Grilled Chicken Sandwich

What You’ll Need

I’ve outlined the ingredients for this grilled chicken sandwich recipe below. You can find the exact ingredient amounts in the printable recipe card at the end of this post.

For the creamy basil sauce

• Basil – Fresh basil is essential in creating the simple, creamy spread.
• Mayonnaise – Use a good-quality mayo that you enjoy. I usually use Hellman’s.
• Garlic powder – This provides an easy touch of garlic flavor.

For the rest of the sandwich

• Pineapple – Use fresh pineapple for this sandwich, cut into spears.
• Chicken – Boneless, skinless chicken breasts work really well for this recipe, but you could also use boneless, skinless thighs.
• Olive oil – A light coating over the chicken provides flavor, helps the salt & pepper adhere, and adds an anti-stick barrier for grilling.
• Salt & pepper – I keep the chicken seasoning super simple, and rely on the creamy basil sauce and other fresh ingredients to add punches of flavor.
• Rolls – Choose an elongated sandwich bread roll – I always seek out ciabatta rolls.
• Tomato – This adds juicy freshness.
• Red onion – Thinly sliced red onion adds a bit of kicky-flavored crunch.

How To Make A Grilled Chicken Sandwich

With just a few quick and easy steps, you’ll soon be enjoying this flavorful sandwich! Find the detailed instructions in the recipe card lower down.

• Make the creamy basil sauce. Use a food processor or blender to quickly blitz together the basil, mayo, and powdered garlic.
• Prep the chicken. Place the chicken breasts in a sealable plastic baggie and pound them until they’re thin – then season with olive oil, salt, and pepper.
• Prep the grill. Heat the grill to medium to medium-high heat, then clean the grates and oil them.

• Grill pineapple and rolls. Grill the pineapple spears for 1-3 minutes per side. Toast the cut side of the ciabatta rolls for about 1 minute. You can do both at the same time if your grill has enough space.

• Grill + slice the chicken. Clean and oil the grill grates again, for a clean grilling surface. Then grill the chicken for 2-3 minutes per side – because the chicken has been pounded thin, it won’t take very long to cook. Let the chicken rest for a couple minutes after you remove it from the grill, then slice each breast in half, to best fit onto the rolls.

Recipe Tips & Variations

I’ve included some simple tips that can help you make grilled chicken sandwiches perfectly, along with some variation suggestions:

• Prepare the grill: To provide the best non-stick surface, and to not taste last night’s grilled meal on tonight’s grilled chicken sandwich 😝, it’s important to prep the grill. Here’s how we do this:
  • Scrub the grates clean. If you don’t have a grate scraping tool that you like, simple wad up some kitchen foil and use that to scrape the grates.
  • Oil the grates well. Add some vegetable oil to a small bowl. Fold a heavy paper towel a few times to make a smaller square. With a tongs, grasp the folded paper towel and dip it into the oil until the paper towel is drenched. Then run the paper towel over the grates, repeating until all grill grates are thoroughly oiled.
• What if I don’t have a grill? Use your oven or stovetop!
  • Oven: Place a large oven-safe grill pan or cast iron skillet in the oven and preheat the oven to 400°F. Carefully remove the pan from the oven and brush the bottom of the pan with a little more olive oil, add the chicken, then place the pan back in the oven to cook. After a few minutes, flip the chicken, and cook until done. You can cook the pineapple in the same way.
  • Stovetop: Heat a large grill pan or cast iron skillet over medium to medium-high heat on the stovetop. Then brush the bottom of the pan with a little more olive oil, and add the chicken. After a few minutes, flip the chicken, and cook until done. Cook the pineapple in the same way.
• Use a meat thermometer. When an instant-read thermometer reaches 165°F, the chicken is done. Take care to not overcook, as that will make the chicken dry and tough.
• Pickles are ALWAYS good. For a kick of heat, add homemade pickled jalapenos. Or add pickled red onions instead of fresh onion. My mom’s refrigerator sweet pickles are a favorite!
• Other toppings. Add some crisp greens, avocado, or slices of cheese, for even more texture and flavor.
• Swap out the mayo. You can easily use plain Greek yogurt instead of the mayo in the basil spread.

