One place I could eat at non-stop is Panera. I love their soups, salads, breakfast, heck even their coffee. The one sandwich I get on repeat is Panera's Frontega Chicken Panini.
A pressed, pulled chicken sandwich with melty mozzarella, tomato, and an addicting chipotle may spread all smooshed between crusty, ciabatta bread.
What's In The Frontega Chicken Panini?
The best part of the Frontega Chicken Panini are the delicious and fresh components inside!
The panini consists of...
- pulled chicken or sliced chicken
- chipotle mayo
- Roma tomato
- mozzarella
- red onion
- basil
All smooshed together in a hot panini press to form a melty, hearty, yet light chicken panini sandwich.
Making Chipolte Mayo
So one of the stars of the Panera Frontega Chicken Panini is that creamy chipolte mayo.
You simply need chipotle in adobo sauce, mayo (I'm actually using a combo of mayo and Greek yogurt), and a food processor!
It blends together seamlessly and now you have delicious homemade chipotle mayo sauce for any of your needs! This would make a delicious sauce for my Chicken Sliders, Loaded Burger Bowl, or even dip veggies in!
What Bread To Use For a Panini?
For this specific panini we are using ciabatta. It's the perfect sandwich panini bread because that's what's in Panera's original Frontega Chicken Panini!
Ciabatta bread crisps up great while still maintaining a soft bite, it won't destroy the roof of your mouth.
Another delicious panini bread option is sourdough. I loveeeee the way sourdough toasts up in a panini press and you can get pre-sliced loaves at the store, perfect for paninis like my Leftover Turkey Sandwich.
However if you don't have access to either of these, just grab an artisan loaf from the deli section of your grocery store. Almost anything other than plain white bread will work!
How To Press A Sandwich?
Ok this might sound silly - how to press a panini sandwich? But I've made enough panini's and cleaned enough panini presses to find the best way to do it.
- First, you want to grease the press so that anything falling out of this sandwich has a very slim chance of sticking.
- Spray it with cooking spray first. This will also ensure the outside of your panini is crispy.
- Carefully build your sandwich then transfer it to the press. Lower the top press onto the sandwich and slowly add more pressure.
- You might start to hear a sizzle, stop pressing and just wait. For this sandwich we will wait about 3-5 minutes until the cheese is melted and everything is warmed through.
After the sandwich is warm, remove it and immediately wipe your press down. If you let things get stuck on there you will be very angry with yourself when you go to wash it later.
What If I Don't Have a Panini Press?
You have a couple of options, you could use a griddle and simply cook both sides of the panini and mash it down with a spatula.
You could also use a nonstick skillet and place the panini on it to begin warming, flip it over and set a cast-iron skillet on top to press.
Serving and Storing Panera Frontega Chicken Panini
Ok since this is a hot sandwich we probably want to eat it immediately for best results!
However, if you absolutely need to store it, or have leftovers, put it in an airtight container in the fridge. The bread may get soggy if left too long but simply place in a toaster oven to reheat.
📖 Recipe
Panera Frontega Chicken Panini
Equipment
- panini press
Ingredients
- 4 ciabatta buns
- 12 oz chicken 2 sliced chicken breasts or ½ a shredded rotisserie chicken
- 8 slices of mozzarella cheese
- 2 Roma tomatoes sliced
- ¼ cup fresh basil leaves
- ½ cup mayonnaise
- 1 8 oz jar of chili in adobo, diced
- ½ a red onion sliced
Instructions
- In a small bowl combine the diced chilis in adobo and the mayo. Whisk together until combined.
- Smear on 1 side of each of the ciabatta buns.
- Layer the chicken, tomato, basil, red onion, mozzarella, and the other bun.
- Place the sandwiches 2 at a time on the panini press and press for about 5-6 minutes.
- Slice and serve!
Wanda says
It’s a good sandwich but they have reduced the size and increased the price. Very small. Maybe 1/4 of a sandwich now
Asian salad should not be called that. It’s just lettuce sprinkled mostly wit tortillas and a little chicken.
Sara Ayesh says
Hi Wanda! Thanks so much for checking out my blog. I'm not actually affiliated with Panera - I just wanted to show you how to make it yourself at home. I hope you'll reconsider your 2-star review of my sandwich if you haven't tried the recipe yet! Thanks so much and have a great weekend.
Bob says
These look amazing, I have never tried them at the Panera I will need to try them at home.
Joe says
I loved to Panera when I had one closer than I do now. The bread bowls were always my favorite! This recipe sounds delicious, and it's great to see you give some options for those who don't have a panini press!
Kate says
I LOVE paninis! You really can't beat a good toasted sandwich. This looks delicious and it's on my list to try - yum!
Rachel says
I love copycat recipes. This one is no exception. I love that I can make this sandwich at home for half the cost or better. Thanks for sharing!
Andrea says
Yum. I love panini and a good copycat sandwich. Thanks for this!
Jamie says
I’ve lost count on the amount of times I’ve made this recipe. Since the first time I saw it. It’s SO GOOD!! Thanks for sharing, Sarah!
Sara Ayesh says
I love it!! Thank you so much for making it and enjoying!
Julie says
Making for the first time tonight! The bread is so thick I can’t press the panini!! Lol
Kelly says
I’m made these for dinner tonight and they were delicious!
Sue says
The chipotle mayo is a much stronger flavored mayo than Panera. It was too spicy for my family and me.
Adriana Creath says
You can fine chipotle mayo in most Walmarts, hispanic aisle.
Sara Ayesh says
This is great advice! I will have to check that out and try it. Thanks!
Denise Harris says
My husband and kids loved them!