Grilled chicken sandwiches are a summertime favorite that are flavorful and perfect for those dinner time meals. Get the best recipe for an amazing and juicy grilled chicken sandwich!

grilled chicken sandwich with pickles and tomato

When it is hot out, grilling is the best bet for a dinner that is packed with flavor and a kitchen that isn’t hot from the oven running.

Grilled chicken is one of the best meats to grill and the hot grates on the grill help to seal in the amazing flavor of your chicken.

Pair that with an amazing marinade and you have a match made in heaven that will be on your summer meal plan indefinitely!

grilled chicken sandwich with pickles and tomato and lettuce

What Are Grilled Chicken Sandwiches?

Grilled chicken sandwiches are a summertime favorite!

They are warm and filling, but not too heavy, and are simply perfect for piling on cool, crisp toppings.

Chicken that is well prepared, well marinated, and well cooked comes out juicy and flavorful.

When you add that flavorful chicken to a toasted bun and a creamy salsa sauce, you’ve got one delicious summertime supper on your hands.

Why You’ll Love This Delicious Sandwich

It’s healthy and flavorful! My marinade adds flavor and moisture without the use of breading, making this grilled chicken sandwich a delicious low carb meal.
It’s versatile. You can use chicken breasts, chicken thighs, even chicken tenders! It’s a great way to use whatever cut of chicken you happen to have on hand.
It’s quick! The marinade comes together quickly, and it takes less than 30 minutes to grill the chicken and let it rest.
It’s customizable. Each member of the family can make their own sandwich using a variety of toppings and sauces.

Tell Me About This Yummy Grilled Chicken Sandwich

Taste – The marinade is the perfect balance of honey and lemon, and the creamy sauce on top uses salsa and greek yogurt.
Texture – Nothing is worse that dry chicken! I share all of my tips for grilling juicy chicken that nearly falls apart with tenderness.
Ease – Other than pounding out the chicken breasts and whipping up a marinade, there’s no prep work at all!
Time – After your chicken has marinaded, all you need is 30 minutes to put delicious grilled chicken sandwiches on the table.

The Best Chicken For Grilled Chicken Sandwiches

Chicken Thighs – Dark meat is easier to keep from drying out. However, there is more prep work if you’re grilling chicken thighs to go on a sandwich. You’ll need to carefully out the bone, while keeping the rest of the thigh in one piece. You can leave the skin on or off.
Skinless Chicken Breasts – This cut of chicken is arguably the best for grilled chicken sandwiches. When cooked well, they fall apart easily and make a sandwich that is easy to bite into. Either cut them or pound them so that they are thin and even. This, combined with a well-made marinade and using a meat thermometer when grilled, guarantees tender and juicy chicken.
Chicken Tenders – If you have a chicken tender lover in your home, this is a great way to use that familiar food in a new way. Cut them into smaller slices, so that the sandwich is more manageable.

How To Know If Your Grilled Chicken Is Done

Some types of meat can have varying degrees of doneness – but not chicken!

Being too nervous about serving undercooked chicken has caused many a home chef to cook their chicken too long and dry it out.

Instead, use a food thermometer and make sure that the internal temperature of your chicken reaches 165 degrees.

You can also cut into the thickest part of the chicken to check on the color of the juices.

If the juice is clear, your chicken is cooked – but still juicy. Pink juice means that it needs to cook longer.

How To Cook A Juicy Piece Of Chicken

Chicken has a bad reputation of being a dry, bland meat. It doesn’t have to be that way!

A good cut of chicken, prepared and seasoned well, can be just as juicy as any red meat. Here’s how:

Marinate the pieces of chicken. Marinades aren’t just for adding flavor! A good marinade will contain an acid, which breaks down connective tissues and makes the chicken deliciously tender. The extra, soaked in moisture will also help keep the meat from drying out when placed on a high heat grill.
Don’t overcook the chicken. Use a meat thermometer to let you know when your chicken is finished before it dries out.
Pound thick pieces of chicken. Thick chicken breasts are much thicker on one end than on the other! Rather than drying out half of the chicken breast while trying to cook the other half thoroughly, pound it out to an even thickness.

