This simple grilled caprese chicken is so delicious you’ll be planting extra basil plants to accommodate it into your weekly summer menu!

Let’s just get straight to the point here:
Tender grilled chicken topped with grilled fresh tomatoes (I know, get out!) fresh mozzarella and a basil-red wine vinaigrette just might be the most delicious combination to enter my mouth this century.

When I spied this meal in a long lost Cook’s Country magazine and targeted it for the main reason that I could make it after late church and eat before 9 p.m., I had no idea that it would rock my world.

Grilled caprese chicken breasts with sliced tomato and melted cheese on a white plate.

And let me tell you, I am completely converted to grilled tomatoes. Where have they been all my life?

This simple caprese chicken is so delicious that I made it again two nights later.

So fantastic that I’m making it again for my in-laws when they come visit next week.

So ridiculously easy and yummy that I just might eat it every day until my basil plant gives up it’s last leaf.

Grilled caprese chicken breasts in front of a salad and garlic bread on a white plate.

What to Serve With This

One Year Ago: Chicken Pillows with Creamy Parmesan Sauce
Two Years Ago: Slow Cooker Sweet and Spicy BBQ Pot Roast
Three Years Ago: Hoisin Chicken Rice Bowls

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Grilled Caprese Chicken

Yield: 4 -6 servings
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 6 minutes
Total Time: 21 minutes
4.50 stars (14 ratings)
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Ingredients

  • 4 tablespoons chopped fresh basil
  • 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
  • 2 garlic cloves, minced
  • Salt and pepper
  • 4 tablespoons olive oil
  • 6 ounces fresh mozzarella, cut into 1/4-inch slices, halved, and patted dry
  • 4 chicken breasts, about 1 1/2 to 2 pounds (see note)
  • 2 large tomatoes, cored and cut into 1/2-inch slices

Instructions 

  • In a small bowl, combine the basil, vinegar, garlic, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/2 teaspoon pepper. Slowly whisk in the oil until it is thoroughly incorporated. Transfer 3 tablespoons of the vinaigrette to a bowl and toss in the fresh mozzarella pieces, coating the cheese with the vinaigrette. Set aside. Reserve the remaining vinaigrette for the cooked chicken.
  • Pat the chicken pieces dry with a paper towel and season both sides with salt and pepper. Grill the chicken and tomatoes on a hot charcoal or gas grill until the chicken is browned and cooked through and the tomatoes are lightly charred, about 2-3 minutes per side (depending on the thickness of your chicken and heat of the grill). Transfer the cooked chicken to a platter. Top with the tomato slices and drizzle with the reserved vinaigrette. Cover the chicken with an even layer of mozzarella and tent the platter loosely with foil. Let the chicken rest for 10 minutes. Serve.

Notes

Chicken: the chicken breasts should be on the thinner side of things. If you have gargantuan, thick chicken breasts, slice them in half horizontally, giving you two thinner chicken breasts. All in all, you should end up with 4-6 thinner pieces of chicken.
Tomatoes: also, look for tomatoes that are ripe but still firm so they will hold their shape on the grill.
Author: Mel
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: American
Method: Grilled
Serving: 1 Serving, Calories: 529kcal, Carbohydrates: 5g, Protein: 58g, Fat: 30g, Saturated Fat: 9g, Cholesterol: 178mg, Sodium: 535mg, Fiber: 1g, Sugar: 3g

Recommended Products

Mixing Bowl
Wire Whisk
Pellet Grill

Recipe Source: adapted from Cook’s Country, Aug/Sept 2011

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