If you’re not highlight basil and tomatoes in your weekly menu, is it even summer? Get your seasonal fix and make this 30-minute Chicken Caprese Salad for dinner tonight. Simple, fast, and fresh, it’s the quintessential dinner salad when the tomatoes are ripe and the basil is bountiful.
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Did you think you were getting away without at least one more tomato/basil recipe from me this summer? Ha! Joke’s on you. I may even have another one in me.
And that’s because my small (okay, fine, it’s a little excessive) patio garden is bursting with more zucchini, lettuces, tomatoes, and fresh herbs than I could ever consume in one summer. So in-between shoving the excesses into my unsuspecting neighbors arms every chance I get, our meals are one long variation of caprese-this and tomato-basil that.
Look, I’m not complaining. I could literally eat chicken caprese with a side of caprese pasta salad every night and not get tired of it, while my boys are happy campers with a peach caprese salad.
But when I need a “one and done” meal, I make this caprese chicken salad. It’s so quick (just thirty minutes!), so fresh, and doesn’t require me to fire up one single kitchen appliance. And when it’s pushing 90°F every day for weeks, that’s my kinda meal.
Ingredients
You’ll need the following ingredients to make our chicken caprese salad. Scroll for ingredient notes and substitutions.
- Boneless skinless chicken breast: properly prepared, chicken breasts taste amazing on the grill – tender, juicy, and perfectly charred.
- Olive oil: lightly brush the chicken with olive oil before grilling; the oil helps the seasonings adhere, and also ensures a golden brown crust packed with flavor.
- Seasonings: before grilling, season the chicken with Italian seasoning, garlic powder, onion powder, salt, and pepper.
- Romaine lettuce: crispy and crunchy, chopped romaine lettuce is the base of this salad.
- Fresh basil: fresh basil is sweet, peppery and very aromatic; it’s a key ingredient in anything labeled caprese. Add a handful to the salad base, then garnish with more to taste.
- Fresh tomatoes: reach for bite-sized varietals like cherry tomatoes or grape tomatoes.
- Fresh mozzarella: reach for bite-sized, fresh mozzarella like bocconcini or pearls. If you can’t find these more specialty “cuts” of fresh mozzarella, dice a ball of fresh mozzarella into one-inch cubes.
- Avocado: creamy and sweet, avocado is a great addition to caprese salad. Feel free to skip if you don’t care for avocado – it won’t impact the flavor too much.
- Balsamic vinaigrette: whisk balsamic vinegar with honey, salt, pepper, and extra virgin olive oil to make a super quick dressing.
Pound the Chicken Breasts for the Best Grilled Chicken
We always pound our chicken breasts to an even thickness before cooking, regardless of the cooking method. A chicken breast is typically fatter on one side and thinner on the other. When you pound chicken it will flatten out the breast to an even thickness.
To pound chicken breasts, place them between sheets of parchment paper, then use a rolling pin or a meat mallet and whack the thicker end a few times until it’s just about the same thickness as the thinner end. Then give the chicken breast a few more whacks throughout to evenly tenderize.
Pounding chicken breasts makes them tastier, juicier, and easier to cook:
- Faster cook time: a thinner chicken breast will cook more quickly.
- Juicier chicken: because a thinner piece of chicken cooks so much faster, there’s less chance the chicken will dry out before it reaches a safe internal temperature.
- Consistent cooking: an evenly-sized chicken breast will cook at the same rate from end-to-end; if you don’t pound the chicken breasts, the thinner end will cook more quickly than the fatter end, and you’ll wind up with either under-cooked or over-cooked chicken.
- Consistent seasoning: as with cook times, a flattened piece of chicken will be evenly seasoned from end-to-end.
- More tender bites: pounding breaks down some of the tough muscle fibers in the meat, which allows them to separate and create more tender bites.
Essential Notes and Tips
- Use the freshest and best quality ingredients you can source and afford. Fresh tomatoes, fresh basil, ripe avocados, and high quality mozzarella cheese make a big difference in flavor.
- Do not overcook the chicken! Once you’ve pounded the breasts, they’ll only need 5 or so minutes per side to cook through and achieve a nice char.
- Always use an instant read thermometer to check chicken for doneness; pull the chicken once it registers 160-165°F.
