15-minute Grilled Chicken Sandwich recipe that is guaranteed to please. A fast and flavorful dinner or lunch with a moist, tender chicken filet and simple seasoning.
🐓Ingredients
- Chicken breasts—skinless boneless chicken breasts trimmed into cutlets
- Oil—Olive oil or vegetable oil for brushing
- Seasoning—just kosher salt and black pepper, or use All Purpose Seasoning. Other seasoning options include Blackened Seasoning, BBQ DryRub, Memphis Dry Rub, Black Magic, or Chipotle Seasoning. Or use the seasoning or marinade you prefer.
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Featured comment from Cabe:
"Thanks so much for sharing this! It was exactly what I was looking for!"
The secret to the best-grilled chicken sandwiches is the thickness of the chicken breasts. Using smaller, thin chicken breasts or making cutlets will be the better sandwich serving size and will cook quicker and more evenly.
With a short prep and about 15 minutes of grill time, everybody, including the chef, will love this recipe. Just follow these easy step-by-step photo instructions.
Try Grilled Pork Tenderloin Sandwiches - Memphis Style if you want another option for an easy lunch. For other easy grilled chicken on a gas grill, try Grilled Chicken Drumsticks, Grilled Chicken Thighs, Grilled Chicken Breasts, or Grilled Chicken Tenders the kids will love.
👨🍳How to Cook Grilled Chicken Sandwiches
- Pat dry chicken breast. Trim off any fat and bone. Cut any large chicken breasts into cutlets. A smaller breast can be evened out in thickness with a meat mallet.
- Season to your taste.
- Place over direct heat or preheated grill pan and flip when the edge of the chicken is starting to turn white—about 4-5 minutes.
- Continue to flip every 4-5 minutes until an internal temp of 165°. The thinnest breasts were done in 12 minutes. Most are done in 15 minutes; the thickest whole breast takes about 20 minutes. COOKING TIME WILL VARY.
This is a summary of the steps and ingredients. See the recipe card or the step-by-step photo instructions below for complete instructions.
Variation—make them BBQ chicken sandwiches
Follow the instructions with a light brush of oil and seasoning. Brush all sides of the chicken with only a few minutes left in cooking with the barbecue sauce of your choice and again when coming off the grill. I suggest my Memphis BBQ Sauce.
♨️Grill Temperature
The grill surface temperature needs to be about 450°, give or take a little. That is about medium or a bit more on most gas grills. If you need help controlling your BBQ Temperature, see my detailed instructions.
A little under is okay, but a lot over is not and will make hockey pucks.
How to serve
Usually, serve on a hamburger or brioche bun—toast on the grill brushed with butter or oil. Top with mayonnaise, Dijon mustard, lettuce, a slice of onion, and tomato. Toss on some cheddar cheese slices and bacon if you have them.
Some good-sided dishes are Grilled French Fries, Grilled Pineapple Slices, Corn on the Cob, and Macaroni Salad.
Storing and reheating leftovers
Store leftovers sealed in an airtight container. Refrigerate for 3 days or freeze for 3 months.
To reheat leftovers, thaw overnight in the refrigerator, then reheat covered tightly in the oven. You can reheat it in the microwave, but it may affect the texture.
I like to cut up the leftovers to top a salad.
❓FAQs
No. The splatter of rinsing will increase the risk of food-related illnesses. Please see Chicken... To Rinse or Not To Rinse? for a more complete discussion.
Yes, they are low in fat, sodium, and calories. Also, the chicken is low in carbs but not a bun. So unless you add a lot of unhealthy toppings, they fit a healthy diet.
Storage of leftovers
Grilled chicken breasts are moister and more tender when fresh but can be refrigerated for 4 days or frozen for 3 months.
Use the leftovers on green salads or in chicken salad. You can also reheat leftover grilled chicken by carefully microwaving it, which can affect the texture, or cover it in the oven.
This recipe is listed in these categories. See them for more similar recipes.
Have you tried this recipe, or have a question? Join the community discussion in the comments.
Step-by-Step Photo Instructions
Clean, oil, and preheat the grill to about 450° surface temperature. If using a grill pan, oil and preheat it also.
Pat dry chick breast. With a sharp knife, trim off any fat and bone, then cut any larger chicken breasts into cutlets. Smaller breasts, 8 oz or less, can be evened out in thickness with a meat mallet or rolling pin.
Give them a light brush of olive oil or melted butter—season to your taste. Just kosher salt and black pepper are fine. I use my Homemade All Purpose Seasoning. Other seasoning options are discussed in the post.
Place over direct heat on the grill grates or in a preheated grill pan.
Flip when the edge of the chicken is starting to turn white—about 4-5 minutes.
Flip every 4-5 minutes and cook until an internal temp of 165°. The thinnest breasts were done in 12 minutes. Most in 15 and the thickest whole breast, about 20 minutes. COOKING TIME WILL VARY.
📖 Recipe
Grilled Chicken Sandwich Recipe
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Ingredients
- 2 skinless boneless chicken breasts - make cutlets
- Salt and Pepper to Taste - 7:2:2 seasoning or Blackening Seasoning
- Olive oil
Instructions
- Clean, oil, and preheat the grill to about 450° surface temperature. If using a grill pan, oil and preheat it also.
- Pat dry chick breast. With a sharp knife, trim off any fat and bone, then cut any larger chicken breasts into cutlets. Smaller breasts, 8 oz or less, can be evened out in thickness with a meat mallet or rolling pin.
- Give them a light brush of olive oil or melted butter—season to your taste. Just kosher salt and black pepper are fine. I use my Homemade All Purpose Seasoning. Other seasoning options are discussed in the post.
- Place over direct heat on the grill grates or in a preheated grill pan. Flip when the edge of the chicken is starting to turn white—about 4-5 minutes.
- Flip every 4-5 minutes and cook until an internal temp of 165°. The thinnest breasts were done in 12 minutes. Most in 15 and the thickest whole breast, about 20 minutes. COOKING TIME WILL VARY.
Recipe Notes
Pro Tips
- If small chicken breasts, then just even out the thickness a bit. Otherwise, make cutlets.
- Please get the grill surface temperature correct, or you can end up with hockey pucks.
- Season to your taste—many options are discussed in the post.
Your Own Private Notes
To adjust the recipe size:
You may adjust the number of servings in this recipe card under servings. This does the math for the ingredients for you. BUT it does NOT adjust the text of the instructions. So you need to do that yourself.
Nutrition Estimate
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Originally published September 5, 2011. Updated with expanded options, refreshed photos, and a table of contents to help navigation.
Gabe says
Thanks so much for sharing this! It was exactly what I was looking for!
Sam Mormino says
We did the oven baked chicken legs, they came out great.
Chris says
Big Dan, grillin' in the rain :) (I noticed the droplets on the grill.)
Several great tips in this post. I like to butterfly larger breasts. I used to just pound them to an even thickness but sometimes you ended up with a result that was way to big for a sandwich. Filleting or butterflying are the way to go.
Inspired by eRecipeCards says
Great tips. Sad how often boneless skinless is on sale and the better skin on, bone in version never is.
Ah well, as you said, as long as you know the limitations of the meat, you can prevail!!!
Excellent tutorial post!