Grilled lemon pepper chicken sandwiches make the perfect summer meal. Thin sliced lemon pepper chicken is grilled, stacked on a toasted bun, and topped with basil aioli, lettuce, tomato, and onion.
Recipe summary
Flavor/texture: Lemon zest marinated chicken breasts are grilled until juicy and topped with a fresh basil aioli, lettuce, tomato, and onion on a toasted bun.
Marinating time: 30 minutes or more. Assemble your chicken, then preheat the grill!
Yield: 4 sandwiches
You may also like: Grilled Chicken Tenders and Mexican Grilled Chicken (Pollo Asado)
Jump to:
Ingredients and substitutions
- Chicken breasts - You'll need one pound of boneless, skinless chicken breasts for this recipe. You'll either need to slice each chicken breast in half lengthwise, two create four thin pieces, or pound your chicken to about 1 inch thickness.
- Marinade - A high smoke point oil (like vegetable or avocado oil), one lemon (for the zest and juice), Dijon mustard, salt, and pepper.
- Buns - Fresh bakery buns are perfect for this recipe. Brioche buns or sesame seed buns are great options.
- Toppings - Use your favorite sandwich toppings - I added lettuce, tomato, and onion to my sandwiches.
- Aioli ingredients - Mayonnaise, fresh basil leaves, lemon juice, fresh garlic, and salt. Garlic clove could be substituted with ¼ teaspoon of garlic powder if needed.
How to make grilled chicken sandwiches
- Whisk together marinade ingredients and add chicken, tossing to coat. Cover and refrigerate for 30 minutes or more while your grill preheats.
- Add chicken to the grill and cook for about 4-5 minutes on the first side. Add buns to the edge of your grill or anywhere you have indirect heat.
- Grill buns until you have nice grill marks, then remove and set aside.
- Flip your chicken and cook until they reach 165F in the center.
Heather's Top Tip
An instant-read thermometer is an essential kitchen tool. Dry meat happens from overcooking. Use a meat thermometer to test the doneness of your meat and ensure it's cooked perfectly every time.
Tips and tricks
The purpose of a marinade - The purpose of the marinade isn't to permeate to the center of the chicken (this is actually a myth!), so it doesn't need to sit for a long period of time. Instead, the marinade is meant to be the first thing that cooks when it hits the grill, creating a caramelized, flavorful crust on your chicken. Here's a great article with more information on marinades: Bon Appetit - How long to marinate chicken
Marinate between 30 minutes to 2 hours - Marinade can start to break down your chicken if it sits too long, making it stringy and mushy. Your best bet is to prepare your chicken, then start preheating the grill shortly after.
Want nice grill marks? - Move your chicken as little as possible. Gently lift up one corner to check the progress of your chicken, then lay it back down in the same spot if it's not ready to be moved yet.
For juicy chicken - Use a meat thermometer. The reason chicken turns out dry is from overcooking. A meat thermometer ensures that chicken is removed from the grill as soon as it reaches 165F in the center.
Frequently asked questions
No, do not use this marinade overnight. Since the marinade is made with acidic citrus juices, it will begin to break down your chicken the longer it sits (making it stringy and mushy). This marinade should only sit on your chicken for a maximum of 2 hours for best results.
A marinade doesn't add moisture to your chicken. Instead, it creates a flavorful, caramelized crust on the outside of your chicken once it hits the grill. Using a meat thermometer and removing your chicken once it reaches 165F, then allowing it to set for 5 minutes before slicing, ensures it will turn out nice and juicy.
Move your chicken as little as possible for nice grill marks. Gently lift up one corner to check the progress of your chicken, then lay it back down in the same spot if it's not ready to be moved yet.
Yes. After preparing your marinade and pouring over the chicken, it can be frozen and thawed to grill for a future meal.
Traditionally, aioli is a creamy sauce that's made from an emulsion of olive oil and mashed garlic. Some versions of aioli include eggs and lemon juice, similar to a mayonnaise. Because of this, many "quick aioli" recipes are made with a base of mayonnaise to save time.
Since about 1990 (per Wikipedia), it is common for any type of flavored mayonnaise to be referred to as an aioli. The two have a similar consistency and are often used in the same ways, but can contain different ingredients. If you'd like to learn more, here's a great article on the subject: Bon Appetit - OK, What is Aioli, Anyway?
Recommended
📖 Recipe
Grilled Lemon Pepper Chicken Sandwich
Ingredients
Lemon pepper chicken
- 2 large boneless skinless chicken breasts, about 1 pound
- ⅓ cup vegetable oil
- 1 tablespoon dijon mustard
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon black pepper
- 1 lemon
- 4 brioche buns
- lettuce, sliced tomato, and red onion, optional toppings
Basil aioli
- ½ cup mayonnaise
- ¼ cup basil leaves, lightly packed (about 15 leaves)
- 1 clove garlic
- ½ tablespoon lemon juice
- ⅛ teaspoon salt
Instructions
Lemon pepper chicken
- Carefully slice chicken breasts in half lengthwise to create four thin pieces (as if you were butterflying them, but continue slicing all the way through). Or, pound thick chicken breasts down to 1 inch thickness.
- In a bowl (or a sealable plastic bag), add oil, salt, and pepper. Zest entire lemon into bowl. Then, slice lemon in half and juice lemon into bowl. Add chicken and toss until evenly coated. Cover and refrigerate for 30 minutes to 2 hours (do not marinate for more than 3 hours). Meanwhile, make your aioli (directions below).
- Preheat grill to medium-high heat, about 375 to 425 degrees Fahrenheit. If needed, clean grill grates.
- Wipe grill grates lightly with oil, then place marinated chicken perpendicular across the grill grate (optionally, add buns around the edge of the grill to toast. This will take about a minute or less - bread browns quickly). Cook for about 4 to 5 minutes before flipping. Cook for another 4 to 5 minutes, or until chicken is cooked to an internal temperature of 165 degrees Fahrenheit. Rely less on time and more on the temperature and look of your chicken to determine when they're done. Grill temperatures and conditions can vary greatly.
- Remove from grill and allow to rest for 5 minutes before assembling sandwiches. Spread basil aioli over buns, add chicken, and top with lettuce, tomato, and onion. Serve warm.
Basil aioli
- In the bowl of a food processor, add mayonnaise, basil leaves, garlic cloves, lemon juice, and salt. Cover and blend until smooth. (If you don't have a food processor, mince basil leaves and garlic cloves as small as possible, add to a bowl with remaining ingredients, and whisk until incorporated).
- Cover and store in the refrigerator for 30 minutes (or more) to allow flavors to meld.
Equipment Recommendations
Notes
- Don't over-marinate: Chicken should not sit in marinade for more than 3 hours - lemon marinade is very acidic and will begin to break down the chicken, causing it to become mushy.
- Storage: Leftover chicken will keep for about 3 to 4 days in a sealed container in the refrigerator.
- Moist chicken every time: Use a meat thermometer to check your chicken for doneness and to prevent overcooked/dry chicken.
- Scale up: This marinade can be doubled or tripled for a large crowd.
Comments
No Comments