Proper Storage

If you have any leftover sandwiches, wrap them up in foil and store them in the fridge for up to 3 days. You can eat the sandwiches cold, or gently rewarm them on a baking sheet in a 300°F oven until warm.

If you know from the start that you’ll have leftovers, I recommend that you add the individual ingredients to separate containers and store them in the fridge – then assemble the sandwiches right before eating.

More Sandwich Recipes To Try

• Italian Pinwheel Sandwiches
• Roast Beef Sandwich
• Chopped Cheese Sandwich
• Buffalo Chicken Sliders
• BBQ Chicken Sliders

Where the Inspiration for this Recipe Came From

The photos and information below are from a sponsored post with Princess Cruises in 2017, when Princess provided a Panama Canal cruise for our family.

My grilled chicken & pineapple sandwich recipe was inspired by a sandwich we liked to order aboard the Coral Princess, at the International Cafe. When we got back to the ship after a long, HOT day touring Cartagena, Colombia, we were exhausted and hungry – and our youngest daughter’s request was a grilled chicken & pineapple sandwich and a pina colada…and then to hit the pool, of course!

Our Cruise Excursion at Cartagena, Colombia

Our family was excited to visit Cartagena, one of the largest ports of South America, as we had never before set foot on the mainland of this continent. And, hey, I was a Romancing the Stone movie fan, where Cartagena was the main locale (even though the filming actually took place in Mexico).

The excursion that we chose for exploring Cartagena that day was full of variety. We visited an old Spanish fortress, walked the streets of the Old City, and toured the shiny high rise coastline by speedboat.

A Fortress Tour

We started with a tour of Castillo de San Felipe de Barajas, a sprawling fortress built by the Spanish for protection against pirates while shipping gold and silver out to Europe.

The fort sits majestically on a hillside overlooking the harbor and city, providing a striking contrast of this historic and modern seaport.

Our Colombian guides appeared unfazed by the high temperatures and humidity that day, telling us, “this isn’t even hot”. But we were a sweaty, sticky mess. The sun was intense. Thank goodness we were prepared with backpacks full of water and some snacks.

Touring the Old City

After leaving the fort, we walked the narrow maze-like streets of the famous “Old City”. The Torre del Reloj Público (Public Clock Tower) was once the main entrance to this walled city.

Lined with colorful buildings of Spanish Colonial architecture, we had the opportunity to shop and eat, and to just “watch life”.

Vibrant colors were everywhere.

My eyes were drawn to the many balconies, often with brightly colored flowers or lush green foliage cascading over their rails.

Built in the center of this historic walled area, the Cathedral of St. Catherine of Alexandria is one of the most recognizable figures in the skyline of Cartagena.

Another prominent building is the Monasterio de San Pedro Claver. The church is named for Saint Peter Claver, a priest who spent much of his life caring for the African slaves who were shipped to the Americas.

For more of our own personal experiences with Princess Cruises (we also visited Alaska!), visit these posts:

• Aloha Protein Balls (Aruba & Eduardo’s Beach Shack)
• Fattoush Salad(Panama Canal Cruise Excursions)
• Pineapple Fruit Salad (Costa Rica and Sloth Sanctuary)
• Travel Tips for your Panama Canal Cruise
• 10 Tips for Planning Your Alaska Cruise
• Grilled Crab Quesadillas (Ketchikan, Alaska + Misty Fjords National Monument)
• Homemade Limoncello (Alaska: Tracy Arm Fjord + Sawyer Glacier)
• Crab Bisque (Juneau, Alaska + Mendenhall Glacier)
• Lemon Sorbet (Skagway, Alaska)