Chicken Pesto Sandwich
Lightened up with Greek yogurt, this hearty sandwich is one of the quickest, most tastiest meals you’ll ever have!
I hope everyone had a fun-filled weekend! I spentย the weekend in San Francisco visiting Jason and attending the 4th Annual Foodbuzz Food Blogger Festival. It was such a blast meeting so many new people, exploring the city, and being pampered at the Saturday night gala which was held at California Academy of Sciences. I have a post ready for you guys tomorrow to share all my experiences so stay tuned!
So just the other day, I was going through my fridge and I noticed that I had some chicken breasts to use up and a jar of leftover pesto. Thatโs when I thought of the possibilities of combining those together. A lightbulb then went off in my head and I figured I could easily make a chicken pesto sandwich.
I thought of adding in some nuts, dried cranberries, maybe some apples or grapes but then I really just wanted to keep this nice and simple. So I threw in some Greek yogurt for a bit of creaminess and tossed it all together with the shredded chicken and homemade pesto. It was so quick and easy to put together, and it served as such an amazing sandwich filling, especially when slathered over a fresh baguette with some arugula, sliced tomatoes and mozzarella.
It was by far one of the best 5-minute prep lunches Iโve ever had!
Chicken Pesto Sandwich
Ingredients
- 2 cups shredded chicken breast
- ยผ cup Greek yogurt
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
- 1 baguette, cut into 3-4 equal pieces, toasted, for serving
- 2 cups arugula, for serving
- 2 Roma tomatoes, thinly sliced, for serving
- 8 ounces mozzarella, sliced
For the basil pesto
- 1 cup fresh basil leaves
- 3 cloves garlic, peeled
- 3 tablespoons pine nuts
- โ cup grated Parmesan
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
- โ cup olive oil
Instructions
- To make the pesto, combine basil, garlic, pine nuts and Parmesan in the bowl of a food processor; season with salt and pepper, to taste. With the motor running, add olive oil in a slow stream until emulsified; set aside.
- In a large bowl, combine chicken, 1/2 cup pesto, Greek yogurt, salt and pepper, to taste.
- Serve sandwiches on baguette with arugula, tomatoes, mozzarella and chicken pesto mixture.
Did you make this recipe?
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Excellent recipe. ย I was lazy and bought prepared pesto and topped with balsamic glaze. ย Made upside down by accident on a crusty toasted Arthur Ave Bastone. ย Delish. ย Thank you!
Question: If one is too lazy to make the pesto from scratch, about how much of store-bought would this pesto need–do you think it’s about 6- or 8-oz prepared pesto?
It’s hard to go wrong with pesto. This is one of my family’s favorite recipes. They constantly request it and if I made it every single day, I don’t think they would complain, so thank you!
I have made pesto for years by “eyeballing” it and when my husband tried this he said it was the best he ever had. So I printed it out for my recipe folder. I’ve made batch after batch of it from my summer basil and froze it in ice cream scoop balls. I mix mine with mayo and it is divine. I’ve probably made it 5 times in the past 2 months. A loaf of french bread, some fresh sliced tomatoes (I leave out the mozzarella, just a personal preference) and I have a sandwich I would be delighted to get in a restaurant. This will be in my life forever!
I tried this recipe but I used vegan chicken instead of real chicken and it’s great!!!
This is easy to make, and so, so delicious! I will be making this againโฆand again!
These were AMAZING! We made our own pesto with basil we grew, toasted the baguette, and demolished this sandwich. This recipe is definitely a keeper.ย
I had some fresh baguettes and came across this recipe. I skipped the mozzarella – didn’t think it needed it – and it was good without it. This pesto recipe’s proportions are perfect!
I gave this recipe a try yesterday and it was fantastic! Was looking for a recipe to use up some of my basil in the garden and this was a perfect vessel for it. The flavour was delicious, the texture was perfect and it was quick and easy to put together. Used up some leftover prosciutto and it added a nice little kick to it. Paired it with a zucchini tomato cucumber salad with some oven roasted sweet potato for a healthy weeknight meal. I will definitely be putting this in the favourites file. Thanks for your great recipes! I come back time and time again for them.
