This easy Grilled Chicken Sandwich recipe features grilled juicy chicken and sweet pineapple, plus a quick creamy basil sauce. It’s hearty yet light, and fantastically fresh-tasting – a delightful combination of savory and sweet!
This Grilled Chicken Sandwich recipe is a celebration of freshness, tucking savory & sweet flavors inside a soft toasted bun. If you’re a fan of chicken and pineapple together, you simply have to give this sandwich a try. (Plus – check out my Hawaiian chicken chili kabobs – another chicken + pineapple meal that our family loves!)
Why We ❤️ This Grilled Chicken Sandwich Recipe
This recipe was inspired by a sandwich that we enjoyed on the Coral Princess, while touring the Panama Canal with Princess Cruises (to read more about that awesome adventure, scroll down past the recipe card) – and it remains a favorite to this day. Here’s why we keep grillin’ it up!
- 🍍Pineapple! 🥰 Our family’s just a little bit obsessed with pineapple. Pina coladas, pineapple salsa, pineapple fried rice…we love all the pineapple recipes. And we especially like to make grilled pineapple – it’s so fun and delicious!
- That creamy 🌱 basil sauce. This wasn’t a part of the sandwich we enjoyed aboard the Coral Princess; I added it one day when I was looking for ways to use up all the fresh basil from our herb garden. My family liked it so much that it turned into a request every time we made these sandwiches. It’s creamy and tangy, with a pesto-like vibe – so yummy!
- Filling, yet light. With grilled chicken breast making up the bulk of this sandwich, this meal is packed with lean protein that fills us up without dragging us down. Sometimes I enjoy mine without the bun and just assemble the rest of the ingredients over a bed of fresh greens.
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.
- Assemble the sandwiches. Spread some basil sauce onto the bottom of each grilled ciabatta roll, then add tomato slices, grilled chicken, red onion, and grilled pineapple. Finish by adding the top portion of the roll.
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.
Serving Suggestions
These sandwiches make for a satisfying lunch all on their own, or simply with a handful of crunchy potato chips. But you can certainly round out the meal with more on the table. Here are a few serving suggestions:
- Salad. I like to serve salads like a winter apple salad or this simple arugula beet salad with sandwiches. Or, make my always-popular German potato salad.
- Soup. Sandwiches & soup make for a classic combo. Serve grilled chicken sandwiches with cups of tomato bisque, spicy lentil soup, or creamy potato soup. During the warmer months, serve it with a bowl of vichyssoise, a chilled potato soup.
- Fries. Add a plate of fresh fries, such as my homemade truffle fries.
- Pickled vegetables. I already mentioned a few pickles that would be great on these sandwiches. But you can also serve different pickled items alongside, such as quick pickled asparagus, pickled carrots, or pickled squash. My pickled beets recipe is a top reader favorite!
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
Grilled Chicken & Pineapple Sandwich
Ingredients
- 16 large basil leaves, roughly chopped
- ¾ cup good quality mayonnaise
- ¾ teaspoon powdered garlic (not garlic salt)
- 8 thin vertical spears fresh pineapple
- 2 chicken breasts, 6-8 ounces each
- 2 teaspoons olive oil
- salt & pepper, to taste
- 4 elongated ciabatta rolls (or your favorite elongated sandwich bread)
- 8 thin slices fresh tomato
- 8 thin slices fresh red onion
Instructions
- Prepare the creamy basil sauce by blitzing the basil, mayonnaise, and powdered garlic in the bowl of a small food processor, or with an immersion blender, until smooth. Set sauce aside.
- Heat grill to medium to medium-high heat. Scrub the grates clean and then oil them well. (See Notes.)
- Place each chicken breast in a sealable plastic baggie and pound as thinly as you can without breaking up the breast. Rub a little olive oil over both sides of chicken breasts and then season fairly generously, to taste, with salt and pepper.
- Place pineapple spears on hot oiled grates and grill 1-3 minutes per side, or until nicely charred. Remove from grill; set aside.
- Place the cut side of the ciabatta rolls on the hot grates for about 1 minute, or just until lightly charred. Remove from grill; set aside.
- Clean and oil grill grates again. Place chicken breasts on the grates and cook for just 2-3 minutes per side, or until nicely charred. The chicken is thin, so be careful to not overcook. Grilling time will depend on size and thickness of individual chicken breasts and grill temperature, so this may take more or less time. When the chicken reaches an internal temp of 165°F with an instant-read thermometer, the chicken is done. Take care to not overcook, as that will make the chicken dry and tough. Remove chicken from grill and let rest for a couple minutes, then slice each breast in half to best fit onto ciabatta.
- To assemble sandwiches, spread some creamy basil sauce onto the bottom of each ciabatta roll. Add two slices of tomato, half of a grilled chicken breast, two slices of red onion, and 2 spears of grilled pineapple to each roll. Add the top portion of the roll. Enjoy right away.
Notes
Nutrition Information:
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”.
Women wearing brightly colored dresses, either balancing fresh fruit baskets atop their turbaned heads or sitting by a small table on the street corner selling cups of just-cut fruit, were a common sight.
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.
A Boat Tour
The final portion of our tour took us out on the water, a bit of refreshment for our bodies, not used to the sweltering heat. We boarded a speed boat for a view of the city from the harbor, which provided another very different perspective of Cartagena. This is the Bocagrande neighborhood, known for its hotels, condos, shops, and restaurants.
We had such a great time exploring this city!
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)
This post was originally published in 2017, then updated in 2024. The Panama Canal trip was sponsored by Princess Cruises.
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