Bruschetta Chicken
This super summery meal mashes up juicy bruschetta with a weeknight-friendly chicken dinner.
Serves4
Prep15 minutes to 20 minutes
Cook15 minutes
If you’re like me, come summer you’re trying to eat tomatoes in as many preparations as possible. Easy bruschetta may be one of the most obvious choices to indulge in. And while I love this Italian dish, it’s often relegated to a snack. I wanted to take the delicious flavors of bruschetta and incorporate them into a weeknight-friendly dinner. Meet: bruschetta chicken! Here, seared marinated chicken breasts take the place of bread. You’ll melt mozzarella cheese over the top, then spoon juicy bruschetta on everything. Finish with a drizzle of balsamic glaze and some fresh basil. It’s saucy, cheesy, punchy, and the perfect way to celebrate summer.
Why You’ll Love It
- Marinating the chicken is the secret to great flavor. A quick blend of seasonings like garlic, red wine vinegar, and Italian seasoning imparts the chicken with so much flavor. It’s anything but bland.
- You can’t go wrong no matter how you serve it. This dish is so versatile. You can serve it on its own, over pasta, with crusty bread, or with a side salad.
Key Ingredients in Chicken Bruschetta
- Boneless chicken breasts: Stick to medium-size chicken breasts for this recipe to ensure they fit snugly in the pan.
- Tomatoes: I’ve opted for cherry tomatoes here since they pack a ton of flavor.
- Italian seasoning: The chicken is marinated in olive oil, vinegar, and Italian seasoning for more of that classic Italian flavor.
- Balsamic glaze: Balsamic glaze has a more syrupy consistency and sweeter flavor than vinegar. It’s used in the bruschetta, as well as drizzled over the chicken right before serving.
- Mozzarella cheese: Sliced low-moisture mozzarella works best to melt evenly over the chicken.
How to Make Chicken Bruschetta
- Pound and marinate the chicken breasts. Place the chicken breasts in a plastic bag and pound them until 1/2 inch in thickness. Marinate the chicken with olive oil, red wine vinegar, Italian seasoning, garlic, salt, and pepper.
- Make the bruschetta. Combine chopped tomatoes with olive oil, balsamic glaze, garlic, basil, salt, and pepper.
- Sear the chicken. Cook the chicken in a pan until golden brown on both sides and the internal temperature reaches 165ºF.
- Add the cheese. Top the chicken with sliced mozzarella and put the lid on the pan.
- Top with bruschetta. Spoon the bruschetta over the chicken and serve directly from the pan.
Helpful Swaps
- Boneless, skinless chicken thighs can be swapped in for breasts in this recipe. Since typically thighs are thinner than breasts, you can skip pounding them thinly.
- Any tomatoes can work here, just make sure to keep the total amount to 12 ounces.
Storage and Make-Ahead Tips
Leftovers can be refrigerated in an airtight container for up to 3 days.
What to Serve with Bruschetta Chicken
Bruschetta Chicken Recipe
This super summery meal mashes up juicy bruschetta with a weeknight-friendly chicken dinner.
Prep time 15 minutes to 20 minutes
Cook time 15 minutes
Serves 4
Nutritional Info
Ingredients
- 4
cloves garlic, divided
- 5 tablespoons
olive oil, divided
- 3 tablespoons
red wine vinegar
- 2 tablespoons
Italian seasoning
- 2 tablespoons
kosher salt, divided
- 1 1/2 teaspoons
freshly ground black pepper, divided
- 4
medium boneless, skinless chicken breasts (2 to 2 1/2 pounds total)
- 12 ounces
cherry tomatoes (about 2 1/2 cups)
- 4
sprigs fresh basil, plus more for garnish
- 4 teaspoons
balsamic glaze, divided
- 6 ounces
sliced low-moisture mozzarella cheese (about 8 slices)
Instructions
Finely grate 2 of the garlic cloves into a large bowl. Add 3 tablespoons of the olive oil, 3 tablespoons red wine vinegar, 2 tablespoons Italian seasoning, 1 1/2 teaspoons of the kosher salt, and 1 teaspoon of the black pepper. Whisk to combine.
Working with 1 piece of chicken at a time, place 4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts in a large resealable bag and pound to an even 1/2-inch thickness. Add the chicken to the marinade and flip to coat. Cover and marinate at room temperature for 30 minutes or refrigerate for up to 2 hours.
Meanwhile, finely grate the remaining 2 garlic cloves into a medium bowl. Add 2 teaspoons of the balsamic glaze and the remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil, 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt, and 1/2 teaspoon black pepper. Whisk to combine. Quarter 12 ounces cherry tomatoes. Pick the leaves from 4 fresh basil sprigs until you have about 1/4 cup and coarsely chop. Add both to the dressing and toss to combine. Refrigerate if marinating the chicken for longer than 30 minutes.
Heat a 12-inch skillet or frying pan over medium-high heat until hot. Add the chicken in a single layer, shaking off any excess marinade back into the bowl. Sear until browned on the bottom, 5 to 7 minutes. Flip the chicken and continue cooking until the chicken is cooked through and registers at least 165ºF on an instant-read thermometer, 5 to 7 more minutes.
Top the chicken evenly with 6 ounces sliced low-moisture mozzarella cheese, overlapping the slices as needed. Cover and cook until the mozzarella is melted, 1 to 2 minutes. Spoon the tomato mixture, including the juices, evenly over the chicken, allowing some tomatoes to fall to the bottom of the pan. Drizzle with the remaining 2 teaspoons balsamic glaze and remove the pan from the heat. Garnish with more chopped basil leaves if desired.
Recipe Notes
Storage: Refrigerate leftovers in an airtight container for up to 4 days.