This garlic chicken sandwich pulled me out of my frozen pizza phase. Golden chicken swimming in garlic butter, melty cheese, crispy toasted bread. Twenty minutes start to finish. My brother who only eats pizza rolls tried this garlic chicken sandwich last month and texted me for the recipe at midnight.
Why You'll Love This Garlic Chicken Sandwich
No joke, I've probably made this garlic chicken sandwich seventy times and still get hyped about it.
What Actually Works
This garlic chicken sandwich cooks chicken in garlic butter, piles it on toasted ciabatta with cheese and veggies, then drowns everything in more garlic sauce. One skillet, twenty minutes. Way better than that overpriced sandwich shop downtown. My sister who burns rice nailed this chicken sandwich with garlic on her first try. The garlic butter soaking into bread while cheese melts over hot chicken just works without any fancy skills.
Why Other Methods Fail
Most grilled garlic chicken sandwich recipes end up with dry cardboard chicken because people overcook it. Some go light on garlic butter and wonder why their sandwich tastes like nothing. Others use bread that turns to mush the second sauce touches it. This garlic chicken sandwich fixes all that with timing that makes sense and ingredients that work.
The thing that changed everything
Wrecked this garlic chicken sandwich five times before figuring it out. First try burned the outside while inside stayed raw. Second used frozen chicken that came out chewy. Third forgot to toast the bread so garlic butter made everything soggy. Fourth barely used garlic butter and it tasted bland. Fifth time I stopped overthinking it. Medium-high heat. Pounded chicken. Toasted bread. Garlic butter everywhere. Suddenly this garlic chicken sandwich had juicy chicken, crunchy bread, intense flavor. That's when it went from failure to my most-requested recipe.
Jump to:
- Why You'll Love This Garlic Chicken Sandwich
- What You'll Need for Garlic Chicken Sandwich
- How to Make Garlic Chicken Sandwich
- Top Tip
- Ingredient Substitutions & Variations
- Storage and Reuse Instructions
- What to Serve With Garlic Chicken Sandwich
- My Garlic Chicken Sandwich Journey
- FAQ
- More Recipes You'll Love
- Garlic Chicken Sandwich
- Related
- Pairing
What You'll Need for Garlic Chicken Sandwich
Regular store stuff you probably have already. Simplest garlic chicken sandwich setup ever.
Main Ingredients
- Chicken breasts or thighs
- Fresh garlic
- Butter
- Ciabatta or good sandwich buns
- Cheese (whatever melts nice)
- Lettuce
- Tomato
- Mayo
- Fresh parsley
- Salt and pepper
Optional Add-Ins
- Red pepper flakes
- Pickles
- Red onion
- Bacon
- Avocado
- Ranch
- Hot sauce
Recipe card has the actual amounts.
How to Make Garlic Chicken Sandwich
This garlic chicken sandwich comes together faster than arguing about what to order.
Prep the Chicken
- Pound your chicken flat with whatever heavy thing you have
- Salt and pepper both sides
- Skip the pounding and you'll regret it
- Even thickness means the garlic butter chicken sandwich actually cooks right
- Dry it off with paper towels first
Make Garlic Butter Sauce
- Chop garlic super fine
- Melt butter in a small pot
- Throw in the garlic and cook until it smells amazing
- Burn the garlic and it tastes like death
- Mix in chopped parsley
- This sauce is literally why the garlic herb chicken sandwich exists
- Save half for later
Cook the Chicken
- Get your skillet pretty hot
- Pour in some garlic butter
- Drop chicken in the pan
- Leave it alone for six or seven minutes
- Flip when the bottom looks golden
- Cook the other side five or six minutes
- Poke it with a thermometer to hit 165°F
- Chicken should be juicy and golden for your pan-seared garlic chicken sandwich
- Take it out and give it a minute to rest
Toast the Bread
- Cut your bread in half
- Slap garlic butter on the cut sides
- Throw them face-down in the same pan
- Toast two or three minutes until crispy and golden
- This step saves your garlic chicken sandwich from becoming soggy trash
- Garlic bread makes everything better anyway
Melt the Cheese
- Slice up your rested chicken while bread toasts
- Put cheese on the hot chicken
- It'll melt from the heat
- Or stick it under the broiler for thirty seconds
- Melted cheese isn't optional for a good chicken sandwich with garlic
Assemble
- Smear mayo on both bread pieces
- Lettuce goes on the bottom
- Tomato slices next
- Dump your cheesy garlic chicken on top
- Pour that saved garlic butter all over everything
- Close it up with the top bread
- Press down so your garlic chicken sandwich doesn't fall apart immediately
You'll end up with this ridiculous garlic chicken sandwich that has crunchy garlic bread, juicy chicken, melted cheese, and fresh veggies all tied together with garlic butter that gets everywhere.
Top Tip
Flatten your chicken for this garlic chicken sandwich. This isn't optional. First ten tries at this grilled garlic chicken sandwich used thick chicken straight from the package like a moron. Outside cooked super fast and got tough while the middle stayed raw and weird. Kept throwing it back in the pan until the outside was basically rubber. Finally bought a meat mallet and started pounding everything to half-inch flat. Total game changer. Suddenly chicken cooked perfect in six minutes per side, stayed moist, looked right. Now my garlic chicken burger thing works every single time without fail.
