This French bistro-style pressed chicken sandwich is everything you want in a café lunch without leaving home. Juicy herbes de Provence marinated chicken is grilled and pressed until golden, then layered with creamy brie, crisp haricots verts, quick-pickled radishes, and fresh greens on a toasted baguette. The Dijon-herb aioli ties it all together with a zesty, creamy finish. It's elegant enough to serve to guests, but simple enough for a weeknight dinner.
Why We Love This Recipe
- French Bistro Vibes: Brings a touch of Paris to your kitchen.
- Balanced Flavours: Creamy, tangy, crunchy, and fresh in every bite.
- Versatile: Great for lunch, dinner, or entertaining guests.
- Simple but Impressive: Easy steps with restaurant-quality results.
Ingredients
For the Herbes de Provence Chicken
- Boneless, skinless chicken breasts
- Olive oil
- Lemon juice
- Dijon mustard
- Herbes de Provence
- Garlic clove
- Salt and pepper
Quick-Pickled Radishes
- Radishes
- White wine vinegar
- Sugar
- Salt
Dijon-Herb Aioli
- Mayonnaise
- Dijon mustard
- Lemon juice
- Fresh tarragon (or parsley)
- Salt and pepper to taste
For the Sandwich
- Demi-baguettes or bâtards
- Brie, thinly sliced
- Haricots verts (green beans)
- Neutral oil (avocado or canola)
- Frisée or arugula
- Freshly cracked pepper
See the recipe card below for exact quantities.
Instructions
Marinate the Chicken
In a small bowl, whisk together olive oil, lemon juice, Dijon, herbes de Provence, and garlic.
Pat the chicken dry with paper towels and place it in a shallow dish or sheet pan. Season with salt and pepper.
Pour the marinade over the chicken, making sure it's well coated. Marinate for up to 15 minutes at room temperature, or up to 2 hours in the refrigerator. Avoid marinating overnight, as the lemon juice will begin to "cook" the chicken and affect its texture.
Quick-Pickle the Radishes
In a small bowl, whisk vinegar, sugar, and salt. Add radish slices, toss to coat, and let sit at least 10 minutes.
Prepare the Dijon-Herb Aioli
In a small bowl, whisk together mayonnaise, Dijon, lemon juice, tarragon, salt, and pepper.
Cook the Haricots Verts
Preheat the griddle to medium-low.
Add neutral oil and haricots verts. Cook 2-3 minutes, stirring occasionally, until tender and slightly charred. Transfer to a bowl and season lightly with salt.
Preheat the Sheet Pan
Place the sheet pan in a 200°C (390°F) oven for 5-7 minutes. Carefully remove with oven mitts.
Griddle and Press the Chicken
Lightly oil the griddle. Pat off any excess marinade from the chicken with paper towels.
Arrange chicken on the griddle and place the preheated sheet pan directly on top.
Cook for 6-7 minutes, then remove the sheet pan. Flip the chicken and cook another 6-7 minutes (without the sheet pan), until golden and the internal temperature reaches 74°C (165°F). Use a meat thermometer; cooking time may vary depending on the thickness of the chicken and your equipment.
Top each chicken breast with a ¼-inch slice of brie. Cover with a cooking dome or large stainless steel bowl until the cheese melts, about 4 minutes. Transfer to a plate and rest while you toast the bread.
Toast the Bread
Slice the baguettes lengthwise to the size of the chicken. Toast the cut sides on the griddle for 1-2 minutes, until lightly crisp. TIP: We cut the ends off and cut them into cubes for croutons for our simple green salad.
Assemble the Sandwiches
Spread Dijon-herb aioli on the bottom half of each baguette.
Layer with greens, pickled radishes, chicken topped with brie, and haricots verts. Close with the top half of the baguette, slice in half, and secure with sandwich picks. Serve immediately. Bon appétit!
Serving Suggestions
- Pair with a crisp white wine like Sauvignon Blanc or a light rosé.
- Serve alongside a simple green salad with a Dijon-shallot vinaigrette.
- For a bistro-style meal, add pommes frites or roasted potatoes.
Tips & Substitutions
- Cheese Swap: Camembert, goat cheese, or Havarti work well if you don't have brie.
- Vegetable Variation: Substitute asparagus, zucchini ribbons, or grilled peppers for the haricots verts.
- Make Ahead: Pickled radishes and aioli can be made 2 days in advance and stored in the fridge.
- No Griddle? Use a heavy skillet and press with a second heavy pan.
