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Grilled Chicken Sandwiches with Halloumi 780 | Umami Girl
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4.91 from 11 votes

Grilled Chicken Sandwiches with Halloumi

These grilled chicken sandwiches with halloumi are bursting with Greek-Inspired flavors. They're an easy, family-friendly meal that feels a little special.
Prep Time15 minutes
Cook Time15 minutes
Additional Time30 minutes
Total Time1 hour
Course: Sandwiches
Cuisine: Greek
Keyword: grilled chicken sandwiches
Calories: 580kcal
Author: Carolyn Gratzer Cope

Ingredients

For the marinade

  • ¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil
  • Juice of 1 lemon about 3 tablespoons
  • 6 garlic cloves minced
  • ½ teaspoon fine sea salt
  • ½ teaspoon dried dill weed
  • ½ teaspoon dried oregano
  • A few good grinds black pepper

For the sandwiches

  • 2 large boneless skinless chicken breast halves, about 1 ½ pounds total // OR 1 ½ pounds chicken tenders
  • 2 medium red bell peppers
  • 8 ounces halloumi cheese
  • 4 brioche hamburger buns
  • 4 small handfuls baby arugula leaves

For the sauce

  • ½ cup sour cream
  • 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
  • 1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
  • 1 small shallot minced
  • 2 tablespoons minced flat-leaf parsley
  • 1 tablespoon minced fresh dill or 1 teaspoon dried
  • 1 tablespoon minced fresh tarragon leaves or 1 teaspoon dried
  • ½ teaspoon fine sea salt
  • Freshly ground black pepper to taste

Instructions

  • Prep the ingredients
  • In a 9x13-inch baking dish or other large, shallow dish, whisk together the marinade ingredients: olive oil, lemon juice, garlic, salt, dill, oregano, and pepper.
  • Cut each chicken breast in half across the middle and pound with a mallet if necessary to make each piece about an inch thick and a little bigger than a hamburger bun. Or, if using chicken tenders, see prep note below.
  • Place chicken pieces into the dish with the marinade and coat well., Leave to marinate at room temperature for 30 minutes or in the fridge for anywhere between 2 and 24 hours.
  • Cut bell peppers in half from stem end to tip and remove stems, ribs and seeds. Cut a slit of about an inch at both the top and bottom of each pepper half to help it relax into a flatter shape as it grills.
  • Cut halloumi into four slices, not super-thin or they might get too floppy on the grill. 
  • Grilling Instructions
  • Prepare grill for direct heat.
  • Arrange chicken on grill with some marinade still clinging to it. Dredge pepper pieces through marinade and place on grill.
  • Grill for 5 minutes on the first side, then flip everything and grill chicken about 3 to 4 minutes more, until just cooked through. (Chicken tenders will cook much faster.)
  • Set chicken on a clean plate.
  • If peppers are soft enough for your liking, remove them too, otherwise leave them on while you grill the halloumi.
  • Dredge halloumi through marinade and place on grill. Cook 2 to 3 minutes on first side, until chewy and lightly grill-marked. Flip and cook one minute more.
  • Sauce & Serve
  • In a small bowl, stir together the sauce ingredients: sour cream, olive oil, lemon juice, shallot, parsley, dill, tarragon, salt, and pepper.
  • Assemble each sandwich by layering chicken, pepper, halloumi and arugula onto each bottom bun and spreading some sauce onto each top bun. Serve right away.

Video

Notes

  1. To prep chicken tenders, you could slide a chef’s knife along the tendon like an actual pro. OR you could embrace the viral tip shared by a woman on TikTok, which really works. Slip the tendon between two tines of a fork. Using a paper towel, grab the tip of the tendon firmly with the other hand. Push down with the fork, and the tendon will strip away from the tender in one piece.
  2. If you can't get your hands on halloumi, feta would make a good substitute, but don't grill it. Just lay a slice onto each sandwich when assembling.
  3. If you prefer to cook indoors, you have two options. (1) Cook everything in batches in a hot cast iron pan or grill pan. Or (2) Preheat the oven to 425°F with a rack in the center. Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment. Arrange chicken, peppers, and halloumi on baking sheet and bake for 15+ minutes until cooked through. Remove halloumi when it's golden and tender.
  4. We love this dish as a sandwich, but for a low-carb or lighter version, you can skip the bun, serve extra arugula on the bottom, and make it a fabulous salad.
  5. You can marinate the chicken up to 24 hours in advance.
  6. Store any leftovers separately in tightly sealed containers in the fridge for up to a week.

Nutrition

Calories: 580kcal | Carbohydrates: 35.4g | Protein: 48.2g | Fat: 24g | Fiber: 3.7g