Tomato-Basil Chicken Bruschetta with Mozzarella
This simple chicken bruschetta recipe 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, and top them off with slices of melty mozzarella and a fresh tomato bruschetta sauce when they're hot.
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, or preheat your broiler to high.
- When the grill is ready, cook the chicken until browned on both sides and cooked through, about 5 minutes per side. If you're broiling, arrange the chicken on a rack set over a broiler pan. Broil about 4 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.
Notes
- 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
Calories: 356kcalCarbohydrates: 5gProtein: 31gFat: 23gSodium: 790mgFiber: 1gSugar: 2g
