The Ultimate Grilled Chicken Sandwich
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A flavor-packed marinade and the best toppings make this the Ultimate Grilled Chicken Sandwich recipe. After marinating for a few hours, your chicken breasts will pick up loads of flavor. Serve on a toasted buns with your favorite toppings for a quick weeknight dinner.
Why We Love This Recipe
Not only is this an incredible family meal, but it’s also a great recipe to serve to groups of people. Simply double or triple the recipe, grill or bake a large amount of chicken at once, and serve in a buffet style with the buns and all the toppings. Your guests can customize their own sandwiches.
Ingredients Needed
Now it’s time for a store run. Here’s what you’ll need on hand to make this super flavorful grilled chicken sandwich.
- Olive oil
- Apple cider vinegar
- Garlic powder
- Salt & pepper
- Powdered ginger (Yep, unusual but trust us.)
- Paprika
- Boneless, skinless chicken breasts (about 1 1/2 pounds)
- Cheddar cheese slices
- Bacon, cooked and broken in half (try our No Fail Way to Cook Bacon)
- Whole wheat hamburger buns (or make your own Homemade Hamburger Buns)
- Optional toppings: BBQ sauce, lettuce, tomato slices, mayonnaise, Dijon mustard
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How to Make a Grilled Chicken Sandwich
Peruse this quick overview of how the recipe comes together. Specific directions are in the printable recipe card at the bottom of this post.
Make the Marinade
In a gallon-sized freezer bag, combine the oil, vinegar, garlic powder, salt, pepper, ginger, and paprika. Gently shake the bag to mix. Then set aside.
Slice the Chicken into Cutlets
Next, carefully cut the chicken breasts lengthwise through the center to create two thin halves out of each breast. To do this, place your hand firmly on top of the chicken and slice back and forth lengthwise using a sawing motion. Make sure to use a sharp knife! You can find one of our favorites here.
There are two reasons we cut the chicken like this: 1) more surface area for the marinade to reach (meaning more flavor infusion), and 2) the chicken will cook faster and more evenly.
Marinate (or Freeze) the Chicken
Place the 6 chicken cutlets in the bag with the marinade, seal the bag, and shake to ensure the breasts are coated. (Freezing instructions begin here.) Set in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours and up to 24 hours to marinate.
Cook the Chicken
We prefer grilled chicken for this recipe, but you can also use our baking instructions in the recipe card below.
Preheat a grill over medium-high heat. Remove the chicken from the marinade using tongs and add to grill. Discard remaining marinade. Grill for about 4-5 minutes per side or until done. (Chicken is done when juices run clear or the internal temperature is 165° F.)
Assemble the Sandwiches
On top of a bun, place 1 chicken breast, 1 slice cheese, some bacon, and optional toppings.
Make It a Freezer Meal Kit
Not only are these Grilled Chicken Sandwiches great for a group, but they also work as a make ahead freezer meal or a meal to take to a friend in need. I like to pack mine up as little kit and freeze it all together. That way I have everything I need on a busy night!
Freeze For Later: Follow steps 1-3 in the recipe (do not marinate in refrigerator though). Package the bacon and cheese slices separately in small freezer bags. To make a freezer meal kit, freeze the chicken in marinade alongside the bacon, cheese, and buns.
Prepare From Frozen: You’ll need the sandwich toppings on hand to complete this meal. Thaw the meal kit in the refrigerator using one of our safe thawing methods for chicken. Follow the recipe beginning with Step 4.
What to Serve with Grilled Chicken Sandwiches
Oh man, I have so many great ideas for you! Here are a few side dishes that would go well with this recipe…
How to Serve This Sandwich
If you serve as a sandwich, here are some toppings you’ll want to have on hand:
- Cooked bacon slices (here is how to bake bacon in the oven, FYI)
- Lettuce
- Tomato Slices
- Mayonaise
- Honey Mustard Sauce
- Dijon Mustard
- BBQ Sauce (Use our homemade BBQ Sauce recipe)
- Cheddar cheese slices
- Whole Wheat Buns or Brioche Buns (or make your own Hamburger Buns)
Another idea is to serve this chicken on top of a salad. It would be delicious on a recipe like our Cobb Salad!
More Delicious Sandwich Recipes
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The Ultimate Grilled Chicken Sandwiches
Create the ultimate grilled chicken sandwiches for any weeknight by prepping and freezing all the components ahead of time. This well-seasoned, versatile grilled chicken also works to top pasta or salads.
Ingredients
- 6 tablespoons olive oil
- 3 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
- 1 tablespoon garlic powder
- 2 teaspoons salt
- 1 1/2 teaspoons ground black pepper
- 1 1/2 teaspoons powdered ginger
- 1 1/2 teaspoons paprika
- 3 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (about 1 1/2 pounds)
- 6 slices cheddar cheese
- 1/2 pound bacon, cooked and broken in half (try our No Fail Way to Cook Bacon)
- 6 whole wheat hamburger buns (or make your own Homemade Hamburger Buns)
- Optional toppings: BBQ sauce, lettuce, tomato slices, onion slices, mayonnaise, Dijon mustard
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Instructions
Make It Now:
- Make the Marinade: In a gallon-sized freezer bag, combine the oil, vinegar, garlic powder, salt, pepper, ginger and paprika. Gently shake the bag to mix. Then set aside.
- Slice the Chicken: (Note: This step is essential for even cooking.) Carefully cut the chicken breasts lengthwise through the center to create two thin halves out of each breast. If needed, pound down the thicker parts to create cutlets that are the same thickness. (See instructions about how to do this in the blog post above.)
- Marinate (or Freeze) the Chicken: Place the 6 chicken cutlets in the bag with the marinade, seal the bag, and shake to ensure the breasts are coated. (Freezing instructions begin here.) Set in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours and up to 24 hours to marinate.
- Cook the Chicken: Preheat a grill over medium-high heat. Remove the chicken from the marinade using tongs and add to grill. Discard remaining marinade. Grill for about 4-5 minutes per side or until done. (Chicken is done when juices run clear or the internal temperature is 165° F.)
- Assemble the Sandwiches: On top of a bun, place 1 chicken breast, 1 slice cheese, some bacon, and optional toppings.
Freeze For Later: Follow steps 1-3 (do not marinate in refrigerator). Package the bacon and cheese slices separately in small freezer bags (or wrap tightly in plastic wrap and foil). To make a freezer meal kit, freeze the chicken in marinade alongside the bacon, cheese, and buns.
Prepare From Frozen: You’ll need the optional toppings on hand to complete this meal. Thaw the meal kit in the refrigerator. Follow the recipe beginning with Step 4.
Notes/Tips
Where We Get Our Chicken: We get our meat from ButcherBox. The bacon is uncured, contains no sugar, and is absolutely delicious! The chicken is organic and curated from small, trusted farms. We highly recommend this service to source healthy meat and have used it for years ourselves.
Baking Instructions: You can bake the chicken cutlets in the oven, if you don’t want to grill it. Bake at 400°F on a rimmed sheet pan or in a casserole dish for about 15 minutes, or until it reaches 165°F internally or there is no more pink inside.
★★★★★