Also, toast that bread in the garlic butter. Normal toasting is whatever but coating it in butter first and toasting in the pan takes this creamy garlic chicken sandwich to a completely different level. Garlic butter soaks in while it toasts so every single bite hits. Skip this step and honestly what's the point.
Ingredient Substitutions & Variations
Base garlic chicken sandwich works but mixing it up keeps things from getting boring.
Different Protein
Chicken thighs stay way juicier than breasts. Turkey cutlets work fine. Even thin pork chops make a decent garlic chicken burger substitute.
Bread Options
Ciabatta is ideal but brioche buns bring slight sweetness. Sourdough adds tang. Kaiser rolls do the job. Literally using garlic bread as the bun makes this a garlic bread chicken sandwich which is stupidly good.
Cheese Choices
Mozzarella melts perfect for your garlic chicken sandwich. Provolone brings sharp bite. Cheddar adds richness. Pepper jack for heat. Mix different cheeses if you want complexity.
Make It Spicy
Throw red pepper flakes in the garlic butter. Use pepper jack. Drizzle sriracha mayo all over. Turns this into a spicy garlic chicken sandwich that actually burns.
Add More Veggies
Roasted red peppers bring sweetness. Sautéed mushrooms make it filling. Pickles add sour tang. Red onions bring bite to your flavorful chicken sandwich.
Creamy Version
Mix mayo with minced garlic for aioli. Add ranch. Use extra creamy cheese. Makes this a creamy garlic chicken sandwich that's completely indulgent.
Parmesan Style
Throw on marinara and parmesan. Makes it like a garlic parmesan chicken sandwich thing. Some restaurants do a garlic knot chicken parm sandwich which is basically this but way fancier and more expensive.
Meal Prep It
Cook chicken Sunday and store it separate. Toast bread fresh every day. Keeps everything crisp for your quick garlic chicken sandwich for lunch the whole week.
Storage and Reuse Instructions
This garlic chicken sandwich stores way better than most sandwiches actually.
Refrigerator: Keep cooked chicken, garlic butter, and veggies in separate containers up to three days. Toast fresh bread when you build it. Chicken stays solid in the fridge for easy garlic chicken sandwich recipe meal prep all week.
Make-Ahead: Cook chicken and make garlic butter ahead of time. Fridge them both up to three days. Slice veggies and store separate. Build fresh sandwiches whenever you're hungry for your garlic herb chicken sandwich on ciabatta.
Freezing: Cooked chicken freezes totally fine up to three months. Freeze in portions. Thaw overnight in the fridge. Don't freeze built sandwiches. Make garlic butter fresh every time.
Serving: This garlic chicken sandwich hits hardest fresh and hot. But leftovers reheat pretty well in a pan or oven. Microwave works but bread won't be crispy at all.
What to Serve With Garlic Chicken Sandwich
This garlic chicken sandwich fills you up but pairs well with easy sides.
Classic Options: French fries for dunking in extra garlic butter. Coleslaw for crunch. Plain chips keep it simple with your chicken sandwich with garlic.
Healthy Sides: Side salad with vinaigrette. Roasted veggies. Fresh fruit. Balances out the richness of the garlic butter chicken sandwich.
Complete Meal: This roasted garlic chicken sandwich with cheese goes hard with tomato soup, pasta salad, or just pickles.
Comfort Food Spread: Pair with mac and cheese, onion rings, or loaded fries for maximum indulgence with your garlic chicken sandwich.
My Garlic Chicken Sandwich Journey
First try at this garlic chicken sandwich was genuinely awful. Used frozen chicken on screaming high heat. Outside burned black, inside stayed raw. Smoke alarm went off. My roommate banned me from cooking for a week.
Second attempt I thawed the chicken but kept heat too high. Middle came out pink. Panicked and microwaved it into rubber. The garlic chicken sandwich was dry and sad.
Third try I finally pounded the chicken flat and it cooked perfectly. But I forgot to toast the bread and the garlic butter turned everything into soggy mush. Ate it with a fork feeling stupid.
Fourth time I toasted the bread but barely used garlic butter thinking it'd be greasy. The grilled garlic chicken sandwich came out boring and flavorless. Total letdown.
Fifth try I stopped overthinking it. Garlic butter everywhere. Toasted bread. Proper heat. Finally this garlic chicken sandwich came out perfect. My roommate said it beat the place downtown that charges fourteen dollars.
Now this garlic butter chicken sandwich happens twice a week because I know what matters: pound chicken flat, generous garlic butter, toast the bread, medium-high heat, don't rush it.
FAQ
How to make a garlic chicken sandwich?
Making a garlic chicken sandwich is pretty straightforward once you know the tricks. Pound chicken flat and season it, cook in garlic butter until golden and juicy, toast your bread with more garlic butter so it stays crispy, pile on cheese and veggies, dump extra garlic sauce over everything. The important parts are getting chicken the same thickness all over, using plenty of garlic butter everywhere, and toasting bread so it doesn't turn to mush. Takes about twenty minutes for restaurant-level garlic chicken sandwich at home that costs like four bucks.
