Sandwich shops in Connecticut are plentiful and anyone who’s anyone has a version of a chicken caprese sandwich on their menu (and if they don’t, they’re missing out). For good reason, this is an extremely popular sandwich around here (it’s absolutely delicious).
Melted fresh mozzarella, tender and juicy chicken, seasoned and grilled tomatoes, basil pesto, and a balsamic drizzle, stacked inside of a fresh Italian or ciabatta roll and pressed. It doesn’t get any better than this!
The Origin of the Chicken Caprese Sandwich
To understand the origin of the chicken caprese sandwich, it’s important to know where the caprese salad came from. Caprese translates to “from Capri”. Capri is a small island off the western coast of Italy.
Following World War 1, Italian patriotism was at an all-time high. So high, in fact, that in the early 1920’s an Italian mason created the “salad of Capri” or “insulata caprese” in Italian, to honor and represent the Italian flag. The colors of the salad matched the colors of the flag (red, white, and green).
The first documented caprese salad appeared on a printed menu at the Hotel Quisisana in Capri, Italy.
During the 1950s, while visiting Capri, King Farouk (a former kind of Egypt) requested an afternoon snack, the Chef served him caprese salad on bread, and boom! the Caprese sandwich was born.
Ingredients
Ingredient Notes
- I used a gluten-free baguette for this recipe so my lovely wife’s sensitive belly could enjoy this as much as mine did. I couldn’t imagine enjoying this sandwich alone, this masterpiece is meant to be shared! I highly recommend using ciabatta rolls.
- Any homemade or store bought pesto will do. Most basil pestos contain nuts but you can purchase nut-free ones as well if you’re allergic.
- I recommend using fresh mozzarella because it just tastes so much better, but if you’re in a pinch, shredded mozzarella will do just fine, it tastes really good and it will actually melt a little faster than fresh mozzarella.
- You can cut the chicken breasts in half lengthwise to reduce cooking time.
Recipe Notes
- I used the stovetop/oven to cook the sandwiches because not everyone has a panini press. However, if you do have a press, I definitely recommend using it. If you’re using a panini press, use it instead of the frying pan in step 6 and eliminate step 7.
Equipment
- 1 small-sized mixing bowl
- 1 medium-sized frying pan
- 1 panini press or grill press
- 1 spatula
How to use this Recipe
The beauty of Flavor Ratios is that we blend flavor combinations according to OUR own preferences. All recipes you find on this site serve as a guide. Who am I, to limit the amount of mozzarella cheese you put on your sandwich? The cheesier, the better (in my opinion)! That would be wrong, and honestly, it’d keep me awake at night knowing your caprese sandwich could’ve been better! Read more.
This sandwich pairs perfectly with fries, macaroni salad, or potato salad!
How to Make the Cheesy Chicken Caprese Sandwich
- Prepare the oven: Preheat your oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
- Heat the oil: Heat the olive oil in a medium-sized frying pan over medium heat.
- Season the chicken: In a small mixing bowl, combine onion powder, garlic powder, kosher salt, black pepper, and oregano.
- Season the chicken breasts with the spice mixture.
- Cook the chicken: Cook the seasoned chicken in your pre-heated frying pan over medium heat for 5-10 minutes per side, depending on the thickness of the chicken. Be sure to cook the chicken to an internal temperature of 165 degrees Fahrenheit.
- Slice chicken: Once the chicken is finished cooking, thinly slice it and set it aside.
- Cook tomatoes: Season one side of the tomatoes with a pinch of salt and pepper and cook them for about 1 minute per side, over medium heat, in the same pan that you used for the chicken.
- Slice your bread in half or open it as necessary.
- Assemble sandwiches: Assemble your sandwiches by spreading the pesto on both halves and sprinkle them with the chopped basil. On the bottom piece of bread, layer the remaining ingredients. In order: place the tomatoes, then the chicken, then the mozzarella. Lastly, drizzle both sides of the sandwich with the balsamic glaze.
- Cook the sandwich: Close the sandwich, then using the same frying pan, cook it for about a minute per side using a grill press.
- Place the sandwich on a sheet pan and place it into the preheated oven for a few minutes, just long enough to melt the cheese.
- Enjoy those flavors!
Watch How to Make the Cheesy Chicken Caprese
Very Cheesy Chicken Caprese
- Total Time: 25 minutes
- Yield: 4 sandwiches 1x
Description
Sandwich shops in Connecticut are plentiful and anyone who’s anyone has a version of a chicken caprese sandwich on their menu (and if they don’t, they’re missing out). For good reason, this is an extremely popular sandwich around here (it’s absolutely delicious).
Ingredients
2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 teaspoon onion powder
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1 teaspoon black pepper
1 teaspoon oregano
2 tablespoons basil, rough chop
1/4 cup basil pesto
1/4 cup balsamic glaze
5 slices fresh mozzarella
1 Roma tomato, sliced
1 Gluten-free baguette, cut in half
Salt & pepper, to taste
Instructions
- Prepare the oven: Preheat your oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
- Heat the oil: Heat the olive oil in a medium-sized frying pan over medium heat.
- Season the chicken: In a small mixing bowl, combine onion powder, garlic powder, kosher salt, black pepper, and oregano.
- Season the chicken breasts with the spice mixture.
- Cook the chicken: Cook the seasoned chicken in your pre-heated frying pan over medium heat for 5-10 minutes per side, depending on the thickness of the chicken. Be sure to cook the chicken to an internal temperature of 165 degrees Fahrenheit.
- Slice chicken: Once the chicken is finished cooking, thinly slice it and set it aside.
- Cook tomatoes: Season one side of the tomatoes with a pinch of salt and pepper and cook them for about 1 minute per side, over medium heat, in the same pan that you used for the chicken.
- Slice your bread in half or open it as necessary.
- Assemble sandwiches: Assemble your sandwiches by spreading the pesto on both halves and sprinkle them with the chopped basil. On the bottom piece of bread, layer the remaining ingredients. In order: place the tomatoes, then the chicken, then the mozzarella. Lastly, drizzle both sides of the sandwich with the balsamic glaze.
- Cook the sandwich: Close the sandwich, then using the same frying pan, cook it for about a minute per side using a grill press.
- Place the sandwich on a sheet pan and place it into the preheated oven for a few minutes, just long enough to melt the cheese.
- Enjoy those flavors!
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Cook Time: 20 minutes
- Category: lunch
- Cuisine: italian
About a year ago, I actually made a slightly different version of this sandwich for about 30 guests. The crowd included about 5 family members and 25 complete strangers and it was a huge hit! This particular version included smoked chicken breast and shredded mozzarella. I used a panini press to crisp the bread and melt the cheese.. I’ll be sure to post a recipe for that the next time I fire up the smoker!
