Caprese Grilled Chicken
Add a bit of summer to your cookout! This caprese grilled chicken recipe takes delicately spiced chicken and adds the goodness of fresh mozzarella, tomatoes and basil leaves. You’re going to be hooked after the first bite!
This is not just another chicken dish to add to your repertoire. A simple marinade of kosher salt, pepper, paprika and garlic powder acts as a brine to make the chicken extra juicy. Grilling it over medium-low heat keeps it nice and moist, so resist the urge to turn up the flame.
Once mozzarella melts on each chicken breast and grilled tomato slices are stacked on top, a little chopped basil and balsamic vinegar will give you all the flavors of a caprese salad!
Caprese Grilled Chicken Recipe
Bring summer to the table with caprese grilled chicken! A tasty marinade, melted mozzarella, grilled tomatoes and basil make it easy caprese to enjoy!
Ingredients
Yield: 4 servings
- 4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
- 2 Tbsp oil
- 2 1/2 tsp kosher salt
- 1/2 tsp black pepper
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp paprika
- oil, for brushing the grill
- 8 oz fresh mozzarella cheese
- 2 tomatoes, sliced thick (8 slices)
- 6 - 8 large basil leaves, chopped
- balsamic vinegar, optional
Instructions
- Rinse the chicken breasts under cool water and pat dry with paper towels. Pound the thick side of the breasts to even out the thickness. You can use a meat mallet if you have one. If not, just pound the breast lightly with the bottom of a heavy skillet.
- Mix the salt, pepper, garlic powder and paprika together in a small bowl and set aside.
- Brush one side of the chicken breasts with oil, sprinkle half the spice mixture over the breasts then flip them over and repeat. Transfer the seasoned breasts to a gallon-sized plastic bag or shallow baking dish and cover with plastic wrap. Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes or overnight.
- When you’re ready to cook the chicken, preheat the grill to medium-low. Remove as much of the black char off of the grates as possible. Once it’s hot, brush the grates with a little oil.
- Place the chicken breasts on the grill, smooth side down and grill 3–4 minutes until the chicken becomes golden brown and achieves those beautiful grill marks.
- Flip the breasts and immediately place 2 slices of mozzarella on each. Place the tomato slices on the grill to heat and cook 3–4 minutes with the lid closed. Open the cover, remove the tomatoes from the grill then lay them on top of the chicken breasts—the mozzarella should be melted at this point.
- Continue cooking just until the thickest part of the breast feels firm to the touch or registers 165 degrees on a meat thermometer.
- Remove the chicken from the grill, place on a serving platter then sprinkle with chopped basil. Drizzle with a small amount of balsamic vinegar if desired. Allow the chicken to rest 5 minutes before serving.
Notes
Simply adding tomatoes, basil and mozzarella cheese is an easy way to gain a fresh perspective on plain ol' chicken!
Calories: 346kcal, Carbohydrates: 3g, Protein: 38g, Fat: 21g, Saturated Fat: 8g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 5g, Monounsaturated Fat: 4g, Cholesterol: 95mg, Sodium: 793mg, Potassium: 152mg, Fiber: 1g, Sugar: 2g
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