Chicken Pesto Panini Recipe (2024)

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By Shawn Williams

5 from 1 vote

Mar 14, 2023, Updated Feb 26, 2024

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Chicken Pesto Panini Recipe (2)

My chicken pesto panini features chicken, fresh mozzarella, Roma tomato, fresh basil pesto, and a drizzle of balsamic glaze. All wrapped in golden panini bread. Bite into this crispy golden masterpieceand you would never guess it was made using a cast iron skillet on the stove.

The secret to the perfect sear is in the olive oil brushed on the panini bread. It gives you a crispy golden, toastedfinish like a grilled cheese, only better andcrunchier. If you really want to take this recipe a step further, I’d suggest using a grill pan. This will give you the signature grooves without a panini press.

Get a similar flavor by enjoyed grilled chicken caprese next time a mozzarella craving hits. Got pesto to use up? Stir some into creamy gnocchi or brush over grilled shrimp skewers.

Chicken Pesto Panini Recipe (3)

Table of Contents

  • More Pesto Recipes You’ll Love
  • Chicken Pesto Panini Recipe

Tips for the Perfect Panini

  • Searyour chicken first in the cast iron skillet and then assemble the panini right in the sameskillet. Grilled chicken, grilled sandwich.
  • Use plenty of olive oil to get the perfect golden crust. Aside from flavor, it does wonders for the bread in terms of toasting.
  • Layer the mozzarella on top of the chicken when assembling so the heat will warm and melt the cheesebetter.
  • Use a large spatula to firmly press down on either side of the panini as it heats up so it flattens and all melts together. This acts as your panini press. I provide a lot of force to really compress the sandwich.
  • The secret to the perfect chicken paniniis using thinly sliced chicken and further flattening itout with a rolling pin—a process similar to preparing chicken Parmesan. This makes biting into the panini much easier and also tenderizes the chicken. You can use regular chicken breast but it’s easier to start with thinly cut chicken breast.
  • Paninis are also great on the grill. Follow the same process and use the grill grates to get a nice sear. Press down firmly with a spatula to compress the sandwich on the grilling surface.

More Pesto Recipes You’ll Love

Chicken Pesto Pasta Recipe

Pesto Pasta Salad Recipe

Shrimp Pesto Pasta Recipe

Homemade Pasta with Fresh Basil Pesto Recipe

Enjoy this recipe? If you made this recipe, please leave a ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ star rating in the recipe card below & areview in the comments!

5 from 1 vote

Chicken Pesto Panini Recipe

By: Shawn Williams

Servings: 2

Prep: 10 minutes mins

Cook: 15 minutes mins

Total: 25 minutes mins

Save

Chicken Pesto Panini Recipe (8)

The chicken pesto panini with mozzarella is made in a cast iron skillet with basil pesto roma tomato, balsamic glaze, and fresh mozzarella. No panini press required.

Ingredients

  • 2 thinly sliced chicken breasts, flattened to 1/4 inch thick
  • 4 slices white panini bread
  • 4 slices fresh mozzarella cheese
  • 4 slices Roma tomato, thinly sliced
  • 2-3 tablespoons basil pesto sauce
  • 4 teaspoons olive oil, for bread
  • Balsamic glaze for drizzling

Instructions

  • Thinly slice the tomato and fresh mozzarella into 1/4 inch thick slices. Set aside.

  • Flatten each chicken breast using a rolling pin to 1/4 inch thick slices. Season with salt and pepper. Set aside.

  • Heat cast iron skillet or grill pan to medium heat, add a splash of olive oil and fully cook the chicken through, about 2-3 minutes per side. Set aside. Take a paper towel and carefully wipe up excess juices (if any).

  • Reduce heat to medium-low. Drizzle 1-2 teaspoons of olive oil on one side of each slice of panini bread (oiled sides facing the skillet when searing). Use a basting brush or the back of a spoon to spread the oil evenly. Assemble each panini right on the skillet starting with one slice of bread, chicken breast, mozzarella slices, pesto, tomato slices, and balsamic glaze. Top with the other slice of panini bread.

  • Sear for 2-3 minutes per side, periodically pressing down firmly with a large spatula on both sides so the panini sticks together and the cheese starts to melt. The panini is done when the bread is golden brown and crunchy. I may flip 2-3 times to ensure even cooking.

Notes

Cook on medium/medium-low heat to avoid burning the panini. It will cook quickly so carefully monitor.

If you really want to take this recipe a step further, I’d suggest using a grill pan. This will give you the signature grooves without a panini press.

Nutrition

Serving: 1paniniCalories: 565kcalCarbohydrates: 36.2gProtein: 42.3gFat: 20.1gSaturated Fat: 6.9gCholesterol: 121mgSodium: 691mgFiber: 2.1gSugar: 4g

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

Additional Info

Course: Lunch

Cuisine: Italian

Tried this recipe?Mention @kitchenswagger or tag #kitchenswagger!

About Shawn Williams

My name is Shawn, author behind Kitchen Swagger. I'm a food & drink enthusiast bringing you my own simple and delicious restaurant-inspired recipes.

