The Ultimate Grilled Chicken Sandwich
Published: · Modified: Jun 29, 2021 by Chef Dennis Littley · · This post includes affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.
Everyone loves chicken and my Ultimate Grilled Chicken Sandwich is perfect for your next get-together or family barbecue.
This post is sponsored by Cabot Creamery. The opinions, recipe, and images are 100% my own.
When it comes to grilling chicken dont be that guy that just throws the pieces on the grill and slathers on barbecue sauce.
There is so much more you can do to enhance the flavor of the foods you grill and chicken is actually the easiest and most flavor friendly food youll be grilling for your friends and family.
And when it comes to grilling up deliciousness for sandwiches you can count on Cabot Cheese, making an appearance.
I love cheese! And when it comes to melty cheesy deliciousness on my sandwiches I reach for sharp cheddar.
No matter what variety of Cabot Cheese or Dairy products you choose you can be sure that Cabots 800 farm families throughout New York & New England will be serving you the very best!
How To Grill Chicken On Stove
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Learn how to make the best tender, juicy and delicious chicken breasts right on your stove-top in a grill pan or cast iron pan. I dont know where Id be without grilled chicken. I grill chicken all year for meal-prep and for so many recipes too. Grilled, skinless chicken breasts make a great addition to a healthy diet because they are low in calories and high protein. Eating chicken breast, without breading or skin, helps you eat fewer calories and even burn extra calories for effective weight loss. I always make extra and save it for salads, in burritos, pasta or meal prepping!
Because we dont always have access to the outdoor grill year round, I make the chicken on the stove-top most of the time. To make tender juicy grilled chicken you will need a heavy duty grill pan. A cast iron pan with ridges works best but if your cast iron pan doesnt have ridges, you can still grill the chicken on it too.
For the seasoning, I usually switch it up each time I make the chicken and dont really measure but for the sake of this recipe Ive included my favorite herb and seasoning mix. You can also used a packet of taco seasoning or your favorite herbs and spices and make it your own.
How To Use Grilled Chicken Breast
- On Pizza. Finish off your favorite pizza with diced pieces of grilled chicken breast. It would be a scrumptious addition to Ricotta Pizza with Peaches or English Muffin Pizza.
- On Salad. Add diced grilled chicken to a salad like this Red White and Blue Quinoa Fruit Salad or Cucumber Tomato Avocado Salad.
- On a Sandwich. A grilled chicken breast sandwich is a delicious way to utilize this recipe! Serve the grilled chicken breast on your favorite bun with cheese and other toppings.
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The Best Grilled Chicken Breast Recipe
The secret to juicy grilled chicken isnt the seasonings or complicated marinades. Its all about HOW you grill the chicken perfectly in 20 minutes or less.
Sometimes I get all wrapped up in outdoing / improving / out-creating some of my most favorite / simple / craveable recipes.
Its easy to over complicate a recipe when I see all sorts of crazy inspiration and crazy mash-ups on the ol www. When inventive cooks take humble and mundane basic recipes Ive always known and loved, then stuff them into a cannon with whatevers trending at the moment, light the wick, and ka-boom-er-ama!
Thats not this recipe.
This grilled chicken breast recipe goes right back to the basics. Its perfect for a quick and easy weeknight meal or meal prepping for salads and lunches in my Chinese chicken salad with pasta, a classic Caesar salad, or my favorite Italian chicken wrap.
This is the simplest, juiciest chicken breast recipe you might ever make / grill /eat. Once you make it, its sure to become the base to every chicken recipe you throw on the grill and it just might possibly lead you to lick that wick and send you over the moon.
The Days Of Dull Dry Chicken Are Over Learn How To Grill Chicken Breast For The Easiest Summer Dinner
If youve never experienced a dry chicken breast, Im truly jealous. Biting into a grilled chicken sandwich or protein-packed salad and instead of that wonderfulness, tasting a dull, chalky chunk of chicken is just sad. Unfortunately, turning out tasteless poultry is a common problem, especially among new cooks. Chicken is a delicate protein that dries out fast. One minute too long on the heat can take the bird from tender and juicy to boring and blah.
But with a few simple tips from our Test Kitchen, you dont need to worry about making dry chicken again. Well show you how to grill chicken and keep it perfectly juicy and ready for salads, sandwiches and more. Learning how to make grilled chicken has never been so easy!
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How To Grill Chicken Breasts That Are Sooo Juicy
This post may contain affiliate links.
Learn the method for how to grill chicken breasts that are juicy, and never ever dried out.
