Grilled Chicken Sandwich
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Loaded Grilled Chicken Sandwiches – Made with seasoned grilled chicken, crisp bacon, vibrant veggie slices, savory Swiss cheese, and a creamy ranch mayo all sandwiched between toasted burger buns. It’s the ultimate sandwich!
These grilled chicken sandwiches are a classic recipe you’ll turn to again and again! Here they are made California club style making them absolutely crave-worthy, and yes much better than Chick-fil-A’s version.
The secrets to the best grilled chicken sandwich are to use a tasty spread, toss the chicken with a hint of honey for those perfectly charred grilled marks, pile the sandwiches high with toppings, always include bacon, and bakery fresh or homemade burger buns are must (there’s no place for shelf stable here).
It’s also helpful to flatten the chicken so it cooks quickly and evenly (or use cutlets). In doing so you’ll also have a thinner piece of chicken that’s easy to bite into, and it leaves room for all those toppings.
Grill these up soon while it’s still warm enough outside! And pair them with grilled corn on the cob, sweet potato fries, fruit salad, or baked potato chips.
Grilled Chicken Sandwich Recipe Ingredients
- Chicken breasts: Use four small chicken breasts (about 5 oz each), or 2 (10 oz chicken breasts each) butterflied and halved to create four portions.
- Olive oil: This helps keep the exterior of the chicken from drying out, a little is also used for the grill to keep the chicken from sticking.
- Honey: This doesn’t hardly any sweetness since only 1 tsp is used, it’s just added to help achieve those nice grill marks the chicken.
- Seasonings: Smoked paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, cayenne pepper, salt and black pepper are the seasonings used here.
- Mayonnaise: The main ingredient for the sandwich, without it the sandwiches would be dry. You could use light mayo if preferred.
- Ranch seasoning: This is just dry ranch seasoning (I like Trader Joe’s) but you can make your own homemade ranch style seasoning blend by using fresh parsley, fresh dill, and fresh garlic.
- Hamburger buns: Homemade are our favorite but store-bought from the bakery work great as well.
- Cheese slices: Swiss, provolone, muenster, Monterey jack, pepper jack, or Havarti all work in this recipe.
- Cooked bacon: Oven cooked bacon works great but use your preferred method of cooking. Bacon can even be cooked in the microwave to save time.
- Lettuce: Romaine lettuce or little gem lettuce works well for sandwiches.
- Tomato: Use a red ripe tomato for best flavor. Locally grown or organic tend to taste best.
- Avocado: This can be sliced or mashed. If mashed just spread on over one bun and spread the ranch mayo over the other.
- Red onion: This is an optional ingredient if you like that bite of flavor.
How to Make Grilled Chicken Sandwiches
For the grilled chicken: In a medium mixing bowl stir together olive oil and honey. Add chicken and toss to evenly coat.
Sprinkle over salt, black pepper, smoked paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, and cayenne pepper and toss to evenly coat.
Preheat a gas grill over medium-high heat to about 425 to 450 degrees. Clean grill grates and brush lightly with olive oil.
Place chicken on grill and cook about 3 minutes per side or until internal temperature registers 165 °F in center.
Transfer chicken to a plate, immediately at cheese and let rest tented with foil for 3 minutes.
Meanwhile stir together mayonnaise and ranch seasoning in a small bowl.
Spread mayonnaise mixture over middle side of each of the 4 buns. Then over bottom bun halves layer over lettuce, bacon, tomato, grilled chicken, red onion, avocado and top with second bun half. Serve right away.
Helpful Tips and Possible Variations
- Make ahead: The chicken can be seasoned and rested in the fridge for one day before grilling.
- Fresh buns: I highly recommend making homemade hamburger buns if you have time. You can make these a day or two ahead of time (or even 3 months ahead, they freeze really well).
- Bake a batch of bacon: I recommend cooking a whole package of bacon, use some here then the extra save in the fridge for breakfast or meals for the next few days. Cooked bacon even freezes well so you may as well bake up the whole package.
- Various spreads: In place of the ranch mayo you can use plain mayo, honey mustard, creamy mustard, bbq sauce, aioli, pesto, buffalo sauce, thick tzatziki, or a burger style sauce (a mayo ketchup blend).
- Toppings: Of course the toppings here can be swapped out with your favorites. Try things like pickles, other types of cheese, cucumbers, sprouts, grilled veggies (like bell peppers), or fried onions.
How to Cook Bacon in the Oven
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Place bacon strips in a single layer on prepared baking sheet.
- Bake 10 to 20 minutes (time will vary depending on it’s thickness) until just crisp.
How to Toast Burger Buns
- Burger buns can be toasted in a countertop oven, or place on a cookie sheet and use a regular oven set on broil (they’ll toast super fast so keep a close eye on them). You can spray them lightly with avocado oil or olive oil cooking spray before toasting if preferred.
- They can also be toasted in a lightly buttered non-stick skillet set over medium heat. Cook cut side down, just until golden brown.
More Classic Sandwich Recipes to Try
- BBQ Chicken Sandwiches
- Chicken Salad Sandwiches
- French Dip Sandwiches
- Hamburgers – 3 Ways to Cook
- Turkey Burgers
Follow Cooking Classy
Grilled Chicken Sandwich
Ingredients
Grilled Chicken
- 4 (5 oz each) chicken breast portions, pounded to 1/2-inch thickness
- 1 Tbsp olive oil, plus more for brushing grill
- 1 tsp honey
- 1/2 tsp salt and black pepper
- 3/4 tsp smoked paprika
- 1/2 tsp each garlic powder and onion powder
- 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper (optional)
Buns and toppings
- 1/3 cup mayonnaise
- 1 1/2 tsp ranch seasoning*
- 4 hamburger buns, bakery fresh or homemade, toasted
- 4 deli slices Swiss cheese or provolone cheese
- 6 slices cooked bacon, cut in half
- 4 Romaine lettuce leaves, halved, or 8 little gem lettuce leaves
- 1 medium tomato, sliced
- 4 thin slices red onion, rinsed under hot water and drained (optional)
- 1 medium avocado, sliced
Instructions
- For the grilled chicken: In a medium mixing bowl stir together olive oil and honey. Add chicken and toss well to coat each piece.
- Sprinkle over salt, black pepper, smoked paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, and cayenne pepper and toss to evenly coat.
- Preheat a gas grill over medium-high heat to about 425 to 450 degrees. Clean grill grates and brush lightly with olive oil.
- Place chicken on grill and cook about 3 minutes per side or until internal temperature registers 165 °F in center.
- Transfer chicken to a plate, immediately at cheese and let rest tented with foil for 3 minutes.
- Meanwhile stir together mayonnaise and ranch seasoning in a small bowl.
- Spread mayonnaise mixture over cut side of each of the 4 buns. Then over bottom bun halves layer over lettuce, bacon, tomato, grilled chicken, red onion, avocado and top with second bun half. Serve right away.