You have some really amazing recipes! I find myself at your site very often through Pinterest. I served this on toasted sourdough and used havarti because it’s what I had. Absolutely delicious! We loved it! Thanks for another great recipe.
Easy and tasty! I used premade pesto sauce and mixed it with greek yogurt. Turned out great!
This is an excellent sandwich. I have served it for lunch with friends twice now with brilliant comments. I do leave off the mozzarella and serve with a little balsamic and olive oil dressed rocket.ย
Best Recipe for lunch
I am going to put this together tomorrow. But I am going to add a Twist that you might want to try. There was a restaurant in Charlotte North Carolina that would take a fabulous chicken salad like this and put it on bread and then toast it for a few minutes with the mozzarella and tomato Slice on top like an open sandwich. No need to heat the whole thing through. Just enough to get the cheese softened enough to hold the open sandwich together. Try it with Swiss cheese on top also.
I have made this many times. Not using mozzarella. I grate some parm in the chicken and pesto filling. I also have used leftover mashed sweet potato on the sandwich as well I just smeared some on one side. It was amazing!
Sounds yummy!
Hello, the recipe has mozzarella cheese. Do i use fresh mozzarella ?
Yes, fresh mozzarella is perfect for sandwiches! (Regular, factory-made processed mozzarella is lower in moisture and is easily sliced, cubed, or grated. It is most often used in cooked dishes because it melts much better than fresh mozzarella).
Liked your recipe so much. Looking forward for some more mouth watering recipes. Keep up the good work thanks
oh my gosh! this was so damn good!
This was damn delicious! I made it for a baby shower without the cheese, tomatoes, and arugula (not as good, but still great) because I wanted to do sandwiches without having to pay for huge meat platters. The other two sandwiches I brought were pulled pork and egg salad. The fact that the sandwich is served cold instead of warm makes it especially great for entertaining because I don’t have to worry about the temperature. My husband liked it enough that he asked me to make them at home occasionally, so now it’s a part of our family recipe book!
Love this recipe!! Thank you for sharing!! Love the idea using Greek yogurt for Mayo!! It’s SUPER tasty!!!!
I have made this 3-4 times now. I absolutely love it! I actually take the bread out (baked fresh) and add the cheese and tomatoes, then pop it back in the oven for about 5 minutes to melt a bit then finish off the sandwich. So delicious!
We made this tonight and that chicken peato recipe is ON POINT. It became an instant family favorite. Would you mind if I included your recipe on my blog–with proper attribution and link love, of course. ๐
Hi Chungah, it is my first time visiting your website and I think it is amazing. My family has gotten burnt on my recipes with chicken, but I think they will like this one. Can’t wait to try it! Thanks.
Can I substitute mayo for greek yogurt… I am not a huge fan of yogurt.
Yes.
I made this for my lunch today, baked the chicken last night with a coat of basil, olive oil, and S&P, and it is wonderful. Thank you for your recipe. It’s delicious.
I finally purchased the ingredients today to make this recipe, and I will have to say, it’s damn delicious! ย I used rotisserie chicken and store bought pesto, but had the tomato and the arugula, and some fresh bread from the grocery store deli. ย It was a wonderful sandwich for lunch, and I can’t wait for my husband and kids to try the leftovers. I completely forgot the mozzarella cheese, so I can only imagine that including the cheese makes it even better. Thanks so much for sharing this recipe, and all these other ones.ย
Sooooooo delicious! Thank you for this recipe ๐
This is so damn delicious! Such a great summer sandwich! This will definitely be made over and over again in my household. Thanks!
Can this be made the night before?
Yes, the chicken and pesto mixture can be made ahead of time.
This looks amazing! Definitely making this tonight! I have been making tons of pesto recipes for my blog and this is going on this list.
Thanks!
This looks absolutely delicious! I can’t wait to try it out ๐
Would you say that this could be made ahead (the morning of/night before) for a picnic or something of the like?
Yes, absolutely.
I’ve never made pesto before, so I’m not sure if it’s possible, but can the pine nuts be removed from the recipe? I’m probably not familiar with the recipes since I have a tree nut allergy…Would love some feedback! Thanks!
Yes, the pine nuts can be removed.
