This Grilled Caprese Chicken is the ultimate summer dinner recipe. Each perfectly grilled marinated chicken breast is topped with melted mozzarella cheese and cherry tomatoes seasoned to perfection.
The pesto chicken marinade, made with lemon and garlic, flavors and tenderizes the chicken. It can be marinated up to 24 hours ahead of time, giving you a head start on dinner.
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Grilled Caprese Chicken Recipe
This Caprese Grilled Chicken recipe is a classic and is perfect for summer grilling season. It takes only a few minutes to prepare the garlic pesto marinade and then only about 20 minutes to cook on the grill.
I'll show you how to use up those summer-fresh tomatoes from your garden along with a ideas of what to make with leftovers that will keep you coming back for more.
Grilled Caprese Chicken is a great option for busy weeknights when you don't have a lot of time to spend in the kitchen. Plus, it's a crowd-pleaser that everyone will love, so it's perfect for dinner parties and family gatherings.
What to Serve with Caprese Chicken
- Rice- Lemon Herb Rice, Green Chile Rice Casserole, or Spanish Rice tastes amazing with this.
- Rolls- If you're wanting a quick roll recipe, try out dinner rolls, Brazilian cheese balls are fun and biscuits with garlic butter are always a hit.
- For more Caprese flavors, try our tomato bruschetta recipe.
Grilled Caprese Chicken Ingredients
- Chicken Breasts- Boneless, skinless chicken breasts work great. You could also substitute chicken thighs or chicken tenderloins if desired.
- Mozzarella Cheese- Fresh Mozzarella is great in this recipe but really any mozzarella cheese will do.
Garlic Pesto Marinade for Chicken
- Pesto-Use prepared pesto or make homemade pesto. This works great for an easy marinade.
- Olive Oil- This will make sure your chicken stays nice and moist as it's grilling. Not necessary if you plan to bake your chicken.
- Lemon Juice-Fresh lemon juice is best.
- Garlic Powder-Really the only seasoning you need since we use pesto as a base for the marinade.
- Salt- to taste.
Tomato Basil Topping
- Cherry Tomatoes- cut the cherry tomatoes in half. If you have regular Roma or steak tomatoes from your garden, just dice them up into bite-sized pieces.
- Fresh Basil-Sliced thinly, this is a must for a great Caprese recipe.
- Lemon Juice- Fresh is best.
- Garlic Salt- or equal parts garlic powder and salt.
How To Make Caprese Grilled Chicken
- Marinate the chicken. In a large bowl or freezer bag, add the pesto, olive oil, lemon juice, garlic powder, and salt. Give it a good mix, then add the chicken breasts. Zip the bag closed and roll the chicken around to cover completely with the pesto marinade. Let the chicken marinate for 2-24 hours in the fridge.
- Make the tomato basil topping. To make the tomato basil mixture, cut the cherry tomatoes in half. Wash and pat dry the fresh basil, roll it up and slice thinly. Add the lemon juice and just a little garlic salt. Let this mixture sit until the chicken is ready. This can also be made a couple of hours ahead of time.
- Grill. Preheat the grill to about 325 degrees F. Coat the grill with non-stick cooking spray. Remove the chicken from the marinade and lay on the hot grill. Cook for about 4-6 minutes, or until golden brown. Flip over and continue to cook until almost completely cooked through, or until the internal temperature reaches about 160 degrees F.
- Add the cheese and finish cooking. Place a slice or two of fresh mozzarella cheese on top of each chicken breast and close the lid of the grill. Let the cheese melt and the chicken continue to cook until it reaches 165 degrees, or about 1 more minute.
- Serve. Remove chicken from the grill, cover with the tomato mixture, and let rest for 5 minutes before serving. Enjoy!
How to Make Baked Caprese Chicken
- Marinate the chicken. Marinate the chicken as directed above.
- Bake. Place chicken breasts in a 9" x 13" baking dish and put into a preheated 400 degree oven. Cook for 20-25 minutes, or until the internal temperature of the chicken reaches about 160 degrees F.
- Add the cheese. Once the chicken is almost completely cooked, remove from the oven and add 2-3 slices of cheese on each chicken breast. Return to the oven to cook until it reaches 165 degrees F.
