Grilled Tomato-Basil Chicken Bruschetta
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This grilled chicken bruschetta makes an easy summer dinner, BBQ, or potluck dish. Your prep work is a snap! Quickly marinate boneless chicken pieces with a lemon-garlic mixture, grill them, and top them off with slices of melty mozzarella and a fresh tomato bruschetta sauce.
My simple summertime recipe for chicken bruschetta is anything but a snooze! This recipe maps out an easy way to elevate basic grilled chicken breasts. A lemon-herb chicken marinade infuses the chicken with tangy flavor in minutes. Grill and serve the chicken topped with slices of gooey mozzarella, and a bruschetta sauce made with fresh cherry tomatoes and basil.
Fun fact: Authentic bruschetta is an Italian snack or antipasto. Next to my simple Italian panzanella salad, it ranks as one of the least complicated dishes ever, featuring toasted crusty bread rubbed with garlic, lavishly drizzled with olive oil, and topped with any number of vegetables, meats or cheese. My version uses chicken as a base instead of bread.
There’s nothing like dependable boneless, skinless chicken breasts for cooking easy chicken dinners. Simply grilled chicken almost needs to be paired with punchy, acidic flavors, which explains why dishes like yogurt-marinated chicken kabobs or sweet and sticky BBQ chicken taste so fabulous.
Chicken brushetta ingredients
- Boneless, skinless chicken: I use chicken breasts, but chicken thighs will also work and will cook in about the same amount of time.
- Cherry or grape tomatoes: The benefit of these sweet little tomato nuggets is that they’re available all year round. If you have ripe summer tomatoes, chop them up and use instead.
- Mozzarella cheese: Choose fresh mozzarella packed in water, either one ball or bite-size bocconcini. The slices melt on contact with the hot, cooked chicken. Yum!
- Marinade: I make a quick marinade with lemon juice, olive oil, herbs and seasonings. Boneless, skinless chicken breasts only need 10-15 minutes to soak up the flavor.
Prepping and cooking steps
1. Combine the ingredients for the marinade and pour over the chicken. Let it sit 10-15 minutes before cooking, or refrigerate until ready to cook (up to 4 hours ahead). 2. Toss halved cherry tomatoes (or chopped slicing tomatoes) in a bowl with garlic, shallot, vinegar, salt and pepper.
Cook the tomato mixture in a skillet for 5 minutes, until the tomatoes are soft and juicy. Stir in fresh basil. 3. Grill the chicken until cooked through, then top with sliced mozzarella. 4. Spoon the bruschetta sauce over the chicken and serve.
Grilled Tomato-Basil Chicken Bruschetta with Mozzarella
Ingredients
Bruschetta Topping
- 8 ounces (225 g) cherry or grape tomatoes, sliced in half
- 2 teaspoons red or white wine vinegar, or fresh lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon finely chopped shallot
- 1 teaspoon thinly sliced garlic, about 1 clove
- 2 tablespoons (30 ml) extra virgin olive oil
- ½ teaspoon salt, or to taste
- Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
- ½ cup loosely packed fresh basil leaves, sliced into ribbons
Chicken
- 4 boneless skinless chicken breasts, or 6 boneless chicken thighs
- ¼ cup (60 ml) fresh lemon juice
- 2 tablespoons (30 ml) extra-virgin olive oil
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh herbs, such as parsley, thyme, rosemary, oregano or tarragon, or 2 teaspoons dried herb of your choice
- 1 teaspoon grated or finely chopped fresh garlic, or ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon crushed red pepper, or to taste
- 4 ounces (113 g) fresh mozzarella, sliced thin
Instructions
Bruschetta topping
- To make the topping, combine the tomatoes, vinegar, shallot, garlic, olive oil, salt and black pepper in a medium bowl and toss gently.
- Heat a medium (8-10 inch) skillet over medium heat until the surface is hot. Pour in the tomato mixture. Cook about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the tomatoes are slightly softened and start to release their juices. Stir in the basil and set aside.
Grilled chicken
- Put the chicken in a shallow baking dish. Combine the lemon juice, olive oil, herbs, salt and red pepper in a bowl. Pour over the chicken, turning the pieces over to coat on both sides. Marinate 10-15 minutes at room temperature, or refrigerate up to 4 hours ahead.
- Heat a gas grill to medium-high or prepare a charcoal grill for direct medium-hot grilling.
- When the grill is ready, cook the chicken until browned on both sides and cooked through, about 5 minutes per side. Transfer to a platter and immediately layer slices of mozzarella over the chicken. The cheese will soften and melt in minutes.
- Spoon some of the bruschetta sauce over the chicken. Serve warm or at room temperature, with additional sauce on the side.
Karen’s Notes and Tips
- The tomato bruschetta sauce can be prepped up to one day ahead. Bring it to room temperature until you’re ready to cook the chicken.
- Instead of grilling, cook the chicken on the stovetop in a heavy pan, such as cast iron skillet or grill pan.
- Serve the chicken with fresh greens like arugula or baby spinach on the side, or with pasta.
- Shredded mozzarella can be substituted for fresh.
- For a cheffy touch, drizzle a little bit of your best balsamic vinegar over the platter.
Nutrition
Nutrition facts are calculated by third-party software. If you have specific dietary needs, please refer to your favorite calculator.
Hey, I’m Karen
Creator of Familystyle Food
I’m a food obsessed super-taster and professionally trained cook ALL about creating elevated dinners with everyday ingredients. Find simplified recipes made from scratch and enjoy incredibly tasty food! Read more about me here.