of buns you plan to eat that day. Toasted bread does not store well.
Both store-bought or homemade basil pesto are great options for making the pesto mayonnaise.
You want to use small chicken breasts roughly the same size as the brioche buns. If you only have large chicken breasts, you can slice one in half to make two cutlets and pound them into the desired size.
Make sure to pound the chicken into an even thickness. This will ensure the chicken cooks evenly and the edges do not dry.
Be sure to toast your buns! Toasting the buns will help protect the bread from getting soggy once you add the pesto mayonnaise.