Chicken parma focaccia sandwich

with all the condiments!

You know me... I love a sandwich. And it seems like you all do too with almost 100 million views across my social channels for this chicken parma sandwich.

There’s just something about two pieces of bread (focaccia bread always) hugging all my favourite things that makes me so happy. And when I say favourite things, I mean it — mayo, a tomato and basil sauce situation, pesto (always pesto), and something crispy. There has to be a crispy element. Always.

This sandwich was made with my fiancé in mind — because for me, cooking is the ultimate love language. Especially when it involves crispy, golden things and homemade everything. I’m talking from-scratch mayo, pesto, breadcrumbs, tomato sauce, focaccia… all the elements that make this sandwich a proper labour of love. It makes me so happy bringing him a sandwich to his home office. He’s very spoilt in this house!

But don’t worry — there are plenty of shortcut options too. Store-bought pesto, good quality mayo, even a jarred tomato passata will still give you something absolutely delicious. You don’t have to make it all from scratch... but I won’t stop you if you want to.

The full recipe is linked below and if you love recipes like this — ones layered with flavour and love — then you’ll love my new cookbook, Garlic, Olive Oil & Everything Mediterranean, which is packed with all the condiments, sauces and building blocks to create meals just like this one.

Now go make yourself (or someone you love) a sandwich.

What’s Cooking This Week

If you love chicken parmesan and you love focaccia, then this chicken parmesan focaccia sandwich is your dream come true. I may have gone a little overboard on this one but it was totally worth it! Think crispy, golden chicken schnitzel coated in parmesan, smothered in a rich tomato and basil sauce, layered with melted cheese, garlic confit aioli and homemade pesto. To finish off, it's all tucked between two slices of pillowy homemade focaccia. It’s the ultimate chicken parmesan focaccia sandwich — and yes, it’s as good as it sounds.

One of the condiments for this sandwich is a garlic confit aioli. It’s incredible easy to make (especially if you have an immersion blender) and is so much better than store bought! But no judging if you resort to a pre-made jar.

If you have never made pesto by hand than you are in for a treat. My fridge is never without a jar of homemade pesto as I have so many uses for it. Toss it through pasta, serve with roasted veggie or spread onto this chicken parm sandwich!

This tomato and basil sauce is such a special recipe for me! It’s my nanna’s special sugo recipe and I grew up eating it on absolutely everything. We use tinned polpa that gives it such a lovely texture but you can use any tinned tomatoes you like. This is what I spread onto my crispy crumbed chicken to make the most delicious chicken parma.

My mum’s famous crispy crumbed chicken had to make an appearance in this sandwich. It is used to make the chicken parma and is so incredibly delicious thanks to our homemade breadcrumbs.

And last but not least, it’s the focaccia that holds everything in this sandwich together! My no-knead focaccia is what I'm best known for—crispy on the outside, pillowy on the inside, and ridiculously easy to make. If you’ve never baked bread before, this is the one to start with. No fancy techniques, no stress, just a simple dough that works every single time. Once you try it, you’ll be making it on repeat (and probably adding it to every sandwich from here on out).