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BBQ Chicken Grilled Cheese

BBQ chicken grilled cheese with a smoky BBQ-sauced shredded chicken filling and a cheddar-mozzarella melt. Golden, crisp sourdough or Texas toast sandwiches are cooked in a skillet until deeply browned, then sliced diagonally to reveal caramelized onion and gooey cheese.
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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: 740
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

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

Equipment

  • 1 cast iron skillet

Method
 

Mix the filling and cheese
  1. Toss shredded chicken with BBQ sauce until evenly coated, so every strand is glossy and smoky.
  2. Mix shredded sharp cheddar cheese with shredded mozzarella cheese until combined into one melting blend.
Assemble the sandwiches
  1. Butter one side of each slice of thick sourdough or Texas toast bread.
  2. Assemble sandwiches with BBQ-sauced shredded chicken, the cheddar-mozzarella cheese blend, and very thinly sliced red onion on the unbuttered sides; close with buttered sides facing out.
Grill and serve
  1. Cook sandwiches in a large skillet over medium-low heat for 4-5 minutes per side, pressing gently, until deep golden brown.
  2. Continue cooking until the cheese is fully melted, with bubbling visible at the edges.
  3. Slice sandwiches diagonally and serve immediately so the cheese stays stretchy.

Notes

Pro tip: keep the heat at medium-low and press gently—this helps the cheese fully melt without burning the bread. Refrigerate leftover sandwiches in an airtight container up to 2 days; rewarm in a skillet over medium-low until hot and crisp again. Freezing is not recommended because the bread can soften after thawing. For a lower-carb swap, use thin sliced sourdough-style bread or a keto-friendly bread and proceed the same way.