One of our favorite sandwiches and one that we have made for years are the Grilled Chicken Philly. They are quick enough for a perfect weeknight meal and feed a crowd if you host a cookout.
A traditional Philly Sandwich, the Cheesesteak, has only thinly sliced beef and cheese. In fact, many that grew up in Philadelphia use Cheese Wiz, which isn’t really cheese, but in my opinion, tastes pretty good on a sandwich. At some point, onions were added to the Philly Sandwiches.
So while our Grilled Chicken Philly Sandwiches are by no means a traditional Philadelphia sandwich, it does have onions (chicken and peppers) and is piled high on a hoagie bun and stuffed with cheese.
While Doug usually has control of the grill, I have been learning a few things about grilling myself. Along with a few tips from Grill Grrrl and giving a few grilled chicken Philly sandwiches recipes a try like the Grilled Peach and Blueberry Cobbler, I’m getting a little more comfortable with the grill.
Doug butterflied the chicken breasts for me because, well, he’s just simply better at that than I am. Then into a big bowl with Italian Dressing to marinade for about an hour. The peppers and onions also received a little Italian Dressing bath for about 30 minutes.
Tip: be sure to only leave them in the dressing for no more than an hour, or the chicken will become tough
The chicken and veggies are placed on the grill at the same time. The chicken will cook faster than the veggies, but that’s okay because you want to let the chicken rest about 5-10 minutes after they are done cooking. Be sure to baste the chicken and veggies with additional dressing to keep them nice and moist while grilling.
Then it’s time to round up the rest of the ingredients. We bought everything we needed at Walmart. We like purchasing the big pack of boneless, skinless chicken breasts, and if you butterfly them, you can get twice as many from the package, cutting down on your grocery bill.
The hoagie buns are from the bakery, and a package of shredded mozzarella cheese is all we need.
Now let’s prepare the grilled chicken Philly sandwiches – slice the chicken on a diagonal and cut the veggies into strips, then pile them high on the hoagie bun and top with cheese. Create a foil boat for the sandwiches to set in, and place on a cookie sheet, then back on the grill they go for 5-10 minutes to melt the cheese.
Enjoy with Honey Lime Fruit Salad, Grilled Sweet Corn or keep it extra simple with chips and dip.
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Grilled Chicken Philly Sandwiches
- Total Time: 1 hour 40 minutes
Description
Packed with flavor from a simple bottle of Italian Dressing, these Chicken Philly Sandwiches will quickly become a family favorite. Recipe from PocketChangeGourmet.com
Ingredients
- 2–4 chicken breasts, boneless skinless – depending on how many sandwiches you need
- 1 (16 oz) bottle Zesty Italian Dressing
- 2 cups Mozzarella cheese, shredded
- 4–6 hoagie buns
- Peppers – orange, yellow & red – 1 each
- 1 large onion
Instructions
- Butterfly chicken breasts and place in container. Pour dressing over just to cover. Place in fridge for about 1 hour.
- Meanwhile, clean the peppers and onion, cut in half and place in bowl, cover with dressing and let set for about 30 minutes
- Heat grill to medium-high. Place chicken and veggies on grill.
- Cook about 10 minutes and turn, then baste with more dressing
- Cook chicken until meat thermometer reaches 160 degrees, remove and let rest
- Continue cooking veggies until soft about 10 more minutes
- Remove and let rest a few minutes until you can easily handle them
- Cut chicken on the diagonal and slice veggies
- Place on hoagie bun and top with cheese
- Use a large square of aluminum foil to create a boat for the sandwich to set in. Place sandwiches on cookie sheet and return to grill. Heat for 5-10 minutes or until cheese is melted
Notes
Prep time including marinating time
- Prep Time: 1 hour 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 30 minutes
Linking to…Gooseberry Patch
6 Comments
I did not like the Italian dressing marinated chicken and the using mozzarella instead of provolone wasn’t the good idea I thought it might be. Didn’t really have the “Philly cheese” taste I was looking for. I’ll stick to pan fry and traditional seasonings next time.
Sorry you didn’t like it. It’s one of our favorites.
Was it so much that you didnt like it as much as it wasnt what you expected?
It sounds good to me, I plan on giving it a shot.
This recipe looks YUMMY! Quick question….have you ever considered adding nutritionals ? Even if it’s just caloric intake, etc. This would be extremely helpful for those trying to keep their menu fresh yet watch their calories. Food for thought! ????
Hi Kandy, we have been talking about adding nutritional information. However, since we are not experts in nutrition, it can be tricky.
Thanks for the suggestion!
~Liz