Any club sandwich lovers out there? I was craving a really good sandwich the other day and decided to make my own at home. This easy Chicken Club Sandwich is made with all my favorites. It includes tender pan-seared chicken breasts, juicy tomatoes, crisp lettuce, cheese slices, and, of course, you can’t forget the crispy bacon! All of the textures marry together beautifully for the perfect sandwich. Now, who wants one?
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Making a restaurant-style chicken club sandwich at home is not only satisfying, but it also works out to be so much cheaper! I cook my bacon in the oven, which is always super easy and mess-free (the foil-lined baking sheet catches all the grease!). Then, the chicken is pan-fried until perfectly golden brown and juicy. Everything else is just a matter of assembly. I like to spread a little bit of mayo on the toasted bread for extra flavor and creaminess, but I’ve also shared some of my favorite variations for this recipe at the end.
Budget-Saving Tips
- I went for a double-decker size sandwich, you know, the kind you get at restaurants. But you don’t have to get as fancy as I did. You can keep it as a single-layer sandwich to save money.
- I also made 4 large sandwiches, but you can easily divide this recipe into 8 servings by cutting each sandwich in half. And then into 16 servings by cutting each half in half again, especially if you are serving these as finger food at parties or a potluck.
Chicken Club Sandwich Recipe
Servings 4 sandwichesIngredients
- 9 slices bacon ($2.22)
- 2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (about 1.3lb)* ($6.25)
- ¾ tsp salt ($0.03)
- ½ tsp freshly cracked black pepper ($0.08)
- ½ tsp garlic powder ($0.05)
- 2 Tbsp olive oil ($0.44)
- 12 slices white sandwich bread ($1.19)
- 2 large tomatoes ($2.00)
- 8 leaves iceberg or romaine lettuce ($1.50)
- 8 slices colby-jack cheese ($2.25)
- ½ cup mayonnaise ($0.56)
Instructions
- Start by baking the bacon. Preheat the oven to 400ºF. Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil and place a wire rack on top to hold the bacon above the surface of the baking sheet.
- Lay the strips of bacon across the wire rack and bake in the oven for approx. 25 minutes or until it has reached your desired level of crispiness. After baking, use tongs to remove the strips of bacon from the wire rack to a paper-towel lined plate.
- While the bacon is cooking, go ahead and cook the chicken. Using a sharp knife, carefully fillet each chicken breast into two thinner cutlets (or use thin-cut chicken breasts). Then place plastic wrap over the chicken and gently pound it with a rolling pin or meat mallet to even the thickness of the chicken breasts. Season the chicken with salt, black pepper, and garlic powder.
- Heat a large skillet over medium heat and add the olive oil. Once the skillet is hot, add the chicken and cook on each side until golden brown and cooked through (about 4 minutes per side). Remove the cooked chicken to a clean plate and cover to keep warm.
- While the chicken is resting, prepare the rest of the ingredients. Toast the bread, slice the tomatoes, wash and dry the lettuce, gather the cheese slices and gather the cooked bacon. Then slice the cooked chicken breasts into strips.
- Now assemble the sandwiches. Start with a thin layer of mayo on one side of two slices of bread, then layer with lettuce, sliced tomato, sliced chicken breast, a slice of cheese, and bacon pieces. Now add the second slice of bread with mayo and repeat the layers. Top with the last slice of toasted bread.
- Cut each sandwich in half and serve with your favorite sides. My favorites are always chips and a dill pickle spear. Enjoy!
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Equipment
- Large Skillet
- Baking Sheet
- Aluminum foil
Notes
Nutrition
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Cook the bacon: Preheat your oven to 400ºF and line a baking sheet with aluminum foil. Place a wire rack over the top to hold the bacon above the surface of the baking sheet. This will help the bacon get nice and crispy.
Lay 9 strips of bacon across the wire rack, spacing them out so they aren’t overlapping. Bake them in the oven for about 25 minutes or until the bacon has reached your desired level of crispiness. When they’re done, use tongs to remove the bacon from the wire rack and transfer them to a paper towel-lined plate.
Prep the chicken: While the bacon cooks, prep the chicken. Use a sharp knife to very carefully fillet 2 chicken breasts into two thinner cutlets. If you’re using thin-cut chicken breasts, you can skip this step. Place a layer of plastic wrap over the sliced chicken and gently pound it with a rolling pin or a meat mallet. You want each piece of chicken to be an even thickness.
Season the chicken: Use ¾ tsp salt, ½ tsp black pepper, and ½ tsp garlic powder.
Cook the chicken: Heat a large skillet over medium heat and add 2 Tbsp olive oil. Once the skillet and oil are hot, add the chicken and cook on each side until golden brown and cooked through (about 4 minutes per side). Remove the cooked chicken to a clean plate and cover to keep warm.
Prep the remaining ingredients: As the chicken is resting, you can prepare the other ingredients for your chicken club sandwich. Toast 12 slices of white bread, slice 2 large tomatoes, wash and dry 8 lettuce leaves, and gather 8 slices colby-jack cheese and the cooked bacon.
Slice chicken: Slice cooked chicken breasts into even strips.
Assemble: Now it’s time to assemble the sandwiches! Spread a thin layer of mayo on one side of two slices of toast.
Top one slice with lettuce, sliced tomato, sliced chicken breast, a slice of cheese, and bacon.
Now add the second slice of bread with mayo and repeat the layers. Top with a third slice of toasted bread.
Serve and enjoy: Cut each sandwich in half, serve with your favorite sides, and enjoy!
Customization Options
I want you to be able to make this chicken club sandwich exactly how you like it! Here are some fun and delicious ways to customize it:
- Switch out the bread for multigrain bread
- Instead of regular mayo, use a spicy mayo (our mayo ketchup recipe is so easy to make with simple pantry staples!) or your favorite sandwich dressing
- Swap the colby-jack cheese for any other cheese you love
- Use leftover turkey breast meat or your favorite deli meat instead of the chicken breast
- I wouldn’t be opposed to switching out the regular bacon for my candied bacon recipe, either 😉
Serving Suggestions
I like to keep the sides simple with this sandwich since it’s already packed with so much flavor. A handful of crispy potato chips, a dill pick spear, or a quick side salad is usually all I need! But if I’m feeling extra hungry, I’ll whip up my pasta salad or a batch of air fryer sweet potato fries—because, let’s be honest, a chicken club sandwich and fries is a classic combo! Or, for something lighter, I think some fresh fruit or a creamy coleslaw will balance out the crispy bacon and savory chicken perfectly.
