I've mentioned previously that I lived in Taipei, Taiwan for a year teaching ESL to kids. One of the best years of my life! There were so many culinary delights in Taiwan. Best fried rice ever. The rice box places with their endless combinations of flavors. Oh, the dumplings. There was a hand-made dumpling place right near the school where I worked. Great place for lunch. I also found one of the best sandwiches I've ever eaten (in my life) in Taipei. Fantastic local placed called Toasteria with the best paninis! My favorite was the BBQ Chicken Panini with Cheddar and Basil.
Finding a Little Piece of Home in Taipei: Fantastic Paninis
My weekend ritual alternated between the cafe near my apartment where I would indulge in the best bacon fried rice ever and Toasteria - the best panini ever! Toasteria has expanded quite a bit since my time in Taiwan. At the time I was there, I frequented the original Toasteria which was a bit like a hole in the wall. A small counter with stools and just a few tables which were exposed to the street and a fully open front - no doors. Perfect for people watching. Here is my ode to Toasteria in Taipei!
Toasteria was a whole experience. I sat at a tiny table and ordered an iced cappuccino every time. French fries cost extra and I always splurged. In addition to the best paninis ever, they had incredible French fries - very important for me since potatoes are my favorite food in the world. I know, I know, if you frequent my website you are rolling your eyes about how many times I declare my love of potatoes!
Back to Toasteria - I can't forget the pickles they served in a little side dish. These garlicky chopped pickles and olives were insane! Totally addicting. When the BBQ chicken panini with cheddar and basil arrived, I devoured it. Not a crumb left on my plate. The combination of chicken, bbq sauce, red onion, basil and cheddar was music to my culinary palate.
BBQ Chicken Panini only has a few ingredients
Costco exists in Taipei and I shopped there when I craved some of the Western staples I couldn't get easily in Taiwan. Cheese, sour cream, American snacks, bagels, breads, muffins, maple syrup, tortillas, etc. Sometimes when I ate at Toasteria I watched them make my panini right from the counter. It always amused me when I could see the big bag of shredded orange cheddar and the label: Kirkland. Same with the bread.
Over the years since my Taiwan adventure, I have thought of that incredible panini and made it a bunch of times. All you need is a rotisserie chicken, good bread, your favorite BBQ sauce (I like Stubb's Original), red onion, fresh basil and orange cheddar. That's it! Do you have a panini press? No? That's fine. You can use a skillet as the weight to press the sandwich and it works great! I do actually have a consumer-grade panini press and it's okay, but not great. It's inconsistent with how it toasts the bread. So for this recipe, I used my trusty skillet as my panini press.
Once More with Feeling: Use Good Bread for this BBQ Chicken Panini
For a panini you need a sturdy bread that can be paninied. A panini is a pressed sandwich so the bread has to be able to handle it. To be frank, garden-variety white bread is NOT going to give you a good result. If you are in Massachusetts and you have access to Nashoba Brook Bakery bread, I recommend their sliced French bread. Their bakery is in West Concord, MA but their product is also available at Hannaford
which is where I usually get it. Also, of course, Iggy's Bread in Cambridge, MA near Alewife station has excellent bread. If you are not in Massachusetts, try to get a loaf of good quality bread from your favorite bakery. A thinner-sliced, sturdy bread like the French bread I use, is great. Or a thicker bread (like a Texas Toast) which still has the consistency of a generic white bread, but is thicker and sturdier, can work too. Please trust me when I say that your panini will taste infinitely better if you use a good quality bread. There. I am now stepping down from my use-good-quality-bread soap box.
your paninis.
This panini takes very little time to put together and are perfect for lunch or dinner. Remember, a cooked rotisserie chicken is SO CHEAP. They are $4.99 at my grocery store. Five bucks and a few other cheap ingredients and you've got a gourmet panini coming right up! I hope you give this one a try.