- Always rest chicken before slicing; resting allows the juices to settle so that once you slice, you won’t lose moisture or flavor.
Did you make this RECIPE? I’d love to know how IT/THEY turned out! Leave a comment and a rating below, or share with your friends and fam!
Recipe Video
Chicken Caprese Salad
Print Recipe Rate this Recipe Pin RecipeRecommended Equipment
- Grill
- Grill pan
- Rolling Pin
Ingredients
- 1 pound boneless skinless chicken breasts
- 2 teaspoons Italian seasoning
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1 teaspoon ground pepper
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 head romaine lettuce, chopped (about 4 cups)
- 1 cup loosely packed basil leaves, torn or roughly chopped
- 2 cups cherry tomatoes, halved
- 8 oz fresh mozzarella, bocconcini or peals; see Note 1
- 1 large avocado, diced
Honey Balsamic Dressing
- 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
- 1 tablespoon honey
- ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
- ¼ teaspoon ground pepper
- ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
Instructions
- Pound the chicken (see Note 2). Place one chicken breast onto a sheet of parchment paper, then fold the paper over the chicken to cover completely. Using a rolling pin or meat mallet, pound the chicken breast to even thickness of a little less than 1". Set aside and repeat with the remaining chicken breasts.
- Combine the Italian seasoning, salt, garlic powder, onion powder, and pepper in a small bowl. Stir to combine. Drizzle the olive oil over the chicken, then rub to coat on all sides. Evenly sprinkle the chicken with the seasoning blend on both sides.
- Heat a grill or grill pan over medium high heat (400-450°F). Place the chicken breasts on the grill in a single, even layer leaving a bit of space in-between each piece. Grill for 5-6 minutes with the lid open, or until a nice char forms; flip the chicken using tongs and grill 5-6 minutes on the other side, or until the internal temperature reads 165°F using an instant read thermometer. Transfer the chicken to a cutting board and rest for 10 minutes. Cut against the grain into ½" wide slices.
- Make the dressing. Combine the balsamic vinegar, honey, salt, and pepper in a 1-cup measuring cup or small bowl; whisk until well combined and the honey has dissolved. Slowly drizzle in the extra virgin olive oil while whisking constantly until the dressing has emulsified. Taste for seasoning and adjust the salt, pepper, or honey until the dressing feels tangy, but balanced.
- Combine the romaine lettuce and ¾ cup of the basil leaves in a large bowl; drizzle with half the dressing, then toss until evenly coated.
- Dive the salad between four plates. Top each salad with one-quarter each of the cherry tomatoes, fresh mozzarella, and avocados, then top with one-quarter of the sliced chicken. Sprinkle the remaining basil leaves over the salad, then serve right away with the remaining dressing on the side. Serve right away, and enjoy!
Notes
- Note 1. Bocconcini or pearl mozzarella are bite-sized pieces of fresh mozzarella cheese. If you can’t source these more specialty “cuts” of fresh mozzarella, dice a ball of fresh mozzarella into one-inch squares.
- Note 2. Pound chicken to an even thickness before cooking for several reasons: to ensure consistent seasoning, even cooking, faster cook times, and cooked chicken that is both juicier and more tender.
Nutrition Information
Step-By-Step Recipe Photos
- Pound the chicken to tenderize and ensure even cooking. Place a chicken onto a piece of parchment, fold the parchment over, and use a rolling pin or meat mallet to pound the chicken to an even thickness of about one inch.
- Brush the chicken with olive oil, then seasoning all over with the Italian seasoning, salt, pepper, onion powder, and garlic powder.
- Grill the chicken over medium high heat for 5-6 minutes per side, or until the interior registers 165°F using an instant read thermometer.
- Rest 10 minutes, then slice against the grain into ½″ wide strips.
- Combine the romaine lettuce and fresh basil leaves in a large bowl.
- Whisk the balsamic vinegar, honey, salt and pepper until smooth; slowly pour in the extra virgin olive oil while constantly whisking until the dressing is emulsified.
- Pour half the dressing over the romaine and basil, then tossed until well combined.
- Add the cherry tomatoes, fresh mozzarella, and diced avocado.
- Top with the grilled chicken and more fresh basil leaves to taste.
- Serve right away with the remaining dressing on the side. Enjoy!
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