Awesome recipe! I usually substitute unsalted raw sunflower seeds for the pine nuts; they’re much cheaper & I don’t even notice the difference. It’s true about the olive oil, though…you need to use the real deal for the best flavor!
Thanks for sharing!
Liked your recipe a lot. Looking forward for some more mouth watering recipes. Keep up the good work.
I just made this and it was absolutely delicious! I used store bought pesto because I was in a hurry and it still tasted amazing. I can’t wait to try it with home made pesto. I love pesto chicken but with the yogurt it made it so creamy. Huge hit with my family.
I really enjoyed this recipe! It was quick and so tasty!! Your presentation and instructions were perfect! Definitely posted this on my blog and linked your blog!
I would love to print many of your recipes so that I may have them for later but the “Print” link seems to be broken and it wont let me copy and paste either. Is there anyway this could be fixed? Thanks!
Internet Explorer has recently made some updates that are causing print problems. I recommend using a different browser, such as Firefox, Google Chrome, or Safari. But if you can only use Internet Explore, you can highlight the recipe, left-click, and print from there. Easy peasy!
Omg this is just as the Blogger states…Damn delicious!!!! Thank you and will definitely serve for friends again and again!!!
Is there a nut free pesto recipe that you like! My son is allergic to nuts
Unfortunately, I have not tried a nut-free pesto. Please make the appropriate substitutions at your discretion to fit your dietary restrictions.
I tried it tonight and I love this recipe. All the different flavors made a really tasty sandwich. However, I used slivered almonds instead of pine nuts because of the expense.
Where do you get your baguettes!? They always look so delicious! I don’t have anywhere around me (that I have found) that sells good ones. Are yours from the grocery store or a bakery?
I can find them at my local grocery store in the bakery section.
I just finished eating this sandwich and it was fantastic. I cooked 2 large chicken breast quickly by steaming it in one of those ziplock steam bags. It only took 5.5 minutes in the microwave and I will do the same next time. My husband bought me a Cuisinart last Christmas and I haven’t used it much. It chopped the chicken beautifully in like 3 seconds. This recipe is a keeper but I will double the pesto recipe next time so that I can used all on the chicken I chop.
I’m so excited to try this recipe. Staring at the picture and I can taste it! Your blog is filled with so many recipes I will be making once I get home for winter break! (yay no more ramen noodles!) Keep posting! ๐
I know you posted this recipe over 2 years ago but I just wanted to say thank you so much for it because it just reminded me how filling simple is! I skipped out on making the pesto, but I bought fresh pesto for the first time in my life because of this. I’m definitely going to try making my own though. I was able to pack spinach and rocket into this meal for my lunch it has been so filling. Although I did have it on a cheese baguette ๐ I’ve also made enough to take to work tomorrow on brown buns, so just really wanted to say thanks!
This is a good recipe, l really like your recipes. Question on the Chicken Pesto, I am planning to make-ahead some packed lunch/breakfast. Would like to know if i put this as filling for English Muffins, will it freeze well? Thanks in advance for the response ๐
Unfortunately, I cannot answer this with certainty as I have never tried freezing this myself – there were no leftovers left to freeze! I recommend using your best judgment for freezing and reheating.
This was great! I used store bought pesto to make it super quick and easy, and toasted the whole thing in the toaster oven. Sooooo good ๐ Thank you!
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We just found your website last week and have drooled over it for days. Tonight we made this dish and OH MY was it delicious. We were so full we didnt even touch the chips, which is a good thing since were trying to cut out calories! A++
They were absolutely Delicious. Full of flavor yet lite enough for hot summer days
Im making it for dinner. This makes a perfect hot summer day dinner. Its coming along great…. Stay Tuned for the end results…..
YUM! I love the sub of Greek Yogurt for Mayo. I often times use walnuts instead of pine nuts and I really cant tell a difference in texture or taste. Thanks for the great recipe!
Thanks for all your yummy and healthy recipes. I am planning my weekly meals and your website has all I need. Thanks again!!!!
huge fan of your site!!! I was wondering what type of food processor/blender you use?
I use the Magimix. It’s my favorite tool in the kitchen! Here is my review of the product: https://damndelicious.net/2013/01/25/mrs-fields-chocolate-chip-cookies/.
