BBQ Chicken Panini is a grilled sandwich that is full of shredded chicken, bacon, tangy BBQ sauce, and melted cheese. It’s an easy recipe that’s great for lunch with a side of chips or make it for dinner along with a salad, French fries, or bowl of soup on the side.
One of my favorite kitchen gadgets is our panini maker. It’s great for making panini sandwich recipes and grilled wraps without turning on the stove. One of our favorite BBQ panini recipes we like to make is this BBQ chicken panini.
Easy BBQ Chicken Panini Sandwich Recipe
If you don’t have a panini, you can still cook this sandwich in a skillet on the stove like a grilled cheese. It works great, too.
This panini is all about the shortcuts. For example, I like to use shredded cooked chicken like leftover roast chicken, rotisserie chicken, or you can even use shredded cooked turkey.
It’s combined with your favorite BBQ sauce. You can easily switch up the flavors just by using a different sauce.
Add some crispy bacon and melted American cheese, and the sandwich comes together. It’s easy, delicious, and great for lunch or dinner. Another panini we like to make is a Turkey, Avocado, and Bacon Panini, so be sure to check out that one, too.
Table of Contents
Ingredients
- Shredded cooked chicken
- BBQ sauce
- Sliced sourdough bread
- Cooking spray
- Sliced yellow onion
- Cooked bacon slices
- American cheese
- Sliced avocado
- Sliced pickles
How to Make Grilled Chicken Panini
Mix the shredded chicken with the BBQ sauce in a bowl.
Heat the panini maker to medium-high heat. While it heats, assemble the sandwiches.
First, spray one side of each slice of bread. Top one piece of bread (the non-sprayed side) with the chicken, onion, bacon, and cheese. Top with another slice of bread with the sprayed side up. Repeat with the rest of the sandwiches.
Place the sandwiches on the panini maker and close the lid. Cook them for three to five minutes or until the bread is golden brown and the cheese is melted.
Serve the sandwiches hot with the avocado, pickles, and extra BBQ sauce on the side for dipping.
Stovetop Instructions
If you don’t have a panini maker, you can use a skillet and cook your sandwiches on the stove.
Heat a nonstick skillet over medium to medium-high heat. Lightly coat it with cooking spray. Place the sandwiches in the hot skillet.
- To make a pressed sandwich, like a panini, place another pan on top of the sandwiches while they cook. This will press them down. Cook the sandwiches for three to five minutes and then turn them over and cook them on the other side.
- If you don’t want them pressed, you can just cover the skillet with a lid while they cook. This will help heat the sandwiches all the way through and melt the cheese. Turn the sandwiches after three to five minutes.
Once the sandwiches are golden brown, take them out of the pan and serve.
Recipe Tips
Sourdough works well for this recipe, but other sturdy sliced bread will work, too, like thick-sliced country white bread, whole wheat bread, or try Texas toast.
You can use any cheese that melts well for this recipe. Monterey Jack, pepper jack, cheddar cheese, and provolone are all excellent choices and an easy way to change up the flavor.
If you want an extra saucy sandwich, add more BBQ sauce. I don’t like mine dripping with sauce, so I serve some sauce on the side for dipping.
We like the avocado and pickles on the side, but feel free to add them to your sandwich before cooking them if you prefer. This hot shredded chicken panini is filling and so delicious. The combination of chicken, cheese, bacon, and BBQ sauce is a winner. Give it a try and let me know how you like it!
More Easy Good Sandwiches You’ll Enjoy
BBQ Chicken Panini Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 pound chicken breast cooked and shredded
- 8 slices sourdough bread
- 8 slices bacon cooked crispy
- 1 cup American cheese shredded (or two slices per sandwich)
- ¼ cup BBQ sauce
- ½ medium yellow onion sliced
- 1 avocado sliced
- ½ cup pickles sliced
- Cooking spray
Instructions
- Put shredded chicken in a large bowl and add BBQ sauce. Mix together well.
- Heat panini maker to medium high heat (if you don’t have a panini maker you can use a skillet). Spray all slices of bread on one side with cooking spray. On the side of the bread that isn’t sprayed add chicken, onion, bacon and top with cheese. Place another slice of bread on top. Repeat for the other three sandwiches.
- Place sandwiches on the panini maker and close the lid. Cook for 3-5 minutes. You want the bread golden brown, and the cheese fully melted. Serve hot with avocado, pickles and extra BBQ sauce on the side.
Recipe Notes
- You can use ½ cup BBQ sauce for a bolder flavor.
- You can add the avocado and pickles prior to cooking. We just like them on the side.
- We used American cheese, but you can use any good melting cheese with the dish.
- If cooking in the skillet just cover while cooking and flip once halfway through.
Recipe Nutrition
This BBQ Chicken Panini is filling and so delicious. The combination of chicken, cheese, bacon, and BBQ sauce is always a winner!