Homemade Frontega Chicken® Sandwich

Skip the drive-thru and make this Homemade Frontega Chicken® Sandwich at home! Inspired by the popular Panera sandwich, this version features juicy rotisserie chicken, fresh mozzarella, tomatoes, fresh basil, red onion, and chipotle aioli layered on homemade No-Knead Focaccia buns. Once assembled, the sandwich is toasted on a panini press until golden and irresistible. This easy-to-make copycat sandwich is perfect for lunch or dinner.

Quick Look at the Recipe

• Prep Time: 5 minutes
• Cook Time: 4 minutes in the Panini Press at 350°F
• Difficulty Level: Easy
• Special Feature: Reverse-engineered from a deconstructed Panera sandwich
• Special Equipment: Panini Press
• Make-ahead Friendly: Components can be made ahead of time, but best if assembled right before toasting.

Jump to:

• Quick Look at the Recipe
• Why This Recipe Works
• Ingredients - Here's What You'll Need
• Deconstructing a Panera Frontega Chicken® Sandwich
• How I Made the Homemade Frontega Chicken Sandwich
• Chula's Test Kitchen Lessons and Tips
• Frequently Asked Questions
• Other Copycat Recipes
• Recipe

Why This Recipe Works

• Homemade focaccia buns add authentic artisan texture and flavor.
• Fresh mozzarella becomes creamy and soft when toasted.
• Chipotle aioli adds just the right amount of smoky heat
• Fresh basil brightens every bite
• The ingredient ratios mimic Panera's sandwich, creating a perfectly balanced sandwich
• Ready in about 15 minutes if the focaccia buns are on hand.

Ingredients - Here's What You'll Need

• No-Knead Focaccia Buns: The star of the show. The airy crumb and crisp crust provide more texture and flavor than standard sandwich bread or buns.
• Chipotle Aioli: Store-bought works well and adds a subtle smoky heat that ties the sandwich ingredients together.
• Fresh Basil: Don't skip it! During testing, the basic proved to be one of the most important flavor components.
• Rotisserie Chicken: An easy shortcut that works well in this recipe. I tried white-only, dark-only, and a combination. All three were equally good. The Panera ingredients listed smoked chicken, but I couldn't really detect any smoky flavor.
• Fresh Mozzarella: Softens beautifully when the sandwich is toasted without becoming greasy or overpowering.

Deconstructing a Panera Frontega Chicken® Sandwich

Before starting this recipe, I wanted information on the ingredients, their relative weights, and the order in which they were added to the assembled sandwich.

The ingredients were listed on Panera's website, with detailed ingredients listed by weight.

For the relative weights of the ingredients and their order, I deconstructed a purchased Frontega Chicken® sandwich. The weights and order of assembly on half a sandwich were as follows:

• Pepper focaccia - 73.9 grams, 2.60 ounces
• Aioli - ~ 5 grams, 0.18 ounces
• Basil - 1.6 grams, 0.06 ounces
• Chicken - 47.1 grams, 1.66 ounces
• Mozzarella - 22.1 grams, 0.78 ounces
• Red onion - 7.1 grams, 0.25 ounces
• Tomato slices (3) - 23 grams, 0.81 ounces

From its appearance, it appeared to me that the "pepper" focaccia was superficial. There were a few black pepper flecks on the surface of the focaccia, but none that I noticed on the interior.

I expected the chicken to dominate the sandwich - it didn't! The chicken accounted for less than half of the filling weight. The real stars were the focaccia, chipotle aioli, basil, fresh mozzarella, red onion, and tomatoes working together to create the signature Frontega flavor.

How I Made the Homemade Frontega Chicken Sandwich

1. Prepare the ingredients: Cut the focaccia bun in half, horizontally. Shred the chicken, thinly slice the tomatoes and red onion, and tear the basil leaves into smaller pieces. Place the tomatoes and fresh mozzarella on paper towels and press to remove excess moisture.

2. Assemble the Sandwich: Spread the chipotle aioli on the cut sides of the focaccia bun. To the bottom bun, add the fresh basil, chicken, mozzarella, red onion, and tomato slices. Top with the remaining half of the bun.

3. Toast the Sandwich: Wrap the sandwich in parchment paper and toast in a panini press at 350°F for 4 minutes or until the bread is lightly crisp, the mozzarella is softened, and the sandwich is warmed through.

4. Serve: Slice the sandwich in half and serve immediately.

If you're a fan of the popular Panera Frontega Chicken® Sandwich, this homemade version deserves a spot on your menu. With fresh ingredients, creamy mozzarella, bright basil, and homemade focaccia buns, it's an easy lunch or dinner that feels special enough for company.

I reverse-engineered the sandwich so you won't have to! Yum!

Chula's Test Kitchen Lessons and Tips

After deconstructing the original sandwich and weighing every ingredient, I discovered that what makes the Frontega special isn't an excessive amount of meat, cheese, or aioli. It's the balance.

Fresh basil is more important than I initially thought, and dried basil simply can't replicate its flavor. The Chipotle aioli provides subtle heat rather than overwhelming spice. When the sandwich is toasted, the ingredients blend together into something greater than the sum of their parts.

It's important to blot the tomatoes with paper towels before assembling the sandwich. With one version, I skipped the blotting, and the moisture compromised the focaccia's integrity.

Frequently Asked Questions

Other Copycat Recipes

For other copycat recipes, try these!

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