This grilled chicken caprese combines grilled chicken breast topped with the classic caprese ingredients: fresh mozzarella, vine ripe tomatoes, and a dash of homemade basil pesto. With a little drizzle of balsamic, and maybe a simple and fresh garden side salad, this chicken dinner is definitely a game changer.
Grilled chicken is a staple in my household. It's a versatile protein to prep ahead of time and pair with virtually anything for any meal. From adding chicken to pasta recipes like a creamy pesto orzo or a one pan rigatoni fiorentina with spinach, it's a go to! This grilled caprese chicken is another one to add to the menu rotation.
TL; DR Summary - Grilled Chicken Caprese
- 👩🏼🍳 Cook Level: Easy/Beginner
- ⏱️ Cooking Time: Approximately 30 minutes
- 📖 Dietary Info: Dairy, nuts (if using a store-bought pesto)
- 😋 Taste: Juicy grilled chicken paired with creamy mozzarella, ripe tomatoes, fresh pesto, and a tangy balsamic drizzle.
- 💖 Why You'll Love: Grilled chicken topped with fresh mozzarella and tomato is a perfect light and simple dinner to whip together during the week, or take with you for lunch.
- 🍽️ Best Paired With: This is a great low carb option to pair with sautéed broccoli rabe with garlic and lemon, roasted herbed baby potatoes, or keep it simple and toss it over a quick and easy caesar pasta salad.
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Trusted Tips and Key Reminders
- Choose larger tomatoes like heirloom, beefsteak, or celebrity tomatoes for slicing. They're large enough to cover the chicken, and taste great when bitten into as part of the caprese.
- Use thinly sliced chicken breast rather than a thicker cut. You can opt to buy thin cut already or filet them yourself.
- Season the chicken! You can use an Italian seasoning blend, or just a simple salt and pepper (I love using salt and pepper and keeping it super simple when I grill chicken).
The Main Ingredients
- Grilled Chicken Breasts - The star of the show, thinly sliced chicken grilled on a barbecue or over an indoor grill pan is what we're aiming for in this dish. Lean, flavorful, with slight char marks.
- Pesto - Feel free to make your own and use my homemade pesto recipe, or use store-bought.
- Beefsteak Tomato - beefsteak tomatoes are big enough to only need one large slice per chicken breast.
- Mozzarella - Fresh mozzarella cheese is great for chicken caprese as it tastes creamier and pairs nicely with the tomatoes.
Be sure to check out the recipe card at the end of this post for more information about quantities, measurements, and specific cooking instructions.
How to make grilled chicken with tomato and mozzarella
Step 1: On a grill or in a grill plan, cook the chicken on each side for 5-6 minutes or until fully cooked through with slight char marks.
Step 2: To the chicken, add a piece of beefsteak tomato on top of each of the pieces of grilled chicken.
Step 3: Top the tomato with a little dollop of pesto, approximately ½ teaspoon.
Step 4: On top of the pesto, add a slice of mozzarella cheese, then bake until the cheese melts, or if you're still using the grill, turn the heat down to medium and cook until the cheese melts. Top with a drizzle of balsamic glaze.
Mistakes I've Made (to avoid)
- For my first test, I chose a tomato that was pretty soft and it turned out to be overly ripe and mealy. Choose a tomato that is a little firmer so that it holds up as it bakes and does not have a weird mouthfeel.
- Don't forget to check the temperature of the chicken as you grill. Chicken breast can easily go from perfectly grilled to dry and overcooked. The internal temp should reach 165º.
- Don't overdo the balsamic drizzle. It can get very overpowering.
Grilled Chicken Caprese FAQs
You can store the leftovers in an airtight container and place in the fridge for up to 3-4 days.
Yes, if you have a dairy allergy, please use your favorite dairy-free mozzarella cheese on the chicken. Be sure you know the brand well and verify that the cheese melts well.
If you wanted to make this with pan fried chicken cutlets, this will work too. You can follow the same assembly steps for making the caprese salad on top of the chicken but just use chicken cutlets instead of grilled chicken.
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Easy Grilled Chicken Caprese Recipe
Equipment
- 1 grill or grill pan
- tongs
Ingredients
- 3 grilled chicken breasts boneless, skinless, thinly sliced
- 1 large beefsteak tomato sliced
- 3 slices fresh mozzarella
- 1 tablespoon pesto optional
- 1 tablespoon balsamic glaze
Instructions
- Pat dry the chicken and season with salt and pepper.
- On a grill or in a grill plan, cook the chicken on each side for 5-6 minutes.
- Add a piece of beefsteak tomato on top of each of the pieces of grilled chicken.
- Top the tomato with a little pesto.
- On top of the pesto, add a slice of mozzarella cheese, then bake until the cheese melts, or if you're still using the grill, turn the heat down to medium and cook until the cheese melts.
- Add a drizzle of balsamic and serve.
Notes
- Use thinly sliced chicken breast rather than a thicker cut. You can opt to buy thin cut already or filet them yourself.
- Season the chicken! You can use an Italian seasoning blend, or just a simple salt and pepper (I love using salt and pepper and keeping it super simple when I grill chicken)
Kellie says
I loved making this recipe this past weekend. I didn't use any pesto, but the grilled chicken with the tomato and mozzarella was just so perfect. I always order this at restaurants but never make it at home. Glad I found this!