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This crispy Goat Cheese Pesto Chicken Sandwich is a copycat of the beloved South Street sandwich from Taylor Gourmet, a past DC institution. With a golden breaded chicken cutlet and a creamy goat cheese pesto spread, it’s fancy enough to impress but still easy enough to make for lunch on the go.
Fried Chicken Cutlet Pesto Sandwich with Goat Cheese
Some restaurants leave a mark on you–not just because the food is good, but because you find yourself thinking about one specific dish long after you’ve left. Taylor Gourmet was that place for me back in the day. Their hoagies were unlike anything else in the city, and the South Street was my absolute favorite. A friend ordered it on one of our visits back in 2013. I tried a bite, and that was it. I knew I had to figure out how to make it at home.
When Taylor Gourmet closed in 2018, it stung. And although they quickly relaunched in 2019, it was under new ownership, and the South Street sadly did not reappear on the menu. This homemade pesto chicken sandwich is my way of keeping that memory alive.
The Goat Cheese Pesto Spread Is Everything
What makes this chicken pesto sandwich recipe so special isn’t the breaded cutlet (though it is undeniably crispy); it’s the goat cheese pesto spread. Softened goat cheese blended with basil pesto creates something creamy, tangy, and herby that completely elevates the whole hoagie. Plus, the heat from the freshly pan-fried chicken cutlet melts the spread right into the bread on contact, creating a wonderfully gooey texture.
How to Make a Chicken Pesto Sandwich
The technique here is approachable even if you’ve never made a breaded chicken cutlet before. Pound the tenderloins thin for even cooking, dip in a buttermilk egg wash for maximum crunch, press into Italian breadcrumbs, and pan-fry until deeply golden. From there, it’s just assembly.
Tips for Success
- Pound the chicken thin and even. This is the single most important step for an extra crispy chicken cutlet. Uneven thickness in areas means the outside can burn before the inside is cooked through.
- Don’t skip the buttermilk. It helps the breadcrumbs stick and adds a subtle tang that works beautifully against the richness of the pesto goat cheese spread.
- Use a sturdy loaf. A good Italian or hoagie roll that can hold up to the filling is essential. Soft sandwich bread will get lost under everything.
Make it Your Own
This recipe is easy to customize. Try adding roasted red peppers, sun-dried tomatoes, or fresh arugula for an extra layer of flavor and texture. Or swap classic basil pesto for my Sun-Dried Tomato Pesto or Pistachio Mint Pesto.
Serving Suggestions
If you love a sandwich that feels a little elevated without requiring much effort, this basil pesto chicken sandwich is going to become a regular in your rotation.
- Pair it with my Crispy Parmesan Potatoes and Roasted Lemony Pesto Asparagus to use up the rest of that jar of pesto.
- Add a complementary side salad, like Arugula Pesto Bowtie Pasta with Goat Cheese, Arugula Spinach Pesto Orzo Salad, or a Lightened Up Kale Caesar Salad.
Storage Instructions
Store the sandwich components separately for the best texture. The chicken cutlets and pesto goat cheese spread will keep well in airtight containers in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Store the bread at room temperature. Once assembled, the sandwich keeps its texture best for just a few hours, so assemble the morning of if taking it to work.
Goat Cheese Pesto Chicken Sandwich
Ingredients
- ¾ cup (90 g) Italian seasoned breadcrumbs
- 2 eggs
- ¼ cup (59 ml) buttermilk
- 4 pieces chicken tenderloins, pounded out to thin, flat
- 2 tablespoons olive oil, divided
- Salt and pepper, to taste
- 4 ounces (113 g) goat cheese, softened
- 4 tablespoons basil pesto, homemade or store-bought
- Large loaf of bread, cut in half then half again lengthwise for two sub rolls
Instructions
- In two separate shallow containers, add the breadcrumbs to one container and whisk the eggs and buttermilk together in the other.3/4 cup (90 g) Italian seasoned breadcrumbs, 2 eggs, 1/4 cup (59 ml) buttermilk
- Take a piece of the flattened chicken tenderloin and dip both sides in the egg/milk mixture, then cover in breadcrumbs. Shake to remove the excess. Repeat until all the chicken pieces have been covered in breadcrumbs.4 pieces chicken tenderloins
- In a large skillet, over medium high, add 1 tbsp. of olive oil in the skillet then place two chicken pieces into the skillet. Let it get nice and brown on one side before flipping, about 2 minutes. Season with salt and pepper, to taste. Repeat with the other two chicken pieces and 1 tbsp. of olive oil. Place cooked chicken on a plate and set aside.2 tablespoons olive oil, Salt and pepper
- In a small bowl, mix together softened goat cheese and basil pesto.4 ounces (113 g) goat cheese, 4 tablespoons basil pesto
- Using a knife, spread half of the goat cheese pesto mixture onto one side of the bread then place two chicken cutlets onto the other side of the bread. Press both sides together and cut in half. Repeat with the other chicken cutlets and bread.Large loaf of bread
- The warmth from the chicken cutlets should melt the goat cheese mixture and give it a nice creamy consistency.
- Serve warm.
Nutrition
Photographs by Meg McKeehan Photography
Girl, I don’t know what you are talking about, these pictures are good! But I do know what you mean, sandwiches can be tough! This sandwich looks so fantastic though! Pesto and goat cheese are a glorious combo!
Holy moly, this combination sounds like heaven. I’d love to try this soon.
I’m not a huge sandwich person but I could get into this! You can’t go wrong with pesto and goat cheese.
The movie I’m most anticipating this summer is “Now You See Me”. Have you seen the trailer? Can’t wait!!
I love that you re-created this sandwich. Keep re-creating anything you can from D.C. because here in Mississippi, we don’t really have many good food places! I’ll have to rely on your copy-cat recipes. :)
Mmm you photographed this sandwich quite well if you ask me! I am drooling!! I love pesto and have a had a similar sandwich years ago! Now I can make it at home! Perfect :)
This is TOTALLY my kind of sandwich! And for the record…your pics are awesome ;)
Gatsby is one of my all time favorite books, and I too fell in love with it in high school, though reading novels was pretty much the only homework I eve did willingly. Fitzgerald is brilliant. I just heard about a new book based on the relationship between Scott and Zelda, and I can’t wait to read it. Also, this sandwich looks brilliant. And, on another literary note, eating goat cheese now makes me fee like Katnis Everdeen.
Okay seriously, freaking loved that book so much and I’m ridiculously excited for the movie. Yeah. Oh and there is this area semi near us that we use to go to all of the time pre-kids, I called this one house the gatsby house and really really want to win the lottery and buy it some day.
Looks pretty perfect to me! This is everything I love!
I love myself a good sandwich (…and pasta, noodles, pizza, cake, okay…there is a long list)! This looks delicious!