Grilled Chicken Caprese Salad (Printable)

Grilled chicken paired with ripe tomatoes, fresh mozzarella, and basil in a tangy balsamic glaze. Ready in 30 minutes.

# What You'll Need:

→ Chicken

01 - 2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (about 10.6 oz)
02 - 1 tablespoon olive oil
03 - 1/2 teaspoon salt
04 - 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
05 - 1/2 teaspoon dried Italian herbs (optional)

→ Salad

06 - 3 medium ripe tomatoes, sliced
07 - 7 oz fresh mozzarella cheese, sliced
08 - 1 cup fresh basil leaves
09 - 3.5 oz mixed salad greens (optional)

→ Dressing

10 - 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
11 - 2 tablespoons balsamic glaze or balsamic reduction
12 - 1 teaspoon honey (optional)
13 - Salt and black pepper to taste

# Steps:

01 - Preheat a grill or grill pan over medium-high heat.
02 - Rub chicken breasts with olive oil, salt, pepper, and dried Italian herbs if using.
03 - Grill chicken breasts for 6-7 minutes per side until cooked through and juices run clear. Remove and let rest for 5 minutes before slicing thinly.
04 - Arrange tomato slices, mozzarella slices, and basil leaves on a large platter or individual plates. Add mixed salad greens if desired.
05 - Layer grilled chicken slices over the salad composition.
06 - In a small bowl, whisk together extra virgin olive oil, balsamic glaze, honey if using, and season with salt and pepper to taste.
07 - Drizzle dressing evenly over the salad immediately before serving.

# Expert Tips:

01 -
  • It tastes like a vacation without leaving your kitchen, bright and alive in every bite.
  • You can have dinner on the table in half an hour, even on the nights when you're too tired to think.
  • It's one of those meals that feels fancy but requires almost no skill, just good ingredients and a hot grill.
02 -
  • Don't skip the resting time for the chicken, or all the juice will run out onto the cutting board and leave you with dry, sad slices.
  • Use room temperature mozzarella, not cold from the fridge, so it tastes creamy and melts just a little from the warmth of the chicken.
  • Tear the basil leaves by hand instead of cutting them with a knife, because metal can bruise the leaves and turn them dark.
03 -
  • Make extra balsamic glaze and keep it in a squeeze bottle in the fridge, it lasts for weeks and makes every salad look like art.
  • If you're serving this for guests, grill the chicken an hour ahead and slice it just before plating so you're not sweating over the grill when people arrive.
  • A pinch of flaky sea salt on top at the very end makes everything taste more alive and expensive.
Go Back