Everybody loves chicken, and all cooks love a good chicken How-To. I know this because the most popular post on this site is How To Cook Chicken Breasts From Frozen and the most popular post on my sister site, TheCookful, is How To Bake Chicken Wings That Are Sooo Crispy. With summer and grilling season coming up, I thought it would therefore be a good time to tackle that real conundrum of how to grill chicken breasts that are juicy, every time.
The thing about chicken breasts is that they are not typically of an even thickness. This means that the thinnest part tends to dry out before the thickest part is cooked all the way through. There is only one way to fix this and it involves a tiny bit of work, but not hard work. Dont worry!
What youre going to do is flatten the chicken out to an even thickness, then marinate them a bit for flavor, and then grill for as short a time as possible. Heres how!
Tips For Grilling Chicken
You can cook your chicken on an outdoor gas or charcoal grill, or indoors on a grill pan. You want to start with clean, oiled grill grates for the best grill marks. Clean grill grates also minimize the amount of potentially harmful blackened bits on your food.
You want to grill over medium high heat . Using moderate heat ensures that your chicken wont burn or dry out. Start grilling your chicken over direct heat to get nice grill marks and browning and then move it to a low heat part of the grill to finish cooking. Using two heating zones keeps your chicken from burning on the outside or drying out while the inside cooks through.
Cover your grill while cooking to keep the heat even around your meat. An instant read thermometer is the best way to check if your chicken is done. Insert the thermometer into the center of the thickest part of the meat. You want your grilled chicken to reach a temperature of 165 degrees F.
Once your chicken is cooked through, let it rest on a clean plate for 5 minutes before slicing and serving. Slicing it right away when it comes off the grill will cause all of the juices to run out, which is definitely not what you want.
Also Check: How Long Do You Grill A Boneless Chicken Breast
How Do You Make Grilled Chicken Breast Without Drying It Out
The secret to keeping your grilled chicken breast moist and juicy is to pound out the chicken before cooking.
Chicken breasts are usually thick on one end and thin on the other. This makes it hard for the chicken to cook evenly.
Use a meat mallet, rolling pin, or can of soup to pound out the chicken so it has a uniform thickness all around. This will make it easy to cook the chicken evenly and avoid overcooking.
You can see the chicken below has an even thickness all the way around.
How Long To Grill Chicken Thighs
As with all types of chicken, the USDA recommends it is cooked to an internal temperature of 165 degrees F. The best way to gauge this is by using a meat thermometer. Here are estimated grilling times for chicken thighs, based on a minimum internal temperature of 165 degrees F.
- Boneless, skinless chicken thighs: 5 to 6 minutes per side
- Bone-in chicken thighs: 8 to 10 minutes per side
Also Check: Traeger Steak Temp
Grilled Chicken Method: Marinated Overnight
Timing: Overnight marinade + 12 minutes grill time
Rating: 3/10
This classic and is incredibly popular on Pinterest. A marinade a mixture of an acidic liquid, like vinegar or citrus juice, mixed with herbs and spices promises to flavor the chicken and keep it juicy in one fell swoop. In this recipe, the marinade is loaded with dried and fresh spices and gets its acid from lemon juice and balsamic vinegar. Some of the marinade is reserved for glazing the chicken while it cooks. The chicken breasts are marinated for at least one hour or overnight before grilling over medium-high heat.
I suspect that this method was primarily developed by indoor grillers using mostly grill pans. I found that the marinade made for very sticky chicken that might have burned over a charcoal flame . The cooked chicken looked good and had great flavor, but was bone dry and chewy. Over-marinating can toughen the meat, so if I were to try this method again Id go with a shorter marinating time.
The Best Chicken For Grilling
For the juiciest, most flavorful grilled chicken, use bone-in, skin-on pieces. Place the chicken on a paper towel-lined tray and pat it dry. This removes excess moisture, which prevents the skin from getting crispy. Remember to wash your hands and all equipment after handling raw chicken.
Next, season both sides generously with kosher salt and freshly ground pepper and allow the chicken to come to room temperature for 15 minutes. This helps it cook evenly and gives the salt and pepper a chance to work their magic. Keep in mind that sweet sauces like glazes and barbecue sauce shouldn’t be applied until the chicken is finished cooking. They will burn before the chicken is fully cooked.
Read Also: What Temperature To Cook Pork Tenderloin On Grill
How Long To Grill Chicken Breast
This answer can fluctuate depending on how hot your grill gets and the thickness of your chicken breasts.
In this grilled chicken breast recipe, I dont pound my chicken out unless it is extremely thick in some parts and thin in other parts. Once your chicken breasts are marinated, place them on the grill. Cook them for 7-8 minutes on each side, not lifting during the cooking process
Flip your chicken and cook for an additional 7-8 minutes, or until a meat thermometer inserted into the largest part of the chicken breast reads 165°F.
