Delicious Grilled Chicken Caprese

Grilled chicken Caprese is a simple way to use all the end of summer tomatoes and basil from your garden. So delicious and healthy!

As summer comes to an end, I usually have an abundance of tomatoes and basil. As a result, I’m always looking for different ways to use those two things. There’s usually a lot of bruschetta and pesto happening, but this is another delicious way to make a healthy meal.

Start by grilling chicken. I always brine chicken. Brining is basically soaking the meat in salt water. I cannot tell you how much more tender your chicken will be if you do this step. It takes a little longer, but I promise, you will never have dried out chicken again if you do this step. You can find simple brining instructions here.

Once you’ve brined your chicken (if you decide to do that step), it’s time to marinade the chicken. You can choose any marinade you want for this. For this particular recipe, I just used Ken’s Northern Italian salad dressing. You can also just do olive oil and lemon juice, with some salt and pepper and Italian dressing. This doesn’t have to be complicated. I suggest marinading for at last a half hour, but it can definitely be up to a few hours.

Now just grill your chicken. If you are using chicken breasts, it usually takes about 5 minutes per side for a total of 10 minutes. Obviously, you don’t want to burn it, but you also want it thoroughly cooked.

For the last minute or so, just put a thick slice of mozzarella cheese on top of each piece of chicken. It will get all melty and delicious. Remove from the grill and put on a platter or whatever you are serving it on. Top each piece with a slice of tomato. You can also use a bunch of cherry tomatoes and just scatter them all over the chicken pieces.

Next, put at least one large basil leaf on top of each piece of chicken. I usually scatter multiple basil leaves over all of it. For the final step, drizzle some olive oil, salt, pepper and a drizzle of balsamic vinegar or balsamic glaze. You can leave off the balsamic if you are not a fan, but it really does add an incredible burst of flavor.

Serve this with a side of pasta or potatoes or just a salad. It’s a beautiful, summery dish that is so full of flavor.

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Delicious Grilled Caprese Chicken

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Ingredients

• 4 chicken breasts or thighs
• 4 thick slices mozzarella cheese
• 4 large tomato slices (can also use cherry tomatoes)
• 4-8 large basil leaves (some whole and some cut into strips)
• olive oil
• salt and pepper
• balsamic vinegar or glaze (optional)

Instructions

1

I suggest brining chicken first. (see above)

2

Marinade chicken in desired marinade (see above for suggestions)

3

Grill chicken. If using breasts, about 5 minutes on each side.

4

About 2 minutes before chicken is done, add a slice of mozzarella to the top of each piece.

5

Remove from grill and cover chicken with tomatoes, basil, a drizzle of olive oil, salt and pepper to taste and a drizzle of balsamic if desired.