Read More About Me

1 Comment

  1. Chicken Pesto Panini Recipe (10)
    So amazing! Flavor was great! I didn’t have a cast iron so I made it on a panini press still really good. I also baked the chicken. I decided to use garlic bread and it was absolutely delicious. Will make this again!

    Reply

Chicken Pesto Panini Recipe (2024)

FAQs

What is the best bread for panini? ›

Use Half-Inch Thick Bread To Make A Panini

These include ciabatta, focaccia, rye, French, and sourdough. But no matter which bread you use, your slices should always be about a ½-inch thick. If you use slices that are thicker than that, you'll taste way too much bread when you bite into your panini.

Is a chicken panini healthy? ›

A chicken panini is a healthy, high-calorie option for lunch. If you're cooking at home for family and/or friends without CF, use the substitution table below to create a lower-calorie panini.

How many calories in a chicken mozzarella pesto panini? ›

Nutrition Facts (per serving)
474Calories
21gFat
31gCarbs
41gProtein
Apr 19, 2024

How many calories are in a grilled chicken pesto sandwich? ›

Fresh Thyme Pesto Grilled Chicken Sandwich (1 sandwich) contains 117g total carbs, 109g net carbs, 45g fat, 36g protein, and 880 calories.

Should I butter bread before panini press? ›

Butter the outside for crispy grilled bread that heightens the flavour of my favourite panini.

What cheese is best for panini? ›

8 Best Cheeses for Melting in Pastas, Paninis, Omelets, Casseroles, and More
  1. Fontina. Fontina can be buttery and a bit fruity; Fontina Val d'Aosta, from Italy's Aosta Valley, is firmer, more pungent, and nuttier (and always made of raw milk). ...
  2. Gouda. ...
  3. Asiago. ...
  4. Taleggio. ...
  5. Reblochon. ...
  6. Provolone. ...
  7. Mozzarella. ...
  8. Gruyère.
Oct 18, 2023

Why are paninis so good? ›

A panini sandwich, sometimes called a panino, is made with grilled Italian bread, usually made using a sandwich press. It's packed with delicious ingredients like cheese that melt and warm up while the sandwich cooks. The perfect panini is crispy on the outside, warm and gooey on the inside, and entirely delicious.

Is Chick-fil-A chicken real or processed? ›

Because chicken is at the center of our menu, we serve only real breast meat with no fillers, artificial preservatives, or steroids. Like other chicken in the United States, ours contains no added hormones. We source our chicken from farms in the U.S. in accordance with our Animal Wellbeing Standards.

How does pesto have so many calories? ›

That's largely down to the fact that most pesto sauces contain generous amounts of oil, nuts, and cheese. All three of these are high in fat and calories, so eating too much pesto, too regularly, and not getting enough exercise can ultimately be fattening.

Are Caprese panini healthy? ›

Mozzarella is packed with protein, too. Traditional caprese doesn't have meat as a protein source, but the protein found in mozzarella will be enough to keep you feeling full and energized until your next meal.

How many calories in a Williams chicken pesto panini? ›

There are 430 calories in 1 panini (214 g) of Williams Coffee Pub Grilled Chicken Pesto Panini.

What is the highest calorie pesto? ›

Daylesford Organic tops our list of high-calorie pestos with a staggering 654 calories per 100g. Looking at the ingredient list, you can see that they don't skimp on any of the expensive, high-calorie ingredients that budget pestos simply cannot afford to include.

Does pesto or tomato sauce have less calories? ›

So, as you can see, even though both sauces contain olive oil, garlic, and basil, the pesto contains over six times more calories than the traditional pasta sauce.

How many calories are in a Starbucks chicken pesto sandwich? ›

Starbucks Chicken & Pesto Panini (1 serving) contains 56g total carbs, 38g net carbs, 29g fat, 29g protein, and 562 calories.

What is the name of the bread used in paninis? ›

In Italy, a Panino is a grilled sandwich that is made from any bread other than standard sliced bread. One of the most popular bread types used for a Panino is Ciabatta. Outside of Italy, toasted Ciabatta sandwiches are known as Panini (the plural of Panino).

What is the best bread for a sandwich press? ›

The Safe Bet: Traditional Breads for Sandwiches
  • White Bread. Classic white bread is milled and mild, with a soft texture and a thin crust. ...
  • Rye. ...
  • Ciabatta. ...
  • Italian. ...
  • French baguette. ...
  • Brioche. ...
  • Sourdough. ...
  • Challah.
Apr 22, 2024

What is the difference between Italian panini and American panini? ›

The Italian panini does not need to be roasted. Whereas, in the panini shops in the US, you are most likely to find grilled stuffing and the bread is also toasted. The quality of bread is paramount in the making of panini. Usually, high-quality Italian bread like ciabatta or focaccia is used.

What is the difference between panini bread and regular bread? ›

A Panini is actually an Italian name for sandwiches ( It's a plural of Panino) . While a Sandwich in general represents anything between the two breads , Panini uses a specific Italian bread like Focaccia or Ciabatta. ( Focaccia is typically a flat bread while Ciabatta is baked as loaf bread.

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