Bonus Recipe: Grilled Chicken Caprese
Grilled chicken with Italian herbs & melty mozzarella + charred tomatoes & basil
It’s summer!
Today we’re taking a little trip to the Island of Capri, to swim in the turquoise water and enjoy a simple outdoor dinner with friends on a balcony overlooking the rugged coastline.
While sipping a sparkling Italian spritz we’ll enjoy chicken breast marinated in garlic & herbs, grilled with fresh mozzarella cheese melted over the top and served with charred cherry tomatoes drenched in olive oil and basil.
Sounds nice, doesn’t it?
I don’t know what your real summer plans are, but in real life my only summer vacation will be spent on a lake in Idaho (beautiful, but not exactly Italy) and my outdoor dining will be limited to my back patio (charming in its own way, but again, not exactly Italy).
In real life, this recipe for grilled chicken Caprese isn’t exactly authentic Italian cuisine. For just one evening, though, let’s not think too hard about real life. Let’s allow ourselves to be transported back to that balcony in Capri.
You’ll have to do all of the cooking, but don’t worry, this meal doesn’t require a lot of effort.
To make this Italian-inspired dinner, you’ll marinate chicken breast in olive oil, garlic and Italian seasoning (you can marinate overnight if you want, but I just let the chicken marinate while I prep the grill and dinner ingredients.) The chicken cooks on one side of the grill while the cherry tomatoes cook in a grill basket on the other side, bursting as they char. At the last minute, you’ll melt slices of fresh mozzarella over the chicken and serve it on a platter with the grilled tomatoes and torn fresh basil.
It’s a very summery meal best eaten outdoors, even if that just means your back patio. 🙂
Garlic bread or sliced baguette is optional but highly recommended to sop up the juices and garlicky olive oil. Or, you can serve the chicken & tomatoes over pasta. I’ve included a pesto recipe too, but that’s optional as well.
Reading Inspiration…
If you want to extend your visit to the Italian coast line after dinner, you might enjoy reading Beautiful Ruins by Jess Walter or The House at the Edge of Night by Catherine Banner.
Grilled Chicken Caprese
Servings: 6
Cooking Method: Grill (sheet-pan instructions are also included)
Approximate Cooking Time: About 20 minutes to prep and 15 minutes to grill
If you’re cooking for fewer people (or don’t want leftovers) you can just halve the recipe. Although the chicken and tomatoes are great served cold the next day, tossed with mixed greens, or quinoa or barley, or cold pasta like orzo.
A printable pdf of the recipe can be found at the bottom of the page.
Questions? If you have any questions about this recipe, don’t hesitate to ask in the comments.
Ingredients
32 ounces cherry tomatoes
4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
2/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons Italian seasoning
6 garlic cloves, finely chopped
1 teaspoon salt
1 log of fresh mozzarella slices (16 ounces)
1 large bunch of basil
Optional: A loaf of garlic bread, toasted French bread or sliced baguette. You can also serve the chicken and tomatoes over pasta. Pesto is optional, either store-bought or homemade (recipe below).
Instructions
Heat the grill to medium-high, leaning more towards “high” than medium. You want the grill to be really hot, but not scorching.
Put the cherry tomatoes in a grill basket. This is the one that I own. Toss the tomatoes with olive oil (about 2 tablespoons) and generously season with salt. Set aside.
Slice each chicken breast in half horizontally, so you have two thinner breasts instead of one thick chicken breast (for a total of 8 chicken cutlets). Here’s a helpful video to show you how. If you have a meat tenderizer, use it to pound the thicker parts of each breast so they are all uniformly thin (about ¼-inch). The reason to make the chicken breasts thinner is because we want them to cook evenly and quickly.
In a large bowl or a 9x13 baking pan, mix together the olive oil, Italian seasoning, garlic and salt.
Add the chicken cutlets and toss really well to coat all sides of the chicken.
When the grill is hot, set the cherry tomatoes on one side of the grill. Arrange the chicken breasts on the other side.
Close the lid and cook for 4 minutes. You can peek in once to make sure there aren’t any flare-ups and to give the grill basket a shake to move around the tomatoes. PSA: Don’t forget to use an oven mitt when touching the edges/handles of the grill basket. It gets really hot!
After 4 minutes, flip the chicken over and give the grill basket another shake to move around the tomatoes. Close the lid and cook the chicken for another 1 to 2 minutes or until the chicken is done. The total grilling time will vary, depending on the thickness of the chicken and the heat of the grill. Check the temperature of the chicken in the thickest part; it should reach 160F before you put the mozzarella on.
Add 2 slices of mozzarella to each chicken breast. Close the grill lid until the cheese melts. Remove the chicken from the grill and let it rest on a platter or a cutting board if you want to slice it. You can cover the chicken with foil if you want.
The tomatoes are done when they are soft, warm and nicely charred. Don’t be afraid to let them get black in spots. This usually takes about 12 minutes, maybe slightly more, and you should shake the grill pan a few times as they cook to avoid burning.
When the tomatoes are done, spread them out on a platter with the chicken. Drizzle a little more olive oil over the top. Scatter torn or chopped basil leaves over the top of the chicken and tomatoes, as much as you like!
Sheet-Pan Oven Instructions
The first time I made this chicken I was all set to grill when I turned the knob on the propane tank…and it was empty. Blargh. So I hauled my ingredients back up to the kitchen (our grill is in the backyard, down a flight of stairs) and arranged the chicken breasts and tomatoes on a sheet-pan. In the oven, the chicken doesn’t get that smoky grilled flavor and the tomatoes aren’t charred, but the meal is still great.
Instructions
Heat oven to 425F. Line two baking sheets with foil.
Follow the same instructions for prepping the tomatoes and chicken.
Spread the tomatoes (tossed in olive oil) out over the sheet-pans. Give the tomatoes a head start in the oven and roast for 10 minutes.
Add the chicken to the sheet-pans. Bake for about 15 minutes or until the thickest part reaches 160F. The cooking time will depend on how thick the chicken breasts are. Add two slices of mozzarella to each chicken breast. Continue to bake until the cheese is melted, 3 to 5 minutes.
Basil Pesto Recipe
You can serve pesto on the side if like, to spoon over the chicken and tomatoes.
1/4 cup pine nuts or walnuts
1 clove garlic, peeled
1 cup grated parmesan or a blend of parmesan and Pecorino Romano
1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil, plus more as needed
2 cups tightly packed basil leaves
In the bowl of a food processor, blend the nuts, garlic, cheese and olive oil until smooth. Add the basil. Blend until mostly smooth, adding more olive oil as needed to loosen it up. Add salt to taste.
This is a bonus recipe for paid subscribers. You can find the entire collection of bonus recipes on my Substack recipe index page. Think of the recipe index page as an online cookbook, just for you!