What is Oprah's favorite chicken sandwich?
Oprah's famous chicken sandwich comes from Ezell's in Seattle and uses crispy fried chicken. This garlic chicken sandwich is completely different with pan-seared chicken and crazy amounts of garlic butter flavor. Both are great but this one's way easier to make at home and honestly more flavorful with all that garlic going on. Plus you control every ingredient in your chicken sandwich with garlic instead of hoping restaurant quality stays consistent.
Does garlic go with chicken?
Garlic and chicken are basically a perfect match used in pretty much every cuisine on the planet. Garlic's strong savory punch makes chicken's mild flavor way more interesting without taking over completely. Works in Italian food, Asian cooking, basically everything. In this garlic chicken sandwich, garlic butter soaks into both the chicken and bread creating this intense flavor that makes the whole thing work. They belong together honestly.
What's the best thing to put on a chicken sandwich?
Best toppings totally depend on what you like but the classics are lettuce, tomato, cheese, and mayo or aioli. For this garlic chicken sandwich specifically, garlic butter sauce is absolutely essential along with melted cheese. Fresh veggies add crunch and brightness that keeps it from being too heavy. Some people go crazy for pickles or bacon. The trick is balancing rich stuff like cheese with fresh crunchy veggies and having enough sauce so nothing tastes dry.
More Recipes You'll Love
After you nail this garlic chicken sandwich, try my Avocado Grilled Cheese for another quick lunch that's creamy and hits different. My Tomato Pesto Grilled Cheese brings Italian vibes in sandwich form that's just as easy. And my BLT Wraps are perfect when you want something handheld and delicious to pair with your garlic chicken sandwich for a full meal.
Garlic Chicken Sandwich
Equipment
- 1 large skillet To cook chicken and toast bread
- 1 Meat mallet To pound chicken to even thickness
- 1 meat thermometer To check chicken is cooked to 165°F
- 1 Small Saucepan To make garlic butter sauce
- 1 Cutting board and knife For slicing chicken and vegetables
Ingredients
- 4 boneless skinless chicken breasts
- Salt and pepper to taste
- 4 cloves garlic minced
- 4 tablespoon butter
- 2 tablespoon fresh parsley chopped
- 4 slices mozzarella or provolone cheese
- 4 ciabatta rolls or sandwich buns
- 4 tablespoon butter for toasting
- 4 leaves lettuce
- 1 large tomato sliced
- 4 tablespoon mayo or aioli
- Red pepper flakes
- Pickles
- Red onion slices
- 4 slices bacon cooked
- 1 avocado sliced
- Ranch dressing
- Hot sauce
Instructions
- Place chicken breasts between two pieces of plastic wrap or parchment paper. Use a meat mallet to pound each breast to an even ½ inch thickness throughout. This ensures the chicken cooks evenly and stays juicy. Season both sides generously with salt and pepper. Pat the chicken dry with paper towels.
- Mince garlic cloves finely. In a small saucepan, melt butter over medium-low heat. Add minced garlic and cook for 1-2 minutes until fragrant but not browned. Stir in chopped fresh parsley. Remove from heat and set aside. Reserve half of this garlic butter sauce for drizzling later.
- Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add half of the garlic butter sauce to the pan. Place chicken breasts in the hot skillet. Cook for 6-7 minutes without moving them, allowing the bottom to develop a golden-brown crust. Flip chicken over carefully.
- Continue cooking the chicken on the second side for 5-6 minutes until golden brown and cooked through. Use a meat thermometer to check that internal temperature reaches 165°F. Remove chicken from skillet and let rest for 2-3 minutes. The chicken should be juicy and golden.
- While chicken rests, slice ciabatta rolls or buns in half. Brush the cut sides generously with butter. Place the bread cut-side down in the same skillet used for chicken. Toast for 2-3 minutes until golden brown and crispy. The garlic residue in the pan will flavor the bread.
- Slice the rested chicken breasts. Place cheese slices on top of the hot chicken pieces. The residual heat will melt the cheese. Alternatively, return chicken to the skillet for 30 seconds or place under the broiler briefly until cheese melts completely.
- Spread mayo or aioli on both halves of each toasted bun. This adds creaminess and helps hold the sandwich together. You can mix minced garlic into the mayo for extra garlic flavor if desired.
- On the bottom half of each bun, layer lettuce leaves first. Add tomato slices on top of the lettuce. Place the sliced garlic butter chicken with melted cheese on top of the tomatoes. Drizzle reserved garlic butter sauce generously over the chicken.
- Top with the other half of the bun. Press down gently to compress the sandwich slightly. Cut in half if desired for easier eating. Serve immediately while hot and crispy. Add optional toppings like pickles, onions, or bacon if using.
Notes
Nutrition
Related
Looking for other recipes like this? Try these:
Pairing
These are my favorite dishes to serve with Garlic Chicken Sandwich:
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