It is important to allow your chicken to rest about 3-5 minutes before cutting to keep it juicy . Serve with your favorite sides, and preferably on a patio with a big pitcher of Easy White Sangria!
Whats Needed To Make Grilled Chicken
I love that you can doctor up grilled chicken breasts so many different ways, but if Im planning on using the leftover chicken in other recipes like my favorite Italian chicken wrap or chicken caprese sandwich I prefer using minimal ingredients.
I use boneless, skinless chicken breasts for this recipe. If youre a fan of a cut whole bird or the darker meat chicken thighs, the same principles apply, but youll need to allow more cooking time.
Heres all you need for the best, basic grilled chicken:
- Boneless skinless chicken breasts
- smoked paprika
- lemon pepper
Give a squeeze of grilled lemon halves. Have you grilled lemon halves before? Theyre one of my favorite grilled food flavor enhancers. The heat caramelizes the cut side and brings all of the juice front and center, making the lemons ultimately squeezeable. Try it on fish or veggies too. And if youre a fan of limes or oranges, go crazy and experiment!
Use a marinade or slather with bbq sauce. If you prefer flavoring your grilled chicken breasts with marinades, try my garlic and lemon infused yogurt Greek chicken marinade. Its so easy to make, and the resulting grilled chicken is insanely flavorful. Or, follow my bbq sauced grilled chicken breasts recipe for a sweet and tangy chicken.
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How To Prepare Chicken Wings For Grilling
Below is a step by step process on how to prepare chicken wings for grilling:
What Is The Best Way To Grill Chicken
Different cuts, myriad and lots of cooking styles mean youre never at a loss for ideas about what to make. With all these options, though, can come many questions. Dark meat or light, can you treat them the same? What do I need to beware of before I get started? And how long does it need to cook
for?
A few simple tips and tricks will serve you well when it comes to grilling chicken, ensuring a delicious meal every time.
Get the Recipe: The Pioneer Womans Perfect Grilled Chicken
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What Are Blackened Spices
Blackened spices are a mix that originated in New Orleans and is packed with smokey, savory flavors. Generally Blackened spices feature paprika, onion powder, garlic powder, cayenne pepper and other spices. This rub can be used on any type of protein and is also great on vegetables. You can buy pre-made Blackened spices in most grocery stores, however it is very easy to make your own!
Ideas For Serving This Recipe
This grilled chicken really is so good and you can eat it with just about anything thanks to a flavorful marinade that goes along with so many different flavor profiles. Before I go into the ways I like to devour this chicken, though, I want to mention that youre probably going to want to go ahead and double this recipe right off the bat. If you cant eat it all within a few days, you can always freeze it.
Also Check: Recipes Using Tyson Grilled Chicken Strips
The Best Way To Grill Boneless Skinless Chicken Breast
The ingredients and directions youll find in this recipe will give you the best, juiciest chicken breast on the grill.
You can use this method to grill chicken breast on a gas grill or a charcoal grill.
If you do not have a grill, you can use a grill pan like this one to cook the grilled chicken breast on the stove instead.
What Goes With Blackened Chicken
This Easy Blackened Chicken is such a versatile dinner option. You can easily grill some on Sunday for a quick meal prep option to go on salads, wraps, or sandwiches. We have made this easy Chicken Bacon Ranch Recipe using this chicken and it was amazing! A really great flavorful dinner that doesnt require a lot of work.
If serving for dinner these are some of my favorite side dish options:
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Grilled Chicken Method: Dry Rubbed
Timing: 15 minutes with the rub + 25-minute cook time
Rating: 5/10
Dry rubs are spice blends that are great for flavoring everything from chicken to ribs. For this method, the dry rub is super simple just salt, pepper, and garlic powder which promises not to burn on the grill. You can prep the chicken, fire up the grill, and go from cooking to eating in less than 1 hour. This particular recipe from Fit Foodie Finds calls for grilling over hot direct heat, which may have ultimately been its major downfall.
The hot temperature makes for stunning grill marks, but with such high heat and a short rest with the rub, the chicken dried up quickly! I might reach for this method again for a big batch of grilled chicken for chicken salad, or if Im in a real rush, but otherwise I think a longer dry brine and lower cooking temperature make for better grilled chicken.
How To Grill Chicken In The Oven
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Do you know how to grill chicken in the oven that rivals what you can on your outdoor grill? Here are some tips if you have to make grilled chicken in the oven.
If your gas grill or your charcoal grill are not available, ou can still get those dark grill marks and smoky flavors in your chicken, while keeping it plump and juicy. Learn to bbq chicken in the oven.
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