If you haven't tried Trader Joe's pesto chicken, you're seriously missing out; it's one of my personal favorite shortcut ingredients for throwing together this sandwich that tastes way fancier than it should.
This is the kind of easy meal that feels like something you'd order at a cute little café, but the best part is you can pull it off at home in just about 30 minutes. Even on a busy weeknight!
As a busy working mom, I'm always looking for low-effort, high-reward recipes, and this one checks every box. Loaded with juicy grilled chicken, creamy mozzarella, fresh basil, and ripe tomatoes, all layered on a toasty ciabatta bun and finished with a drizzle of basil vinaigrette, it's the ultimate summertime sandwich.
It's super customizable, perfect for summer, and makes the most of Trader Joe's convenience items. Less time cooking and more time to enjoy a delicious meal? Yes please! Especially if it means eating al fresco with a glass of iced tea (or rosé).
And while you're at Trader Joe's picking up the pesto chicken breast, do yourself a favor and grab a couple of my other favorite Trader Joe's products for some easy dinners during the week: Trader Joe's Mediterranean salad bowls, Trader Joe's chicken piccata meatballs, Trader Joe's butternut squash ravioli with browned butter sauce, and Trader Joe's cruciferous crunch egg roll bowl.
Or pick up another one of my favorites when I don't feel like cooking: Trader Joe's spatchcock chicken. Enough about that though. Are you ready to make these amazing sandwiches? Me too; let's do it!
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Ingredients
Before we get started, let's gather the ingredients we need for this recipe:
- Trader Joe's pesto chicken breast
- ciabatta buns
- fresh mozzarella cheese slices
- Homemade Pesto Vinaigrette
- aged balsamic vinegar
- sliced tomatoes
- fresh basil leaves
(See recipe card for quantities.)
Instructions
Now that we've got our ingredients, it's time to get cooking!
- First, preheat the grill to medium-high heat. Grill the pesto chicken pieces 4 to 5 minutes on each side or until cooked through. Remove from the grill to a cutting board and let stand for 5 minutes. Grill the ciabatta 1 minute or until toasted.
- Next, thinly slice the chicken against the grain.
- Then, make the vinaigrette and spread on the cut sides of each ciabatta bun.
- Finally, layer the chicken, mozzarella, tomatoes, and basil on the bottom halves. Replace the bun tops and serve.
Hint: I highly recommend adding the ciabatta buns to the grill along with the chicken. Grilling or toasting the ciabatta keeps the sandwich from getting soggy.
Substitutions
Check out these easy ingredient substitution ideas:
- Ciabatta buns - If you can't find ciabatta buns, use any other crusty roll. You'll want something sturdy to stand up to the juicy sandwich filling.
- Pesto chicken - I love Trader Joe's pesto chicken breast, but if it's out of stock or I don't want to make a special trip to my favorite grocery store that's all the way across town, regular chicken breasts or chicken cutlets brushed with some refrigerated basil pesto work great too.
- Fresh tomatoes - Sometimes I crave this sandwich when tomatoes aren't at their peak. Sun-dried tomatoes and/or roasted red peppers are a fantastic swap out.
- Fresh mozzarella - Instead of fresh mozzarella, you can use low-moisture mozzarella slices or another mild cheese. Slices of goat cheese would be delicious.
Variations
Want to change things up? Here are even more ways to make this chicken sandwich with pesto recipe your own:
- Spicy - Add a little heat to these sandwiches by adding some pickled pepperoncini peppers or Calabrian peppers. Be careful though--the latter can be super spicy. (They're about 10 times as spicy as jalapeños.)
- Pesto Chicken Caprese Paninis - Make these into a yummy pressed sandwich. After assembling, give them a smash on a panini press or in a cast-iron skillet topped with a heavy pan.
- Pesto Chicken Pizza - All of these ingredients make the most delicious pizza. Using fresh pizza dough you find in the deli/bakery section of the store, roll out the dough and top with your favorite pizza sauce. Top with the fresh mozzarella or shredded mozzarella, the chicken, and tomatoes, and bake. Once the pizza comes out of the oven, top the pizza with a little baby arugula and drizzle with the vinaigrette. Garnish with fresh basil.
- Pesto Chicken Caprese Salad - Instead of large tomatoes use halved cherry tomatoes. And, to beef things up, I like to add some arugula and/or mixed baby greens and either cut toasted ciabatta into bite-sized pieces or use croutons. It's essentially like a pesto chicken panzanella.
- Easy Chicken Pesto Sandwiches in the Air Fryer - Cook the chicken in the air fryer instead if the weather is not great for grilling. Preheat the air fryer to 400°F and cook the chicken about 4 minutes on each side or until the internal temperature of the chicken is at least 165°F.
Equipment
Here's the equipment you'll need to make this recipe:
- gas or charcoal grill
- metal tongs
- chef's knife
- liquid measuring cup
- measuring spoons
- food processor (for the vinaigrette recipe)
- pastry brush
Storage
To refrigerate: Store each ingredient separately in airtight containers in the refrigerator for up to 2 days. (The cooked chicken will last around 3 days and the vinaigrette about a week.)
To freeze: You can freeze uncooked pesto chicken in its originally packaging for up to 6 months. Besides the bread, I don't recommend freezing the other components of the sandwich.
Tasty Tip
If the tomatoes are ripe and in-season, there's a good chance they'll be super juicy. For the best results, assemble the sandwiches just before you're ready to serve so the bread doesn't become mushy.
