Change up your grilling game and make a Grilled Chicken Sandwich with Bacon! Grilled chicken topped with pepper jack cheese, Crispy bacon, crisp romaine lettuce, red onion, Fresh sliced tomatoes, tangy dill pickles with bbq/garlic aioli sauce makes these chicken sandwiches a win every time!
These Grilled Chicken Sandwiches with Bacon have a toasted buttered bun with BBQ/garlic aioli sauce, crisp fresh bacon, red onion, dill pickles, romaine lettuce (love the crunch) and pepper jack cheese! Feel free to throw on tomatoes if you so desire (I do not!). The chicken itself is seasoned perfectly and grilled leaving it tender and juicy! The chicken along with the toppings work so well together and the sandwich is heavenly!
The Chicken
I use one full chicken breast and get four good sized chicken pieces out of them to make four grilled chicken sandwiches (which is perfect because one of my boys is not a meat eater- really, not kidding, which shouldn’t be allowed when your dad is the Butcher Man!).
I pound the chicken breasts out so they are close to the same thickness so they will cook evenly. Then I cut them each in half, giving me four perfect-sized pieces!
To season the chicken, I mix some salt and seasonings together, lightly seasoning both sides of each chicken piece. Then with the leftover seasoning, I mix it with some canola oil. The chicken goes in a zip top bag and I add the seasoned oil in with it. I mush it all around making sure all of the chicken is covered, then into the fridge it goes while I prepare everything else. Do not forget about your chicken – if left marinating longer than an hour, your chicken may become too salty- pretty darn good still, but salty!
all of the seasonings that will be used 
the seasonings mixed together 
chicken breasts lightly seasoned with the seasoning 
oil added to the remaining seasoning 
oil and seasoning mixed 
oil and seasoning mix, added to the seasoned chicken breasts to marinate
So why the oil with salty seasoning? The oil helps carry the salty flavors to the chicken (nothing is worse than bland chicken), helps hold in moisture and also helps the chicken not stick to the grill. The salt will sit in the chicken with the oil (I recommend letting it sit about 30 minutes, no more than an hour) and reach the perfect point of just enough salty/garlicky flavor that when you bite into the chicken is just juicy and good….a basic flavor that brings out the natural flavor of the chicken but doesn’t distract from it or over power it.
Chicken Sandwich Toppings for your sandwich
While the chicken is the fridge soaking up the flavor, cook your bacon (fresh is best and crispier but use what you want), cut your lettuce, pickles, onions, tomatoes (I didn’t use them because I don’t like them) and make your sauce for the sandwich.
For the Sauce: I mix together a little bit of bottled BBQ sauce with a bit of bottled Garlic Aioli (I’ll share this simple mix at the bottom with the recipe). The BBQ sauce with garlic aioli is one of my newest yummiest creations! I was having a hard time deciding between the obvious choice of BBQ sauce or Garlic Aioli, which would compliment the chicken! (I love Garlic Aioli and if you want just the garlic aioli as your sauce, then go for it- I don’t think you can go wrong with it! But I love the rich tangy flavor the BBQ sauce adds). So in my indecision I decided why not use both?!! Genius! So I mixed them up and the result was delicious! A garlicky slightly tangy smooth BBQ sauce! Perfect for this sandwich! (I am not getting paid to promote either sauce).
Grilling the Chicken for your Grilled Chicken Sandwich with Bacon
After prepping your toppings, preheat your grill on medium heat. Remove the chicken from the zip top bag, shake off excess salt and seasonings, then place it on the grill for about 8 minutes per side. Watch it closely! If it cooks too long it will be dry!!
Once grill marks show up on the chicken and you can see the chicken is cooking and turning white, it’s time to flip it to the other side for 5-8 minutes (ish). Check the temperature with a meat thermometer, poking the thickest part of the meat. You want it reach an internal temperature of 165 degrees. TIP: you don’t need to check each piece, find the thickest piece and check that one. If one is done, they are all done. (And there is no point poking them all and letting the yummy juices leak out!)
Once they reach 165 degrees, I turn the grill off, put the pepper jack cheese on each slice and shut the grill lid. Let the cheese melt on the chicken, about a minute or less, then pull them off the grill.
The Buns
While my chicken is grilling, (after I flip the chicken), I put my buns on the grill for a few minutes to toast my them (for those that like them toasty). After they have warmed up for a few minutes I brush some butter on top, then let them finish toasting to the perfect toasty crunch.