FAQ’s
A: Pressing the chicken with a hot sheet pan (or a heavy skillet) helps it cook evenly and quickly while creating a golden, slightly crisp exterior. It also keeps the chicken juicy by sealing in flavour. The technique is similar to how a panini press works, but adapted for chicken breasts.
A: Herbes de Provence is a traditional French herb blend that usually includes thyme, rosemary, oregano, marjoram, and savoury. Some blends also include lavender, fennel, or tarragon. It's known for its fragrant, earthy flavour and is commonly used in Mediterranean cooking to season chicken, vegetables, and grilled meats. If you don't have it on hand, you can make your own mix using equal parts dried thyme, rosemary, and oregano, then add a pinch of lavender if you like.
A: A griddle makes it easy to press and cook the chicken evenly, but you can also use a heavy skillet. To press, place another heavy pan on top of the chicken while cooking.
Equipment Used:
This Herbes de Provence Chicken Sandwich was made effortlessly in the New Hestan Culinary Double Burner Griddle and the OvenBond Medium Sheet Pan (used as a press). All opinions in this post are always my own.
📖 Recipe
Herbes de Provence Chicken Sandwich with Brie & Dijon Aioli
Ingredients
Chicken
- 4 chicken breasts boneless and skinless
- 2 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
- 1 ½ teaspoon herbes de Provence
- 1 garlic clove minced
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper
Quick-Pickled Radishes
- 6-8 small radishes thinly sliced
- ½ cup white wine vinegar
- 2 teaspoon sugar
- 1 teaspoon salt
Dijon-Herb Aioli
- 6 tablespoon mayonnaise
- 2 teaspoon Dijon mustard
- 2 teaspoon lemon juice
- 2 teaspoon finely chopped fresh tarragon or parsley
- Salt and pepper to taste
For Assembling the Sandwiches
- 4 demi-baguettes or bâtards
- 100 g 3.5 oz brie, thinly sliced
- 100 g 3.5 oz haricots verts (green beans), trimmed
- 1 teaspoon neutral oil avocado or canola
- 1 cup frisée or arugula
- Freshly ground pepper
Instructions
Marinate the Chicken
- In a small bowl, whisk together olive oil, lemon juice, Dijon, herbes de Provence, and garlic.
- Pat the chicken dry with paper towels and place it in a shallow dish or sheet pan. Season with salt and pepper.
- Pour the marinade over the chicken, making sure it's well coated. Marinate for up to 15 minutes at room temperature, or up to 2 hours in the refrigerator. Avoid marinating overnight, as the lemon juice will begin to "cook" the chicken and affect its texture.
Quick-Pickle the Radishes
- In a small bowl, whisk vinegar, sugar, and salt. Add radish slices, toss to coat, and let sit at least 10 minutes.
Prepare the Aioli
- In a small bowl, whisk together mayonnaise, Dijon, lemon juice, tarragon, salt, and pepper.
Cook the Haricots Verts
- Preheat the griddle to medium-low.
- Add neutral oil and haricots verts. Cook 2-3 minutes, stirring occasionally, until tender and slightly charred. Transfer to a bowl and season lightly with salt.
Preheat the Sheet Pan
- Place the sheet pan in a 200°C (390°F) oven for 5-7 minutes. Carefully remove with oven mitts.
Griddle and Press the Chicken
- Lightly oil the griddle. Pat off any excess marinade from the chicken with paper towels.
- Arrange chicken on the griddle and place the preheated sheet pan directly on top. Cook for 6-7 minutes, then remove the sheet pan. Flip the chicken and cook another 6-7 minutes (without the sheet pan), until golden and the internal temperature reaches 74°C (165°F). Use a meat thermometer; cooking time may vary depending on the thickness of the chicken and your equipment.
- Top each chicken breast with a ¼-inch slice of brie. Cover with a cooking dome or large stainless steel bowl until the cheese melts, about 4 minutes. Transfer to a plate and rest while you toast the bread.
Toast the Bread
- Slice the baguettes lengthwise to the size of the chicken. Toast the cut sides on the griddle for 1-2 minutes, until lightly crisp. TIP: We cut the ends off and cut them into cubes for croutons for our simple green salad.
Assemble the Sandwiches
- Spread Dijon-herb aioli on the bottom half of each baguette.
- Layer with greens, pickled radishes, chicken topped with brie, and haricots verts.
- Close with the top half of the baguette, slice in half, and secure with sandwich picks. Serve immediately. Bon appétit!
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