The Best Bread For Grilled Chicken Sandwiches

A delicious way to take your chicken sandwich up a notch is to lightly butter and toast the bread.

Hamburger Buns – You can’t go wrong with this staple!
Brioche Buns – These fluffy buns have a sweeter flavor. Consider adding just a pinch of coarse salt on the top, to balance the sweet with a bit of salty.
Toasted Bread – If you’re in a pinch, you can use regular sandwich or sourdough breads. The toasted butter flavor and extra crunch will still make them taste special.
Roll Tops – This is a great choice for sliders!

lettuce, tomatoes, and pickles on a cutting board

Ingredients For The Best Grilled Chicken Sandwich Recipe

There are many chicken sandwich recipes out there, but what makes this grilled chicken sandwich recipe the top of the list?

Good Cut of Chicken – Chicken is the star of this show, after all! Choose a nice chicken breast and prepare it well for a delicious sandwich.
Delicious Marinade – The lemon juice makes the chicken juicy tender, but the Italian seasoning and the honey balance out the lemon flavor.
Toasted Bun – The bun makes up a decent amount of any sandwich, but it gets ignored so often! I put a little butter on mine and then toast it on the grill. It adds a special flavor and crunch.

How To Make The Perfect Grilled Chicken Sandwich

Pound out the chicken until it’s an even thickness. This will help your chicken cook evenly, and keep it from drying out.
Mix up your marinade in a medium bowl, and set your chicken in it. Make sure each piece of chicken is coated well with the marinade.
Leave your chicken to marinade for up to 4 hours. In the meantime, warm up your grill to a medium heat.
Place each piece of chicken on the grill and leave them to cook for 5 to 6 minutes. Then flip, to cook the second side.
Once both sides are grilled, set the chicken aside for 5 to 10 minutes to rest. This lets the interior of the chicken finish cooking, without drying out. While the chicken is resting, give the buns a quick toast.

ingredients on a white plate and small bowls

Ingredients for Chicken Marinade

Olive Oil – This supplies most of the moisture-adding power.
Lemon Juice – The acid ingredient for this marinade, making your chicken juicy and tender. You could substitute lime juice as well!
Italian Seasoning – Italian seasoning covers all the best herb bases.
Garlic Powder – Minced garlic may have a stronger flavor, but garlic powder soaks into meat better in a marinade.
Salt and Pepper – If you can, use fresh cracked black pepper. It makes a difference!
Honey – Honey lends sweetness and balances out the lemon flavor.

How Long Should You Marinate Chicken For?

If marinades make chicken more tender, then the longer I leave the chicken marinating, the better – right? Not quite.

The same acidic enzymes that break down the connective muscle fibers can also cause the chicken to dry out.

You need to find that perfect balance between a tender chicken and a dry chicken.

Chicken isn’t a dense meat, so anywhere from 30 minutes to 4 hours is perfect. Chicken breasts should marinate for a shorter length of time than chicken thighs.

Delicious Toppings For Grilled Chicken Sandwiches

Tomato Slices
Red Onion
Sour Pickles
Fresh Dill or Basil
Mozzarella Cheese
Spinach or Lettuce

Tips For Grilling The Best Chicken Sandwiches

Stop flipping the chicken back and forth! Flip the chicken once, after 5 minutes of grilling. Leaving the chicken alone while it cooks lets it form a thin crust, which prevents moisture from escaping.
Chicken can sometimes stick to the wire rack. If you tend to run into this problem, feel free to place a cast iron pan on the grill and cook on it instead.
Use a meat thermometer to check that your chicken reaches an internal temperature of 165 degrees. Once it hits that temperature, take it off the heat quickly so that it doesn’t dry out!
To double check that the chicken is cooked all the way through, cut into the thickest part of the chicken. If the juice runs clear or slightly brown, it is finished cooking. If it is pink or red, it needs to stay on the grill.

What To Serve With Grilled Chicken Sandwiches

So you have the perfect, juicy grilled chicken sandwich. What should you pair with it? Here are some ideas:

Cabbage and Apple Coleslaw
Grilled Asparagus
Grilled Vegetable Kabobs

Grilled Chicken Sandwich Recipe