Pesto Chicken Bagel with Mozzarella and Tomatoes
My pesto chicken bagel is a hearty, flavor-packed option for a pick-me-up lunch or dinner. It’s grilled or pan-fried chicken breast coated in homemade pesto with sliced tomatoes and mozzarella in a soft sesame bagel.
You can make it in the morning, wrap it, and take it to work. Or, if everyone is home, my recipe gives you enough to feed four hungry mouths for lunch or dinner.
Ingredients
To make my pesto chicken bagel, you will need the following ingredients:
- Bagels – 4 sesame bagels (or your favorite plain or savory bagel)
- Chicken Breast – 1 lb chicken breast (450 grams)
- Pesto – 1/2 cup fresh basil pesto (see linked recipe)
- Mozzarella – 14 oz (400 grams) fresh mozzarella
- Tomatoes – 2 large tomatoes
- Arugula – 1 cup (packed) arugula
- Salt – 1/2 tsp kosher salt (or more to taste)
- Pepper – 1/2 tsp black pepper (or more to taste)
- Garlic Powder – 1/2 tsp garlic powder
- Olive Oil – 1 tbsp (for grilling/pan-frying the chicken)
How to Make It (Step-by-Step)
Step 1 – Butterfly the chicken breast and season it with salt, black pepper, and garlic powder.
Step 2 – To a grill pan or frying pan over medium-high heat, add 1 tbsp of olive oil and pan-fry the chicken until fully cooked (about 3-4 minutes on each side). The chicken breast is fully cooked when the internal temperature, when measured with a meat thermometer, is 165°F (or 74°C).
Step 3 – When the chicken is cooked, spoon about one teaspoon of pesto over each butterflied chicken breast fillet. Let the chicken rest on a warm plate for about 5 minutes while you work on the bagels and fillings.
Step 4 – Cut the bagels in half. Optionally, toast them. I generally like to toast them in the same pan I cooked the chicken (for extra flavor)! If using the pan, just place them face down and toast for about a minute. If the pan is too dry, add a drizzle of olive oil.
Step 5 – Slice the tomatoes and mozzarella and prepare the assembly station.
Step 6 – Divide the remaining pesto among the bagels, spreading it on both bagel halves. Then, add the tomatoes, mozzarella, arugula, and pesto chicken.
Step 7 – To keep the bagel fillings from falling out, I do what many bagel shops do. Wrap the bagels tightly in parchment paper (or wrapping paper) so it’s all contained. Then, cut the bagel in half (see below).
To wrap it, get a square piece of parchment paper/wrapping paper and then place the bagel in a corner. Then fold the paper over the bagel from the corner on a diagonal until it’s all wrapped. Then, tuck the flaps under the bagel or use a piece of tape to tape the flaps to each other.
Serve it warm or cold (you can meal prep this ahead of time and take with you to work for lunch).
Every mouthful delivers an indulgent fusion of Italian-inspired flavors in between a chewy, soft bagel. I absolutely love dishes like this because they are hearty, filling, and very flavorful!
Recipe Card
Pesto Chicken Bagels with Mozzarella and Tomatoes
Ingredients
- 4 sesame bagels (or your favorite plain or savory bagel)
- 1 lb chicken breast (450 grams)
- 1/2 cup fresh basil pesto
- 14 oz (400 grams) fresh mozzzarella
- 2 large tomatoes
- 1 cup (packed) arugula
- 1/2 tsp kosher salt (or more to taste)
- 1/2 tsp black pepper
- 1/2 tsp garlic powder
- 1 tbsp olive oil (for grilling/pan-frying the chicken)
Instructions
- Butterfly the chicken breast and season it with salt, black pepper, and garlic powder.
- To a frying pan or grill pan over medium-high heat, add 1 tbsp of olive oil and pan-fry the chicken until fully cooked (about 3-4 minutes on each side). The chicken breast is fully cooked when the internal temperature, when measured with a meat thermometer, is 165°F (or 74°C).
- When the chicken is cooked, spoon about 1 tsp of pesto over each butterflied chicken breast fillet. Let the chicken rest on a warm plate for about 5 minutes while you work on the bagels and fillings.
- Cut the bagels in half. Optionally, toast them. I generally like to toast them in the same pan I cooked the chicken (for extra flavor)! If using the pan, just place them face down and toast for about a minute. If the pan is too dry, add a drizzle of olive oil.
- Slice the tomatoes and mozzarella, and prepare the assembly station.
- Divide the remaining pesto among the bagels, spreading it on both bagel halves. Then, add the tomatoes, mozzarella, arugula, and pesto chicken.
- To keep the bagel fillings from falling out, I do what many bagel shops do. Wrap the bagels tightly in parchment paper (or wrapping paper) so it’s all contained. Then, cut the bagel in half (see below). To wrap it, get a square piece of parchment paper/wrapping paper and then place the bagel in a corner. Then, fold the paper over the bagel from the corner on a diagonal until it’s all wrapped. Then, tuck the flaps under the bagel or use a piece of tape to tape the flaps to each other.
- Serve it warm or cold (you can meal prep this ahead of time and take it with you to work for lunch).
You Might Also Like to Try These Chicken Recipes:
- Creamy Grilled Chicken Wrap Recipe
- Crispy Chicken Burger Recipe (with Parmesan-Lemon-Basil Sauce)
- Grilled Chicken Panini Recipe with Lemon-Basil Aioli
Don’t forget to save my bagel recipe to one of your lunch idea boards. Whenever you’re shopping for the week, you can quickly find this recipe to get the ingredients.
