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BBQ Chicken Grilled Cheese

BBQ chicken grilled cheese with smoky, evenly coated BBQ shredded chicken and a cheddar-mozzarella pull-apart melt. Thick sourdough or Texas toast gets deep golden toasting in a skillet while you build caramelized onion and a cheesy interior.
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Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 10 minutes
Total Time 20 minutes
Servings: 2 servings
Course: Main Dish
Cuisine: American
Calories: 720
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Bread
  • 4 thick sourdough or Texas toast bread
BBQ Chicken
  • 1.5 cup cooked chicken, shredded
  • 3 tbsp BBQ sauce
Cheese
  • 0.5 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese
  • 0.5 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
Onion
  • 0.25 cup red onion, very thinly sliced
Butter
  • 3 tbsp butter, softened

Equipment

  • 1 cast iron skillet

Method
 

Coat the chicken and prep the cheese
  1. Toss the shredded chicken with the BBQ sauce until evenly coated, with no dry spots. Keep it ready while you prep the sandwich.
  2. Mix the shredded sharp cheddar and shredded mozzarella together in a bowl. Set aside so the cheeses melt evenly.
Assemble the sandwiches
  1. Butter one side of each bread slice, covering it to the edges. This helps the outside toast and stay crisp.
  2. Assemble the sandwiches with BBQ-sauced shredded chicken, the cheddar-mozzarella blend, and the very thinly sliced red onion on the unbuttered sides; close with buttered sides facing out. Press lightly so fillings are packed in.
Skillet cook and serve
  1. Cook the sandwiches in a large skillet over medium-low heat for 4-5 minutes per side, pressing gently once during cooking. Cook until deep golden brown and the cheese is fully melted with visible gooey interior.
  2. Slice diagonally and serve immediately. Pull-apart stretchy cheese should be visible as the sandwich opens up.

Notes

Pro tip: use evenly shredded chicken and keep the skillet at medium-low so the bread toasts while the cheese melts fully. Refrigerate leftovers in a sealed container up to 3 days; reheat in a skillet for best texture (microwave may soften the crust). Freezing is not recommended because the bread can lose crispness after thawing. For a lower-fat option, use reduced-fat mozzarella and keep the BBQ sauce to 3 tbsp for balance.