- Add the tomato basil mixture. Remove from the oven, top with the tomato basil mixture, then let the chicken rest for about 5 minutes before serving. Enjoy!
Recipe Variations for Leftover Caprese Chicken
If you decide to grill up a big batch of Caprese Chicken, here are a few ideas of what to do with all of those leftovers:
- Chicken Caprese Salad: Chop up the leftover chicken and add it to a bed of greens, cherry tomatoes, and fresh mozzarella. Drizzle with balsamic vinaigrette for a tasty and healthy lunch.
- Chicken Caprese Wraps: Grab some tortillas and spread a layer of pesto on each one. Layer on the leftover chicken, sliced avocado, and some baby spinach.
- Chicken Caprese Pizza: Use the leftover chicken as a topping for a homemade pizza. Add sliced tomatoes, fresh basil, and mozzarella cheese for a classic caprese flavor.
- Chicken Caprese Sandwich: Toast up some ciabatta bread and add the leftover chicken, fresh mozzarella, and sliced tomatoes. Grill or toast until the cheese is melted and the bread is crispy.
Frequently Asked Questions
Caprese is considered a salad made of mozzarella slices, tomatoes, basil and olive oil with Italian seasonings. When making chicken Caprese, these items are added to chicken breasts and grilled or baked.
One of the best ways to keep your chicken from drying out is to marinate it first. Another way is to tenderize the chicken by using the flat side of a meat tenderizer to even out the thickness of the raw chicken breast. As long as you make sure the internal temperature reaches 165 degrees and not much more, you should be good.
I recommend marinating the chicken in this recipe for at least 2 hours or up to 24 hours. Too much more and the chicken will start to break down too much and get mushy.
Grilled Caprese Chicken Recipe
Ingredients
- 2½-3 pounds Chicken Breasts 4-5 medium sized chicken breasts
- 1 teaspoon Salt
- ¼ teaspoon Pepper
Pesto Chicken Marinade
- 3 Tablespoons Pesto store bought or homemade
- 2 Tablespoons Olive Oil
- 2 Tablespoons Lemon Juice
- 1 teaspoon Garlic Powder
- 1 tsp Salt
Tomato Topping
- 1 cup Cherry Tomatoes
- ¼ cup Fresh Basil chopped
- 1 tsp Lemon Juice
- ½ tsp Garlic Salt
Other Caprese Chicken Ingredients
- 6 ounces Mozzerella Cheese
Instructions
Marinating the Chicken
- In a large bowl or freezer bag, add the pesto, olive oil, lemon juice, garlic powder, and salt. Give it a good mix, then add the chicken breasts. Zip the bag closed and roll the chicken around to cover completely with the pesto marinade. Let the chicken marinate for 2-24 hours in the fridge.
Tomato Basil Topping
- To make the tomato basil mixture, cut the cherry tomatoes in half. Wash and pat dry the fresh basil, roll it up and slice thinly. Add the lemon juice and just a little garlic salt. Let this mixture sit until the chicken is ready. This can also be made a couple of hours ahead of time.
How to Grill Caprese Chicken
- Preheat the grill to about 325 degrees F.
- Coat the grill with non-stick cooking spray. Remove the chicken from the marinade and lay on the hot grill. Cook for about 4-6 minutes, or until golden brown. Flip over and continue to cook until almost completely cooked through, or until the internal temperature reaches about 160 degrees F.
- Place a slice or two of fresh mozzarella cheese on top of each chicken breast and close the lid of the grill. Let the cheese melt and the chicken continue to cook until it reaches 165 degrees, or about 1 more minute.
- Remove chicken from the grill, cover with the tomato mixture, and let rest for 5 minutes before serving. Enjoy!
Nutrition
More Grilled Chicken Recipes
- Rosemary Garlic Chicken Breasts Marinade
- Simple Oven Baked Chicken Breast
- Grilled Chicken Teriyaki
- 3 Citrus Chicken Marinade
- Honey Mustard Grilled Chicken
- Garlic and Herb Drumsticks
- More Chicken Recipes
- More Summer Recipes
This Caprese Chicken recipe is made with perfectly grilled chicken breasts tenderized in a pesto chicken marinade, topped with fresh mozzarella, and cherry tomatoes. Your family is going to love this classic summer recipe.
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