Chicken Pesto Ciabatta

A good Chicken Pesto Ciabatta made with juicy chicken cut into slices, a creamy pesto sauce, and slices of fresh mozzarella and tomato. An easy and quick dinner or lunch!

If you're looking for something good and easy to make for lunch or dinner then look no further.

This chicken pesto ciabatta is the ultimate indulgence filled with juicy and tender grilled chicken, the best homemade pesto cream and fresh tomato and mozzarella.

It's simple to make and suited to lunches, dinner or taking on picnics, see the step by step recipe below.

Ingredients – what you need

To make this ciabatta sandwich all you need is a ciabatta homemade pesto sour cream, spinach, tomato and mozzarella. You can adapt it with any fillings you like! See the photo below that shows all the ingredients you need to make it.

How to make a Chicken Pesto Ciabatta – step by step

First cut the mozzarella and tomato into even slices (photo 1).

Cook the chicken on a griddle pan or skillet until completely cooked through (around 8 minutes each side) (photo 2).

Meanwhile mix the pesto and sour cream together, set aside (photo 3 & 4).

Warm the ciabatta in a pre-heated oven for 2-3 minutes then cut in half lengthwise. Spread some of the pesto cream on one half of the ciabatta then top with fresh spinach and slices of cooked chicken (photos 5 & 6).

Top with a little more pesto cream then slices of mozzarella and tomato then finally top with the other half of ciabatta (photos & & 8).

Top tips and recipe FAQs

• Chicken – Cook the chicken first and let it rest for about 5-10 minutes before cutting it into slices so it stays juicy, tender, and full of flavour. season the chicken with salt before cooking.
• Pesto sauce – homemade pesto makes a huge difference compared to using store-bought jarred pesto. Check out our step by step guide on how to make basil pesto.
• Fillings – instead of spinach you could use arugula (rocket) or any salad leaves you like. You can also swap the tomato and mozzarella for any other cheese and vegetables you prefer.

Can we prepare this in advance?

Yes, you can cook the chicken and prepare the pesto cream in advance then all you need to do is assemble the ciabatta when you are ready to eat.

How do we store leftovers?

Leftover chicken and pesto will keep well in the fridge for 4-5 days.

More lunch ideas you might like

• La Piadina: Italian Flatbread
• Italian Farinata Chickpea Flatbread (La Cecina Toscana)
• Mozzarella In Carrozza Recipe (Fried Mozzarella Sandwiches)
• Insalata Russa – Easy Russian Salad
• Bruschetta al Pomodoro
• Italian Chicken Cutlets with Pesto and Spinach

This post was first published on October 19th 2016 but has since been updated.

Ingredients

Makes 4 servings

Homemade pesto

• 2 cups fresh basil ((30g))
• 1 tbsp pine nuts
• 1 clove garlic
• 1/2 cup freshly grated parmesan ((50g))
• 1/2 cup sour cream ((60g))
• squeeze of lemon juice
• 1/3 cup olive oil ((80ml))

Chicken ciabtta

• 1 ciabatta
• 2 chicken breasts
• 2 large handfuls baby spinach
• 2 large tomato (sliced)
• 1 ball fresh mozzarella (sliced, (125g))
• salt and pepper (to season)

Method

1. Pre-heat the oven to 350°/F180°C. Warm the ciabatta in the oven for around 3 minutes, remove and set aside.

2. Season the chicken breasts with salt and pepper and drizzle with olive oil then fry for around 8 minutes on each side on a hot griddle pan or skillet until cooked through and juicy. Set aside on a cutting board to rest.

3. Next prepare the tomato and mozzarella by cutting into slices and mix the prepared pesto with sour cream until well combined. Cut the chicken into strips.

4. Cut the ciabatta in half lengthwise then spread some of the pesto cream on the bottom half. Top with spianch then slices of chicken and drizzle over some more pesto cream.

5. Top with mozzarella and tomato then the other half of ciabatta bread then cut into portion sizes, serve and enjoy.

To make the pesto

1. Put all ingredients in a bowl and blitz to a smooth saucy consistency with an immersion blender. You can also use a food processor or mortar and pestle.

Kitchen notes

• Chicken Cook the chicken first and let it rest for about 5-10 minutes before cutting it into slices so it stays juicy, tender, and full of flavour. season the chicken with salt before cooking.
• Pesto sauce homemade pesto makes a huge difference compared to using store-bought jarred pesto. Check out our step by step guide on how to make basil pesto.
• Fillings instead of spinach you could use arugula (rocket) or any salad leaves you like. You can also swap the tomato and mozzarella for any other cheese and vegetables you prefer.
• Preparing and storing you can prepare this in advance by cooking the chicken and making the pesto cream then assemble later. Leftovers will keep well in the fridge for 4-5 days.