BBQ Chicken Panini with Cheddar and Basil
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 10 minutes
- Total Time: 25 minutes
- Yield: 4 sandwiches 1x
Description
This BBQ chicken panini with cheddar and basil is a fantastic option for lunch or dinner. Cheap to make with just a handful of ingredients. This one’s a no-brainer.
Ingredients
- 1 rotisserie chicken
- 2 tablespoons of finely diced red onion
- ¼ cup chopped basil (more if you want)
- ½ cup BBQ sauce (your favorite - more if you want.)
- 8 slices orange cheddar
- 8 slices of good bread
- Olive oil to brush onto bread before cooking
Instructions
- Don’t forget to watch my video with all the step-by-step instructions.
- Remove the skin from the rotisserie chicken. Pull all the meat from the chicken then shred and chop it until it’s in small pieces. Transfer chopped chicken to a large bowl.
- Finely dice the onion. I used red onion, but feel free to use what you have on hand.
- Chop the fresh basil. I like to stack my basil leaves, roll them up, slice the basil, then chop down into smaller, finer bits from there.
- Add your favorite BBQ sauce to the chicken along with the diced onions and fresh basil. I use Stubb's Original. Mix well until everything is coated with the BBQ sauce. You can use more BBQ than the recipe calls for. I tend to like a bit less, so if you want it saucier – simply add more. You can taste it before making the sandwiches to decide.
- Brush one side of each slice of bread with olive oil. ABOUT THE BREAD: Using a good quality, sturdy bread is critical. Generic white bread from the grocery store will not give you the best result and may fall apart too. I used my favorite sandwich bread from a local bakery which was a sliced French bread. You could use a good-quality sour dough (e.g. When Pigs Fly bread), or any sturdy bread that can handle being PRESSED. You need a sturdy bread. A good quality Texas Toast bread would work too.
- Place the cheese slices on the bread.
- Spoon the BBQ chicken mixture on top of the cheese. Use as much as you can without overstuffing it. Try to allow a small border around the edge to allow the mixture to spread out once the sandwich is pressed.
- Put the tops on the sandwiches and place your paninis into a pre-heated pan set to low-to-medium heat. Let the pan heat up for a couple of minutes before adding the sandwiches. I was able to fit two paninis in one pan (bread shape could change this – my bread was oval and larger than if I used square bread). Use two pans if you need to.
- If you have a decent panini press machine at home that gives you good results go ahead and use that. If you don’t have a panini press you can use a cast iron skillet. I’ve found the weight of the skillet on the panini gets the best result. Place skillet on top of paninis and let them cook for 3-5 minutes until golden brown and crispy. (see NOTE 2 below for other options)
- Lift the skillet, then flip the paninis to crisp and brown the other side, place the skillet back on top of the paninis for 3-5 more minutes.
- Remove the skillet from the paninis, transfer the sandwiches to a cutting board and cut them in half. Serve immediately. Enjoy!!
Equipment
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Calphalon Saute Pan with Lid (5QT)
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Notes
- Dried basil is not a substitute that should be used for this sandwich. You will have extra basil which is great because I have a fantastic pesto recipe you can try with your leftovers. Or you can chop it and add it to your dinner salad.
- If you do not have a panini press or a cast iron skillet – no problem. Use a regular pan (probably better if it’s not Teflon) and place it on top of the sandwiches once they’re in the pan. You need a weight so the sandwiches get pressed and crunchy. Fill your teapot with water and place it on top of the pan. If you don’t have a teapot, just fill a pot with water and place on top of the pan that’s on top of the panini. I’ve tried both of these methods before I got my cast iron skillet. They work.
- I understand the temptation to pull out that dusty, old George Foreman grill to press the paninis. It doesn’t work as well as you think it might. The Foreman Grill closes like a clam shell. Paninis need to be pressed evenly from above – not at an angle. The Foreman Grill will likely squeeze the filling right out of the sandwiches.
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