Barbecue Chicken Grilled Cheese
Are you looking for a super easy dinner that is hearty, full of flavor and a hit with the whole family? Try this Barbecue Chicken Grilled Cheese! Sweet and savory barbecue chicken and creamy gouda cheese sandwiched between garlicy buttery bread you can’t beat this flavor combination!
We love a weeknight meal that the whole family loves and that comes together quickly and easily. We’ve taken shredded chicken, added barbecue sauce and a whole lot of lot of other goodness to pack it full of flavor. This is a great way to use up leftover cooked chicken and give it a whole new life, creating something super delicious!
Barbecue Chicken Grilled Cheese
Ingredients
- 1 Red Onion finely sliced
- 2 tbsp vegetable oil
- 3 cups shredded cooked chicken
- 2 tsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp paprika
- 2 tsp Worcestershire sauce
- 2 cups honey bbq sauce
- 8 slices of Gouda cheese
- 1/4 cup of butter
- 2 tbsp garlic powder
- 2 tbsp dried parsley
- 8 slices of brioche bread
Instructions
- Heat a large skillet over medium heat and add the olive oil.
- Add in the onions and sauté for 2–3 minutes, stirring occasionally, until they’re just beginning to soften.
- Add the chicken, garlic powder, paprika, Worcestershire sauce, and BBQ sauce. Stir it all together until the chicken is fully coated. Turn off the heat and set the pan aside.
- In a small microwave-safe bowl, combine the butter, garlic powder, and dried parsley. Microwave for 10–30 seconds, just until the butter is melted stir to combine.
- Lay out 8 slices of bread on a sheet of parchment paper. Using a pastry brush, baster or spoon spread the butter mixture on one side only of each slice.
- Flip the slices over so the buttered sides are facing down. Place a slice of cheese on four of the slices. Spoon the chicken mixture evenly over the cheese. Top with another slice of cheese, then place the remaining slices of bread on top—buttered side up this time.
- Spray a large skillet with nonstick cooking spray and heat it over medium-low.
- Grill the sandwiches for 3–4 minutes on each side, or until the bread is golden and crispy and the cheese is melted. Slice, serve warm, and enjoy!
- Other Posts You’ll Love
- Air Fryer Grilled Cheese – Air fryer grilled cheese sandwiches are perfectly crispy on the outside with gooey melted cheese inside! They are the perfect easy lunch or dinner!
- Pizza Grilled Cheese – Pizza grilled cheese is full of mozzarella, provolone, pepperoni and sauce sandwiched between buttery seasoned toasted Italian bread!
- Jalapeno Popper Grilled Cheese – If you love jalapeno poppers you are going to go crazy for these jalapeno popper grilled cheese sandwiches! They are loaded with cheese, bacon, a little spice, and a ton of deliciousness!
Ingredient Notes & Substitutions for Barbecue Grilled Cheese
Red Onion– For this recipe we slice the red onions thinly and saute them to ad some delicious flavor to these sandwiches. If you prefer onions raw you can skip the cooking, or add additional raw ones to your sandwich. You can also swap out the red onions for yellow or vidalia if you prefer them!
Olive Oil – You just need a little oil for this recipe. My go-to is always olive oil but you can also use avocado oil or your favorite cooking oil.
Shredded Cooked Chicken– Cook up your favorite chicken for this recipe, use leftover grilled chicken or even grab a rotisserie chicken at the store. You can use light or dark meat, whatever you like best!
Garlic Powder– Around here we love garlic so it’s used twice in this recipe. Once in the chicken and once to create the buttery garlic bread. Make sure to use garlic powder not garlic salt.
Smoked Paprika– Smoked paprika adds a delicious smoky flavor to the chicken. Even if you don’t grill the chicken you’ll have that grilled flavor!
Worcestershire Sauce– This helps add another layer of flavor to the chicken and sauce. If you don’t have Worcestershire you can replace it with soy sauce for a similar umami flavor.
Honey BBQ Sauce – We like to use honey bbq to add a touch of sweetness to this sandwich. I personally love Sweet Baby Rays but you can use your favorite brand. If you want less sweetness you can use a different flavor.
Gouda Cheese– We LOVE gouda- it has a mild creamy flavor and it melts beautifully. If you’re not a fan or can’t find gouda a great substitute is Monterey Jack or Provolone.
Butter– Butter helps this grilled cheese get nice and crispy and adds a ton of flavor.
Dried Parsley– Parsley adds a touch of fresh flavor to the garlic bread used to make this sandwich.
Brioche Bread– Brioche is an enriched bread so it is sturdy, soft, rich and buttery. It makes an amazing sandwich and this grilled cheese is no exception. If you prefer a different bread you can use your favorite! For a shortcut you can use Texas Toast in place of the bread, garlic and butter.
Step by Step Directions for Barbecue Chicken Grilled Cheese-
Heat a large skillet over medium heat and add the olive oil.
Add in the onions and sauté for 2–3 minutes, stirring occasionally, until they’re just beginning to soften.
Add the chicken, garlic powder, paprika, Worcestershire sauce, and BBQ sauce. Stir it all together until the chicken is fully coated. Turn off the heat and set the pan aside.
Want to Save This Recipe?
We'll send this post straight to your email inbox!
In a small microwave-safe bowl, combine the butter, garlic powder, and dried parsley. Microwave for 10–30 seconds, just until the butter is melted stir to combine.
Lay out 8 slices of bread on a sheet of parchment paper. Using a pastry brush, baster or spoon spread the butter mixture on one side only of each slice.
Flip the slices over so the buttered sides are facing down. Place a slice of cheese on four of the slices. Spoon the chicken mixture evenly over the cheese. Top with another slice of cheese, then place the remaining slices of bread on top—buttered side up this time.
Spray a large skillet with nonstick cooking spray and heat it over medium-low.
Grill the sandwiches for 3–4 minutes on each side, or until the bread is golden and crispy and the cheese is melted. Slice, serve warm, and enjoy!
FAQ & Tips for This Delicious Grilled Cheese
What to serve with this grilled cheese-
While traditionally grilled cheese is served with soup I like to serve these with something lighter. They are delicious with a picnic salad like macaroni salad or potato salad. They are also great with a simple green salad, steamed vegetable or air fried veggie!
How to store and reheat these sandwiches-
These sandwiches keep well refrigerated in an airtight container for 2-3 days. To reheat them and keep the outside crispy you can heat them in a skillet over low to medium heat or until heated through. They also heat well in the air fryer on 300 for about 5 minutes.
Can you make these ahead of time?
If you want to prep these for a quick and easy dinner here are some suggestions. Make the chicken filling, slice the cheese and make the garlic butter. That way you can assemble them quickly and easily. If you assemble them too far ahead they can get soggy.