The Sandwich Assembly for your Grilled Chicken Sandwich with Bacon
Now to make the sandwich! I slather the BBQ Aioli sauce on both the top and bottom bun! Then load it up with bacon, pickles, red onion and crispy romaine lettuce all stacked on the juicy cheesy chicken! You have yourself the BEST Grilled Chicken Sandwich with Bacon!
We eat ours with fresh fruit, a side salad or some chips and dip!
These are totally restaurant worthy!
Grilled Chicken Sandwich with Bacon! Make it tonight!
Hope you Enjoy!
For a fast and easy sandwich like meal, try my Super Easy Homemade Sloppy Joes from Scratch!
Here are some products I used to make this recipe!
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Grilled Chicken Sandwich with Bacon
Ingredients
Chicken Seasoning – see notes
- 1/2 tbsp kosher salt
- 1/2 tbsp garlic salt
- 1 tsp onion powder
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1/2 tsp paprika
- 1/2 tsp black pepper
- 1/4 tsp white pepper
- 1/4 cup canola oil or olive oil see notes
Toppings for Sandwich – these are just suggestions
- 1 red onion, sliced
- 1 head romaine lettuce, rinsed and leaves pulled apart
- 8-10 slices bacon, cooked and cut in half (so it fits a burger/sandwich)
- 1 tomato, sliced
- Dill pickles
- 4 slices pepper jack cheese, or cheese of your choice
- 4 hamburger buns
- 1 tbsp butter, to brush on the buns as they toast on the grill
BBQ/Garlic Aioli Sauce
- 1/2 cup BBQ Sauce (of your choice)
- 1/4 cup Garlic Aioli see notes
Instructions
Chicken
- Cut your chicken breasts into 4 equal pieces so they are about the same size. (Pound them out if needed to they are close to the same thickness so they will cook evenly.
- Mix your chicken seasonings together, do not add the oil yet. Sprinkle the seasonings lightly and evenly over the chicken pieces. Place in a zip top bag. Mix the oil in with the remaining seasoning and dump over the chicken in the bag. Mix all toghether to make sure the chicken is fully covered. Refrigerate for 30 minutes. (No longer than hour).
- While the chicken is marinating, make your BBQ/Garlic Aioli sauce, cook your bacon and prepare the toppings.
- Heat your grill to medium heat. Remove the chicken from the bag and shake of any excess oil and seasoning. Place the chicken on the grill for 5-8 minutes on the first side, until you see grill marks and the chicken is starting to turn white around the edges. Filp the chicken aand cook another 5 minutes on the other side. Start checking the temperature after you have flipped the chicken and it has cooked for 5 minutes. Your internal temperature needs to reach 165 degrees.
- After you have flipped your chicken, place your buns on a your grill, face side down and let toast for a few minutes. Brush some butter on the tops and let toast to your preferred toastiness! Remove when they are done to your liking.
- Once the chicken has reached the proper temperature, add the slices of pepper jack cheese to the chicken on the grill. Keep the chicken on the grill, turn off the heat and close the lid so the cheese can melt. When the cheese has melted, take the chicken off the grill and make your sandwich!
- To make your sandwich, I spread the BBQ/Garlic Aioli sauce on my bun (top and bottom). I add 4 slices of bacon to my sandwich (or more), then add the onion, lettuce and pickles, in no particular order. (And add your tomato because I am sure I am the only weirdo that doesn’t like tomato on a burger or sandwich!)
- Enjoy!
Notes
- You do not have to let your chicken marinate in the oil and seasonings if you prefer not to. The oil helps lock in flavor and carry the seasonings to all of the chicken and prevents the chicken from sticking on the grill. If you chose not to marinate in the oil, just season the chicken breasts with the seasonings and throw on the grill (you will need to oil/grease your grill with some oil or oil spray so your chicken doesn’t stick).
- You can use any BBQ sauce and don’t have to mix it with the garlic aioli. You can use just BBQ sauce or just Garlic Aioli, or any sauce you prefer.
- I cook 8 -10 pieces of bacon and cut them in half giving you 16-20 pieces which is 4-5 pieces of bacon for each sandwich. (More is always good in my book so cook more if you want more!) You can also place the cooked bacon on the cooked chicken on the grill, then top with the cheese so the cheese melts the bacon to the chicken.
- You do not have to toast your bun. The Butcher Man never likes his toasted and it’s just as delicious!
- Toppings for this sandwich can be changed to your liking!