Wow; I just found this website and I think I’ll turn into a fan; that looks SO~ yummy! Must try it soon!
This was simply amazing. One of my favorites.
I am new to cooking with fresh herbs but love what I have made so far. How do I measure 1 cup of fresh basil for this pesto recipe? Do I loosely pack it, do I measure it before of after it is cut up?
It is best to loosely pack it.
My mouth is starting to water!! I love pesto, so this wounds like something I am going to have to try!
I made this for dinner a few nights ago. My husband and I both loved it. It is fresh, flavorful and very healthy as far as chicken salads go. Don’t be afraid of the Greek yogurt, it only makes the sandwich creamy, you wouldn’t even realize it was Greek yogurt unless you made it yourself. Love it, thanks!
Beste Chungah,
Heb zojuist je site ontdekt via Pinterest ben fan van je site ,mijn complimenten voor je recepten zo duidelijk overzichtelijk en bovenal heeeeeerlijk .Ook de complimenten voor de mogelijk om de tekst te vertalen .Ik ben Nederlandse Zeker kan ik Engels lezen maar je begrijpt in je eigen taal lezen is net iets gemakkelijker.
Ik ga je volgen met zonnige groeten van Anna uit Holland
any suggestions for making this a meat free dish? looks so yummy!
You can use roasted veggies in place of the pesto or simply use the pesto in a spaghetti dish.
I would recomend BeyondMeat grilled “chicken” as a substitute. You can get it in the frozen section of the grocery (in my area Whole Foods carries this brand). They make the best meat substitutes I have tasted so far.
I love fresh pesto so I made this for dinner tonight for my family. My husband and son loved it. I even forgot to make the sandwiches with the mozzarella on them and we didn’t even miss it. They were delicious. Thank you for the recipe.
I substituted pistachios for the pine nuts in the pesto. No joke. This is the best tasting pesto I’ve ever had!
I’ll have to try that!!!! ๐
Silly question – can you use canola oil? I’m out of olive oil so wondering if I need to make a trip to the store or if I’m okay with canola?
Anna, I do not recommend using canola oil. It is best to use olive oil to obtain the best results possible.
I use the pesto on baked or grilled salmon, baked chicken and have also put some on a plate and poured some olive oil over it to dip bread in. Delicious! I added a little lemon to the pesto and it is good that way too. I have basil in my garden, so I make this pesto almost everyday and add it to a lot of recipes. Today, I added it to the stuffing/Mild italian sausage stuffed green pepper recipe. Turned out great! Thanks for recipe.
I have this chilling in the fridge for dinner. I can barely wait to eat it! I poached a package of chicken tenders in chicken broth, lemon balm, lemon verbena, and a couple of smashed garlic gloves. This recipe is a great way to stretch a meal!
Just made this with lettuce and basil from my garden. It was delicious. Thanks for sharing.
Totally amazing you rock!!
I have really been enjoying your blog I am wondering if you have any nutritional information fir the wonderful things you make
Thanks!!
Sam, I’m so glad you’re enjoying my recipes! But unfortunately, as I am not a registered dietician, I am not comfortable sharing nutritional information of my recipes. Please use online resources at your own discretion to obtain such information.
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I don’t have a food processor:( can I just use a blender?.. I really want to try this. It looks yummy:)
Unfortunately, a blender will not work. It is best to use a food processor.
I used my blender & it worked pretty good. Probably takes a bit more time, but my husband & I love the flavor of the pesto!
I also use a blender to make pesto and it works well. You do have to be a bit more patient and stop to push the ingredients down, but it works. You can put some olive oil in first so it’s on the bottom of the other ingredients and then once it gets going, remove the little middle part of the lid and stream more olive oil in as needed.
Hi Jessica. I use a mini food processor all the time. Its the 1.5cup size, so you may have to process in batches. But its inexpensive and lasts a long time. I paid around $12. Can find at Target or Walmart or even your local grocer. Hope this helps!
We just made a batch and love how it turned out. We have a busy life right now with an infant and were wondering if anyone has had success freezing batches for later, and if so, how long would it keep a quality taste?
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This is sooo good! We put them on sandwiches but you could do so much with this pesto Chicken! Thanks for sharing!
