This Grilled Bruschetta Chicken is super easy to make and marinated in the most delicious lemon balsamic dressing all topped with melty mozzarella cheese and fresh tomato bruschetta for the perfect summer meal!
With grilling season still going strong, this healthy bruschetta chicken is a MUST! This is hands down one of my favorite summer recipes and is super easy to make. Juicy chicken breasts marinated in the most delicious homemade lemon balsamic dressing topped with melty mozzarella cheese, fresh tomato bruschetta and drizzled with a sweet balsamic glaze.
This easy bruschetta chicken recipe has actually been on my website since 2013, but the flavor really needed to be amped up and of course the photos needed a serious facelift. This lemon balsamic marinade is BEYOND delicious and really takes this chicken to the next level. The lemon makes this meal bright and fresh while the balsamic vinegar adds a nice rich flavor. Add in the garlic, bruschetta and cheese and you’ve got the perfect weeknight meal that’s healthy and absolutely delicious!
Ingredients You’ll Need
- chicken breasts – this recipe is for 4 boneless skinless chicken breasts, but you could use chicken thighs as well
- olive oil – I like to use a good extra virgin olive oil that doesn’t have to be expensive, just make sure it’s cold-pressed and organic for the most flavor (in my opinion)
- garlic – I always like to use fresh garlic, but a 1/2 teaspoon of dried minced garlic or garlic powder will work if that’s all you have on hand
- balsamic vinegar – this adds a nice rich flavor and make sure to use a quality balsamic vinegar to get the most flavor
- lemon juice – this brings a bright, fresh flavor to the chicken marinade
- basil – fresh basil really helps tie all these flavors together
- seasonings – a combination of oregano, basil, salt and pepper
- cheese – I like to cut slices of mozzarella cheese to place on top of the chicken while it cooks so it gets super melty, you could also top with a little parmesan cheese
- bruschetta – you can find the recipe below!
- balsamic glaze – this is completely optional, but WHOAH does a balsamic glaze taste amazing drizzled over top of the chicken! See instructions below on how you can make your own balsamic glaze if you don’t have any store-bought. If you are following a keto or low carb diet, feel free to just skip this step
How to Make Bruschetta Chicken
- Marinate chicken. Whisk together the olive oil, balsamic vinegar, garlic, lemon juice, oregano, basil, salt and pepper until well combined. Season the chicken with salt and pepper on both sides and place in a shallow dish or 1-gallon sealable plastic bag. Pour the marinade over the chicken, making sure everything is completely coated, and marinate for at least 1 hour or up to 12 hours.
- Make the bruschetta. Chop the tomatoes, garlic and basil and toss together with some olive oil, balsamic vinegar, salt/pepper. Set aside to let the tomato mixture marinate while the chicken cooks.
- Cook the chicken. Heat a grill or grill pan. Once hot, place the chicken on the grill on medium-high heat (discarding the marinade) and cook for about 5 to 6 minutes per side, or until cooked through and no longer pink (the internal temperature should be 165 for cooked chicken). Top each chicken breast with a slice of mozzarella cheese and allow the cheese to melt, then remove chicken from the grill.
- Add the toppings! Spoon the bruschetta over top of each chicken breast and drizzle with a little balsamic glaze, if desired. Serve immediately and enjoy!
Helpful Tips and Tricks
- Marinate the chicken for up to 12 hours for the most robust flavor!
- Marinating the chicken too long can cause the chicken’s texture to break down resulting in mushy, tough chicken so make sure you don’t exceed 12 hours.
- Make sure to add a little oil to the grill or grill pan so that the chicken doesn’t stick.
- If you don’t want to grill the chicken, you can easily bake it in the oven at 400 degrees F for 22 to 28 minutes, or until chicken is completely cooked through.
- Chicken should have an internal temp of 165 degrees to ensure that it’s cooked through, but not dry.
- Reserve a little bit of marinade (before it touches the chicken) to brush on it while the chicken is grilling.
- This chicken marinade would taste amazing on chicken wings as well!
How to Make Your Own Balsamic Glaze
If you don’t have a store-bought balsamic glaze handy, you can easily make your own with just two ingredients! As I said before, this glaze does have sugar in it so if you are following a keto or low carb diet, just omit this step. I promise the chicken will still taste delicious!
To make this glaze, all you need is 1 cup of balsamic vinegar and a tablespoon of of honey. Mix together in a small saucepan and bring to a boil on the stove. Reduce the heat and let the balsamic mixture simmer for about 15 minutes, stirring occasionally. The sauce will thicken more as it cools and taste amazing drizzled over this chicken!
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Prepping and Storing
Leftovers will last about 3 to 4 days stored in a sealed, airtight container in the fridge and it’s best to store the chicken and bruschetta separately so that the bruschetta doesn’t get mushy. You can also freeze the chicken for up to 4 months in the freezer, but the bruschetta needs to be made and served fresh.
More Fresh Tomato Recipes You’ll Love
- Marinated Summer Caprese Salad
- Tomato, Cucumber and Chickpea Salad
- Loaded Veggie Tomato Sauce
- Summer Zucchini and Tomato Gratin
- Homemade Pico De Gallo
Hope you all enjoy this Grilled Bruschetta Chicken and if you love this as much as we do, please leave me ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ below and don’t forget to tag me on Instagram using the hashtag #eatyourselfskinny! I love seeing all your delicious recreations!
Grilled Bruschetta Chicken
Ingredients
- 4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- 3 Tbsp balsamic vinegar
- 6 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 Tbsp fresh lemon juice, about half a lemon
- 1 tsp dried oregano
- 1/2 tsp dried basil
- 1 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp black pepper
- 4 slices mozzarella cheese
- Balsamic glaze, optional
For the bruschetta:
- 1 cup cherry, or grape tomatoes, sliced
- 1 clove garlic, minced
- 1/2 Tbsp olive oil
- 1/4 cup fresh basil, chopped (or more if desired)
- Salt and pepper, to taste
Instructions
- Whisk together olive oil, balsamic vinegar, garlic, lemon juice, oregano, basil, salt and pepper until well combined. Season the chicken with additional salt and pepper on both sides and place in a shallow dish or 1-gallon sealable plastic bag.
- Pour the marinade over the chicken, making sure everything is completely coated, and marinate for at least 1 hour or up to 12 hours.
- To make the bruschetta, slice the tomatoes and place in a bowl and mix in the chopped garlic, olive oil, basil, salt/pepper and set aside to let marinate while the chicken cooks.
- To cook the chicken, heat a grill or grill pan. Once hot, place the chicken on the grill (discarding the marinade) and cook for about 5 to 6 minutes per side, or until cooked through and no longer pink (the internal temperature should be 165 for cooked chicken).
- Top each chicken breast with a slice of mozzarella cheese and allow the cheese to melt, then remove chicken from the grill.
- Spoon the bruschetta over top of each chicken breast and drizzle with a little balsamic glaze, if desired. Serve immediately and enjoy!
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
What a great idea to replace the bread with marinated chicken! It looks absolutely delicious. Can’t wait to try it!