This Grilled California Chicken is made with marinated chicken breasts topped with melted pepperjack cheese, fresh avocado and tomatoes, for a fresh, flavorful meal.
It’s a simple meal, perfect for grilling season. It’s easy to customize and can be your go-to dinner idea that the whole family will love. The key to grilling the chicken until juicy is to add the toppings at the end so everything stays vibrant and perfectly textured.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Restaurant Style at Home: Feels like something you’d order out, but easy to make yourself.
- Perfect for Summer Grilling: Light, satisfying, and great for backyard dinners.
- Balanced Meal: Protein, healthy fats, and fresh toppings
Recipe Notes
This is one of my favorite summer dinners. The marinade is 10/10 delicious. The recipe calls for a Good Seasonings Chicken Seasoning packet. I swear, this is so easy to have on hand and it makes such a yummy chicken marinade.
This grilled chicken can be made with or without the toppings. Bonus points if you can get your hands on a vine ripened tomato too. Happy grilling, friends!
Best California Chicken Recipe
Whether you’re hosting a summer barbecue or want to switch up your regular dinner routine, this grilled California Chicken recipe is sure to be a hit with your family and friends.
It’s got juicy chicken breast, pepper jack cheese, sliced avocado, and fresh tomatoes. The secret to making the chicken tender and juicy is all in the prep work and marinade. Follow along, fire up the grill, and get ready to impress your crew with this amazing grilled chicken.
Key Ingredients
- Chicken Breast: Use a high-quality chicken breast. The organic ones from Costco are my favorite, and the fresh chicken breasts are $3 per pound. (be sure to tenderize any chicken breast you decide to use.
- Chicken Marinade: The recipe for the chicken marinade includes avocado oil, lemon juice, and the good seasonings Italian Dressing.
- Avocados: choose ripe avocados.
- Tomatoes: Any tomato variety will do. If you only have cherry tomatoes on hand, you can cut them in half an also chunk up the avocado into bite-sized pieces and then put the cheese on top to hold it all together.
- Pepper Jack Cheese: We love pepper jack cheese on this grilled chicken. It adds just a little of the tartness we love and has just a little kick. If your family isn’t in love with pepper jack, you can certainly use mozzarella cheese, swiss or provolone cheese for this California Chicken Recipe.
How to Make Grilled California Chicken
- Tenderize the chicken. Place chicken breasts in a large freezer bag. Use a rolling pin, mason jar, or the flat side of a meat tenderizer, pound the thickest part of the chicken breast until it is about 3/4″ thick and even with the rest of the chicken.
- Marinate the chicken. Open the bag and add the oil, lemon juice, and Italian seasoning. Seal then roll the bag around gently to combine. Marinate in the fridge for 2-24 hours.
- Grill. Remove the chicken from the marinade and place on a grill preheated to medium. Cook for about 5-7 minutes, or until the chicken gets golden brown and is easy to lift. Flip the chicken and continue to cook until almost golden brown.
- Add the cheese, avocado, and tomatoes. Once the chicken is almost completely cooked (has almost reached 165 degrees F), add 3-4 slices of avocado, 2-3 slices of tomato, and a couple of slices of pepper jack cheese. Close the grill for 2 more minutes or until the cheese is melted.
- Serve. Remove cooked chicken from the grill and cover with foil for 5 minutes while the chicken breast cools down a little. Serve warm and enjoy!
Recipe Variations
- If you love a little heat, add some cayenne pepper or hot sauce to your marinade or rub. You can also serve your chicken with a side of candied jalapeño peppers or spicy salsa.
- Give your chicken a tropical twist by adding some pineapple or mango to your marinade or rub. You can also serve it with a side of coconut rice or grilled vegetables.
- Coat your chicken in a balsamic vinegar and olive oil marinade for a tangy and flavorful dish. Serve with a side of roasted vegetables or a balsamic glaze.
- Spice up your chicken with some chili powder, cumin, and garlic for a Tex-Mex twist. You can also serve it with a side of black beans, salsa, and guacamole.