This looks delicious! I’m going to make it tomorrow for our family, which includes a 2 and 1/2 yr. old. I might serve it on a tortilla, grilled as a quesadilla for him since his mouth is too little for a sandwich like this and he’s really into quesadillas right now. I’ll keep it on a baguette for me and my husband. Either way, I can’t see not loving this. And what a great idea to serve this up sliced into smaller sandwiches during a Spring/ Summer get-together or party. =)
Any tips on where to get the pine nuts inexpensively? At my local grocery they were almost $4 for 1.75 oz!
Pine nuts are insanely expensive but you can save a little bit if you purchaste it at Costco.
FYI, you can also try other nuts. I never liked pesto much until I started using pistachios instead of pine nuts. Now I can’t get enough of it! I also get my nuts at Costco, the savings is tremendous over grocery store prices.
Try the Hispanic aisle. I have seen small bags of such items much cheaper in Walmart. Your local farmers market may also have smaller serving sizes that are reasonable.
Can you make this pesto without the nuts ?
Cassandra, you can certainly omit the nuts but please remember that by doing so, I cannot speak for how much this will change in the overall taste or texture of the dish. I recommend using the specified ingredients listed in the recipe whenever possible for optimal results.
I made these tonight for dinner and it was so yummy! The only thing I did different was instead of Greek yogurt, I threw in 2 avocados to the food processor with the pesto to get the creaminess. Sooo good, thanks for the idea!
Made these last night! They were great! I made them as a hot sandwich! I placed everything on the sandwich except the arrival and placed them in oven at 350 degrees for 15 minutes!!!! Great!!
This looks so good! But I have a tree nut allergy and wouldn’t be able to do the pine nuts in the pesto. Would it still work if I omit those?
Deana, I recommend substituting sunflower seeds for the pine nuts.
I have made this twice now and it is amazing! The first time I used pre-roasted turkey breast from the grocery store and this time just chicken breast that I cooked at home. I added a bit of onion and paprika since I am avoiding black pepper at the moment. Delicious! This is now a staple for my lunch menu.
I want to make this so badly! But I don’t have the ingredients or food processor to make the pesto… Is there anyone who knows of a grocery store where delicious, healthy pesto can be found already made?
Whole Foods and Costco both have tasty Pesto.
I have always made my pestos, hummus and other food processor foods in the blender since I also don’s have a food processor.
This looks fabulous! Just looking at it makes my mouth water. Can’t wait to try this…thanks for sharing!
I made this for Saturday lunch for my family (kids aged 7 and 9, plus the hubby). WE LOVED IT! I used some leftover Trader Joe’s pesto and rotisserie chicken, so it came together very quickly. We will definitley be making this one again. DELICIOUS!
I love the idea of using rotisserie chicken! That was the one part of the recipe that I thought would take some time. Thanks for sharing!
My friend is out of the hospital after having knee surgery. Tonight we will be watching movies while I make dinner for her. We will be having this sandwich and the Loaded Baked Potato Soup from your site as well. Both look DEEEEE-licious!!!!
Thanks!
I already have basil pesto in the fridge, about how much would I add for this recipe?
You should add about 1/2 cup, or more to, taste.
This is something that I’ve eaten HUNDREDS of times, but I just have to say the way you present it is just fabulous! The addition of greek yogurt and arugula looks great too =)
Everything on your blog looks so good. I’ll have to try this recipe and the teriyaki salmon too.
This is one gorgeous sandwich! Love the colors… I bet it tastes amazing!
YUMMMMM! I made this for my lunch today and it was SO good! I could eat it all the time! Thank you for posting!
I’m so going to try this!!! Anyways, I wanted to thank you about the print option lay-out. For the first time, from quite a lot of recipe websites and blogs, when I clicked the print button, I got what I’ve always looked for: big enough picture, ingredients and instructions in the same page. It’s seems silly, but for me it’s not. Thank you!
It’s not silly at all! I completely understand the need for easy, accessible sites, especially when it comes to recipes!
Yes..definately thank you for easy accessability and printing.
Wonderful
Yum…this looks so good! I love pesto, so I must try this for lunch one day soon ๐