Frequently asked questions
You can prep all the ingredients ahead of time but wait to assemble them until right before serving.
Aim for a crusty bread. Sourdough rolls are perfect. Or, make a giant sandwich and cut it into 4 portions. A regular ciabatta loaf or baguette is great.
Definitely! You can purchase boneless skinless chicken breasts and brush them with some store-bought pesto sauce before and during grilling. Or, make things even easier by slicing rotisserie chicken breast and increase the amount of vinaigrette for that punch of pesto flavor.
Luckily the other ingredients in this sandwich will save the day. You can always add extra vinaigrette or drizzle with a little bit of olive oil if the chicken is dry.
For sure! The only ingredient here that contains gluten is the ciabatta buns. Use gluten-free buns and you'll be good to go.
Related
Looking for other recipes like this? Try these:
Pairing
These are my favorite dishes to serve with these Trader Joe's pesto Genovese chicken breast sandwiches:
🍽Get the recipe
Trader Joe's Pesto Chicken Caprese Sandwiches
Equipment
- gas or charcoal grill
- metal tongs
- chef's knife
- liquid measuring cup
- measuring spoons
- food processor (for the vinaigrette recipe)
- pastry brush
Ingredients
- 1 package Trader Joe's pesto marinated chicken breasts (each package will vary in size)
- 4 ciabatta buns, split
- 1 (16-ounce) package sliced fresh mozzarella
- ¼ cup Basil Balsamic Vinaigrette
- 3 tablespoon aged balsamic vinegar
- 3 ripe large tomatoes, sliced
- Fresh basil leaves
Instructions
- Preheat the grill to medium-high heat. Grill the chicken 3 to 4 minutes on each side or until cooked through. Remove to a plate to rest.
- While the chicken grills, grill the ciabatta buns, cut sides down, about 1 minute or until toasted.
- Cut the chicken into thin slices.
- Spread the vinaigrette on the cut sides of the buns.
- Layer the bottom halves with the basil, chicken, tomatoes, and mozzarella. Drizzle with the aged balsamic and replace the bun tops.
Notes
- For the best results, assemble these sandwiches right before serving so the bread doesn't become soggy.
- Make the Basil Vinaigrette ahead of time and keep it in the fridge for up to 1 week. It's a great way to use up basil and flavor your favorite salads!
- If you're not near a Trader Joe's, you can toss some of the vinaigrette with shredded rotisserie chicken and use that instead.
- Use a super hot grill pan instead of an outdoor grill if the weather is less than ideal for outdoor cooking.
- A serrated knife makes easy work of cutting through both the tomatoes and fresh mozzarella (if you don't buy it pre-sliced).
Recipe guidelines and test kitchen tips
When developing and testing recipes, here are some key things that I do for more success in the kitchen:
- Be sure to use dry measuring cups for things like flour, sugar, and mayonnaise and a liquid measuring cup for things like water, milk, and broth.
- When measuring dry ingredients like flour and powdered sugar that can pack down, spoon the ingredient into a dry measuring cup and level with a knife as opposed to scooping the measuring cup into the ingredient.
- I tested this recipe using a gas grill. Keep in mind that your cook times may be different if using a different type of grill.
- When recipes call for kosher salt, I use Diamond Crystal kosher salt.
Food safety
Follow these food safety guidelines when making this recipe
- Cook the chicken to a minimum temperature of 165°F when a meat thermometer is inserted in the thickest portion
- Do not use the same utensils on cooked food that previously touched raw meat
- Wash your hands after touching raw meat
- Don't leave food sitting out at room temperature for extended periods
- Never leave grilling food unattended
- Always have good ventilation when using a gas grill
Danielle says
These were absolutely delicious. I made these last night for dinner, and it was perfect.
AshleyFreeman says
Yay! I love to hear that!
Sheila says
This Trader Joe's Pesto Chicken Caprese Sandwiches recipe is so delicious! My family loved it. It was easy and delicious to make. Thank you!
AshleyFreeman says
Great to hear Sheila! Thanks so much!
Jeremy says
The combo of flavors in these sandwiches was really good. I liked it a lot.
AshleyFreeman says
Thank you Jeremy!
Megan says
wow!! These sandwiches are super delicious. I couldn't find ciabatta, so I made them with sourdough rolls as you suggested. epic!
AshleyFreeman says
That's perfect! Glad they were a hit!
Tisha says
These sandwiches were perfect for feeding a crowd this weekend. They were also a huge hit! Thanks for sharing
AshleyFreeman says
Yay! I'm so happy to hear that Tisha!
Bev says
These were SO good! Perfect for with fresh tomatoes from the garden!
AshleyFreeman says
Yes! That's the best!
Swathi says
This is so delicious chicken sandwiches, my hubby approved it and asked me to make it again. That chicken is so juicy.
AshleyFreeman says
Yay! I love when that happens 🙂
Amy says
I love that I could use leftover chicken to make this for work. Your recipe was easy to follow and you gave some great tips. My co-workers even asked what I was eating and that's a first. I think they were a tad bit jealous 🙂
AshleyFreeman says
I love that Amy! So glad you enjoyed these!
Nicole says
These pesto chicken caprese sandwiches are amazing! Such a yummy recipe.
AshleyFreeman says
Thanks so much Nicole!
Liz says
This was such an easy, delicious summer dinner! We love stopping by Trader Joe's and so glad we found your recipe!
AshleyFreeman says
Awesome! Thanks so much for your note!