How to tenderize chicken and grill, topped with cheese, avocado, and tomatoes.
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Helpful Tips
- Don’t Overcook the Chicken: Grill just until it reaches temp to keep it juicy (overcooking dries it out fast).
- Use Even Thickness: Pound/tenderize the chicken slightly so it cooks evenly on the grill.
- Melt the Cheese with the Lid Closed: This helps it melt quickly without overcooking the chicken.
- Let the Chicken Rest after Grilling: Give the chicken just 5-10 minutes to let the juices redistribute in the chicken breast before slicing and or serving. You can “tent” the chicken plate with foil and let it sit.
Frequently Asked Questions
California chicken gets its name from the concept of West Coast cooking being fresh and healthy. This particular recipe includes avocados which are a very popular item that grows in the state.
For this grilled California Chicken recipe, I recommend marinating for a minimum of 2 hours but ideally up to 24 hours. You don’t want to marinate much past that or you will risk the chicken breaking down too much.
The cooking time for chicken breasts all depends on how thick they are, how hot the grill is, and how many you are cooking at once. Over medium heat, an average sized chicken breast will take about 5-8 minutes to cook completely. The chicken is cooked once the internal temperature reaches 165 degrees F.
This may seem like a task that doesn’t really need to be completed but let me tell you, if you don’t tenderize your chicken, you’re missing out. Tenderizing your chicken breast does a couple of things. First, it flattens the chicken breast out so it will cook more evenly. Second, it breaks down the meat’s fibers and makes the meat more tender.
Storing and Reheating
- Storing leftovers: store leftover chicken in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days.
- Reheating: reheat on a baking sheet in a preheated 350 degree oven for about 10-15 minutes, or until heated through.
More Chicken Recipes You’ll Love
Grilled California Chicken Recipe
Ingredients
- 1½ pounds chicken breasts
- 3 tablespoons avocado oil
- 3 tablespoons lemon juice
- 1 0.7-ounce package Good Seasons Italian Seasonings
Toppings
- 1 large avocado, sliced
- 2 large tomatoes, sliced
- 8 slices pepper jack cheese
Instructions
- Place chicken breasts in a large freezer bag. Use a rolling pin, mason jar, or the flat side of a meat tenderizer, pound the thickest part of the chicken breast until they are about 3/4" thick and even with the rest of the chicken.
- Open the bag and add the oil, lemon juice, and Italian seasoning. Seal then roll the bag around gently to combine. Marinate in the fridge for at least 2, or up to 24 hours.
- When you are ready to cook the chicken, preheat the grill to medium high heat.
- Remove the chicken from the marinade and place on the preheated grill. Cook for about 5-7 minutes, or until the chicken gets golden brown and is easy to lift (if the chicken sticks, let it cook longer). Flip the chicken over using tongs and continue to cook until almost golden brown—about 9-10 minutes total.
- Once the chicken is almost completely cooked, and has almost reached an internal temperature of 165 degrees F, add 3-4 slices of avocado, 2-3 slices of tomato, and 2 slices of pepper jack cheese. Close the grill for 2 more minutes or until the cheese is melted.
- Remove cooked chicken from the grill and cover with foil for 5 minutes while the chicken breast cools down a little. Serve warm and enjoy!
Video
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Nutrition
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More Of The Best Chicken Recipes
- Rosemary Garlic Chicken Breasts Marinade
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This grilled California Chicken includes the best chicken marinade and is an easy chicken and avocado recipe. It’s the perfect grilled chicken recipe!
Categories:
30-Minute Meals, 4th of July, Chicken, Easy Weeknight Meals, Gluten-Free, Main Dish, Nut-Free, Summer Recipes, Videos,
Everyone love this California Grilled Chicken.
I don,t have a BBQ…. so I cooked in the oven. Made it 2 weeks in a row.
Thank You,
Patti (CA).
Hi,
I left out the Avocado Slices as My Husband hates Avocado
and replaced with Large Mushroom Slices . It was DDELICIOUS
Serve with Green Beans and Salad . It is a Keeper and Easy light Supper
with a Good Pinot Grio .
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