Crispy Chicken Caprese Sandwich (Printable version)

Golden breaded chicken with fresh basil, mozzarella, and tomato on crispy ciabatta. A delicious Italian-American sandwich.

# What you need:

→ For the Chicken

01 - 2 large boneless, skinless chicken breasts
02 - 1 cup all-purpose flour
03 - 2 large eggs
04 - 1 cup panko breadcrumbs
05 - 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
06 - 1 teaspoon dried Italian herbs
07 - 1 teaspoon garlic powder
08 - 1/2 teaspoon salt
09 - 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
10 - 1/3 cup olive oil for frying

→ For the Sandwich

11 - 4 ciabatta rolls, halved
12 - 8 ounces fresh mozzarella, sliced
13 - 2 medium ripe tomatoes, sliced
14 - 1 cup fresh basil leaves
15 - 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
16 - 1 tablespoon balsamic glaze
17 - Salt and black pepper to taste

# How to Make It:

01 - Preheat oven to 400°F. Slice each chicken breast horizontally to create 4 thin cutlets of uniform thickness.
02 - Prepare three shallow bowls: first with flour, second with beaten eggs, and third with panko mixed with Parmesan, Italian herbs, garlic powder, salt, and black pepper.
03 - Dredge each chicken cutlet in flour, shake off excess, dip in beaten egg, then coat thoroughly in the panko-Parmesan mixture, pressing gently to adhere.
04 - Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Fry chicken cutlets 3 to 4 minutes per side until golden brown and cooked through. Transfer to a baking sheet.
05 - Top each cutlet with mozzarella slices and bake for 5 to 7 minutes until cheese is completely melted and bubbly.
06 - Toast ciabatta rolls until crisp and lightly golden on both sides.
07 - Arrange basil leaves and tomato slices on the bottom half of each toasted ciabatta roll. Season with salt and black pepper to taste.
08 - Place a crispy chicken cutlet with melted mozzarella on top of the tomato and basil. Drizzle with extra virgin olive oil and balsamic glaze.
09 - Cap with the top half of the ciabatta roll and serve immediately while chicken and cheese are still warm.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • The crunch of perfectly breaded chicken paired with creamy mozzarella creates that irresistible texture combination we all crave
  • Ready in under an hour but tastes like something from your favorite Italian sandwich shop
  • The balsamic glaze ties everything together with a sweet tang that makes ordinary ingredients extraordinary
02 -
  • Pat the chicken completely dry before breading or the coating will slide right off in the pan
  • Let the fried chicken rest on the baking sheet for a minute before adding cheese so the crust sets properly
  • Do not skip the balsamic glaze, it is the element that makes this sandwich taste like something special
03 -
  • Use a meat mallet to pound the chicken to even thickness so everything cooks at the same rate
  • Let your mozzarella come to room temperature before slicing so it melts evenly over the hot chicken
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