Easy Grilled Bruschetta Chicken
Grilled bruschetta chicken is a fresh and flavorful dish made with juicy grilled chicken breasts topped with a vibrant mix of diced tomatoes, garlic, basil, and balsamic glaze. It’s a light, summery meal that’s both simple and satisfying.
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One of the best parts of summer?
Hands down all those fresh summer tomatoes.
Maybe it’s my Italian roots coming out, or maybe it’s just that there’s nothing quite as delicious as a sweet, summer, sun ripened tomato.
They just beg you to use them in everything.
And one of the best ways?
Bruschetta everything!
And sure there’s bruschetta itself and bruschetta pasta, but have you tried grilled bruschetta chicken?
If you love the fresh, bright flavors of bruschetta, you’ll want to try this easy twist with grilled chicken.
Bruschetta chicken brings all that garlicky-basil-tomato goodness to the top of juicy, pan-seared chicken.
If you are looking for an easy, light dinner, this is it.
Ingredients and Kitchen Supplies
Here’s what you need for easy grilled bruschetta chicken:
- Chicken Breasts – We used cut thin chicken breasts, but you can use regular breasts, strips, or cut it into nuggets. Thinner chicken pieces tend to pick up more of the flavor of the seasonings.
- Olive Oil – We use this for a quick marinade for the chicken and to help sear and release the chicken in the grill pan. We also need some for the bruschetta topping.
- Seasonings – For the chicken, we use Italian seasoning, salt, pepper, and red pepper flakes.
- Lemon Juice – For a little something fresh, the lemon juice helps to brighten the chicken’s flavor.
- Fresh Mozzarella Cheese – You melt this over top of each piece of chicken before removing from the pan.
- Tomatoes – We use vine ripened tomatoes, but you can use any meatier tomato, like roma or plum.
- Garlic – We use fresh, crushed garlic for the bruschetta topping as well as the seasoning for the chicken, so you will want to divide it in half.
- Basil – You will want to use fresh basil leaves.
- Balsamic Glaze – You can make your own or use a store-bought balsamic glaze. Regular balsasmic vinegerette also works well.
- Salt and Pepper (yo) – You’ll want some for the topping and some for the chicken.
To make bruschetta chicken, you might want the following common kitchen supplies:
How to Make Grilled Bruchetta Chicken
1. Prepare the chicken.
Remove any excess fat on the chicken breasts.
You can either cut them thinner, pound them flatter, cut into strips, or leave as is.
The smaller the pieces, the faster it cooks and the more the flavors incorporate into the chicken.
In a small bowl, combine the lemon juice, olive oil, Italian seasoning, half the garlic, salt, red pepper flakes, and pepper and mix well.
Pour the mixture over the chicken and toss to coat the chicken fully.
You can let it rest for 30 or more minutes to let the flavors come together or just move on to grilling it if you are in a hurry.
If you want to get more in depth information on how to make the chicken, check out this Easy Italian Grilled Chicken.
It’s the same chicken recipe we use for this and has lots of tips for how to make it exactly to your liking!
2. Grill the chicken.
You can follow the same steps for either an outside grill or grill pan, its the same process.
Heat your grill pan or cast iron skillet over medium-high heat and allow it to get hot.
Add the chicken breasts, leaving a bit of room between each piece, cooking in batches if needed.
Allow to cook for about 5 to 6 minutes and then flip, cooking an additional 5 to 6 minutes.
The chicken should reach an internal temperature of 165 degrees F.
If needed, you can flip the chicken a second or third time to avoid buring one side or the other.
When it has reached or just about reached the safe temp, lower the heat and add fresh mozzarella on top of each piece, covering as much as you like.
Cover the skillet and allow the cheese to melt.
3. Prepare the bruschetta and top the chicken to serve.
As the chicken cooks, you can prepare the bruschetta.
Wash and cut your tomatoes into smaller, bite-sized pieces, removing excessive seeds if desired.
Place them in a mixing bowl and add in olive oil, balsamic glaze or vinegerette, basil, crushed garlic, and salt and pepper (to taste).
Carefully mix the bruschetta topping until well combined.
When the chicken is done cooking, top each piece with a scoop or two of the bruschetta topping.
Serve and enjoy!
Serving
Bruschetta chicken uses fresh ingredients and is best when served right out of the grill pan.
It pairs nicely with grilled zucchini shown in the photos.
You can also serve a Caesar salad alongside the bruschetta chicken.
You might also like topping it with homemade croutons for some extra crunch and flavor.
Of course, it also pairs well with fresh or toasted bread.
Storing
If you want, you can sort of make this ahead of time.
We recommend preparing the chicken and storing in the fridge without the bruschetta topping.
You can then reheat it in the microwave or stop top and make a fresh batch of the topping.
Storing the bruschetta topping is possible, but the tomatoes can get meally when stored in the fridge and also lose a lot of their juices, so it is best when possible to make it fresh.
The chicken should stay fresh for about 3 to 4 days in the fridge.
Tips and Tricks
- If making ahead, we recommend only preparing the chicken. But if you make both the bruschetta and chicken ahead, store them separately.
- Bruschetta chicken uses fresh ingredients. We recommend using fresh basil, not dried, as well as fresh lemon juice.
- If the chicken is cooking too fast on the outside and not cooking through fast enough, turn the heat down and try flipping a few times.
- If the chicken gets stuck, you can use non-stick spray or coat the pan in olive oil.
- Not feeling like bruschetta? Top the chicken with homemade tomato sauce instead!
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Equipment
- 1 grill pan
Ingredients
- 2 breasts of chicken thinly sliced or pounded flat
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1.5 tablespoons Italian seasoning
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon pepper
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice (about 1 lemon)
- 8 cloves garlic (crushed or minced), divided
- 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
- 6 basil leaves
- 2 medium tomatoes
- 4 slices fresh mozzarella cheese
- 1 tablespoon balsamic glaze or vinaigrette
Instructions
- Mix olive oil, lemon juice, half the garlic, red pepper, salt, pepper, and Italian seasoning in a bowl.
- Add in the chicken breasts and stir to coat.
- You can let it rest for added flavor, or cook the chicken right away.
- Heat a grill pan over medium to medium-high heat.
- Place the chicken on the pan and cook for 5 to 6 minutes or until grill lines start to appear.
- Flip the chicken and allow it to cook for an additional 5 to 6 minutes.
- The chicken is done when it reaches an internal temperature of 165 degrees F.
- Once fully cooked, reduce heat and place slices of mozzarella on top of each breast. Cover and allow the cheese to melt.
- In a small bowl, add diced tomatoes, other half of the garlic, basil leaves, and balsamic glaze or vinaigrette. You can also add a pinch of salt and pepper if you like. Mix the tomatoes well.
- Remove the chicken from the pan and top each breasts with the bruschetta topping before serving.
