The Ultimate Grilled Chicken Sandwich

When it's time to grill up deliciousness for your friends and family, my Ultimate Grilled Chicken Sandwich should be at the top of your must cook list! I also share my ideas on how to change up the recipe to make it fit your tastes.

Jump to RecipePrint Recipe

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 don’t 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 you’ll 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 Cabot’s 800 farm families throughout New York & New England will be serving you the very best!

What do I need to make the Ultimate Grilled Chicken Sandwich?

The first step in creating this delicious sandwich is marinating the chicken breasts for the sandwich. And I always start by gathering the ingredients together before I start.

In chef speak this is called the Mise en Place and it not only makes the cooking process easier it also ensures you have everything you need before you start cooking.

Start by making the Honey Balsamic Sauce. This is the first step in creating the marinade for the chicken.

Once the sauce is complete we can add it along with the other ingredients and the chicken breasts into a zippered storage bag and refrigerate for 1-2 hours.

How long do I really have to marinate the chicken breasts?

In truth, 30 minutes is enough to get some of the flavors into the chicken. Ideally, I would give it 4 hours if I had the time, but I usually end up with 90 minutes at best.

There is some flexibility with the marinade (with chicken) and you can leave it for up to 8 hours. I would not advise any longer, because the acidity of this marinade can actually make the chicken tougher if it goes too long.

Does this Marinade work on other chicken parts?

Yes it does. You can use thighs for your sandwiches, and also do some seperate pieces of chicken (legs, wings, quarters) for your picky eaters.

Can I change up the ingredients in the Honey Balsamic Sauce?

Yes you can. The whole idea with cooking is to use ingredients to create flavor profiles that you and your family will enjoy eating. Some of the changes you can make are:

• Use ketchup or your favorite barbecue sauce instead of tomato paste
• Add bourbon for a boost of flavor
• Use brown sugar or agave instead of honey
• Use soy sauce instead of balsamic vinegar
• Use ginger and scallions instead of onions
• Use your favorite seasonings. Add Chili powder or Siracha if you like heat

Use the recipe as a guideline and create the deliciousness you’ll love with your changes.

These are the ingredients to make our Ultimate Grilled Chicken Sandwich. Once the chicken is ready its time to fire up the grill and precook the bacon.

The key to good grill marks is getting the grill good and hot. I like to let the grill get up to 350 – 450 degree F.

Brush the chicken breast on both sides with the honey balsamic sauce. Repeat as you turn the breasts until you’ve used up all the sauce.

Once the chicken is done you can let it rest for a few minutes while you get the sandwiches ready.

Place the chicken breasts on a tray and top with the sliced tomato, bacon and Cabot cheddar cheese. Place the tray back on the grill and close the lid.

**You can use indirect heat to melt the cheddar, it doesn’t have to be placed right on the grill.

The only thing left to do is put the finished product on a bun and enjoy!

If you’ve got someone watching their carbs, serve up this deliciousness on a bed of spinach or romaine.

If you enjoyed this recipe, you may also like these:

• Ultimate Grilled Chicken Sandwich
• All American Hot Dog Bar
• Grilled Chicken Fajita Bar
• Dry Rub Grilled Chicken Wings

Print Recipe

5 from 26 votes

The Ultimate Grilled Chicken Sandwich

When it's time to grill up deliciousness for your friends and family, my Ultimate Grilled Chicken Sandwich should be at the top of your must cook list! I also share my ideas on how to change up the recipe to make it fit your tastes.

Course: sandwich

Cuisine: American

Keyword: balsamic glazed chicken, chicken sandwich, grilled chicken

Servings: 4

Calories: 680kcal

Author: Chef Dennis Littley

Ingredients

• 16 ounces boneless skinless chicken breasts 4 ounce each
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika **regular paprika can be substituted

Honey Balsamic Sauce:

• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 2 tablespoons sweet onion finely chopped
• 1 tablespoon garlic finely chopped
• 2 tablespoons honey **brown sugar can be substituted
• 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
• 2 tablespoons tomato paste ** ketchup can be substituted
• 2 tablespoons bourbon **optional – I did not use this in my recipe, but it could add another dimension to the flavor

Sandwich

• 4 ounces Cabot Seriously Sharp Cheddar shredded
• 8 slices bacon cooked and drained
• 4 slices tomato or 8 smaller slices
• 4 seeded hamburger buns or your favorite hamburger bun

US Customary – Metric

Instructions

• Add one tablespoon of olive oil to a hot pan along with the chopped sweet onion and chopped garlic. Saute for 1-2 minutes over medium heat, do not burn the garlic and onions.
• Add the balsamic, tomato paste and honey to the pan. Bring to a light boil and remove from the heat. At this point add 1-2 tablespoons of water to thin out the mixture.
• In a ziplock bag, add chicken, olive oil, salt, pepper, paprika and half of the honey balsamic sauce (reserve the rest for the grilling process). Make sure the chicken is completely coated in the seasonings. Refrigerate for 1-2 hours to allow the flavors to develop in the raw chicken.
• Heat the grill to 350-450 degrees so you get good scoring marks.
• Brush the chicken breasts with the remainder of the honey balsamic sauce and grill each side about 3-4 minutes(or it has reached an internal temperature of 165 degrees F).

Building the Sandwich

• Place the grilled chicken breast on a sheet pan and top each breast with a large slice of tomato (or two small slices), 2 slices of bacon and one ounce of shredded cheddar.
• Place the pan on the grill and close the lid to allow the cheddar to melt.

  **You can also melt the cheddar in your oven under the broiler.
• Place the finished topped chicken breasts on your choice of buns and enjoy!

Nutrition

Calories: 680kcal | Carbohydrates: 36g | Protein: 42g | Fat: 39g | Saturated Fat: 14g | Cholesterol: 131mg | Sodium: 1170mg | Potassium: 743mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 15g | Vitamin A: 804IU | Vitamin C: 8mg | Calcium: 293mg | Iron: 3mg