Grilled Bruschetta Chicken
This Grilled Bruschetta Chicken is an easy recipe that’s packed with flavor. It’s perfect for dinner in the backyard on a warm summer night!
This recipe all started with the Stuffed Chicken Caprese recipe I posted a couple of years ago. You see, my wife doesn’t really like chicken. She never orders chicken when we go out, and she often leaves chicken leftovers for me here at home. That is unless we’re talking about buffalo chicken wings – then it’s a different story entirely!
I set out to create a grilled chicken recipe that Laura would not only eat, but actually request again in the future. That’s how we landed on this Grilled Bruschetta Chicken.
I understand where Laura is coming from here. How many times have you had grilled chicken only to find out it’s dry and flavorless? It’s happened here. I get it. I find a simple marinade is one of the easiest ways to avoid boring grilled chicken. For this Grilled Bruschetta Chicken, I went with a classic olive oil, lemon juice and herb marinade. And bonus: it only needs to marinate for 30 minutes (up to a couple hours) to bring all of the flavor to the yard! (Literally…since the grill is in the yard. Hah.)
Grilled Bruschetta Chicken
Grilled Bruschetta ChickenThis marinated chicken is juicy and flavorful – it makes for a great base for all sorts of other recipes. In fact, you could serve it by itself along with some grilled zucchini or asparagus. But I wanted to boost the flavor a bit more on this one. Enter the fresh basil, chopped tomatoes and mozzarella cheese. Holy grilled chicken, Batman!
Piled high with toppings, this is one heck of a tasty recipe. Not only did Laura enjoy this one, but she actually requested it again the very next evening. In fact, this Grilled Bruschetta Chicken has become a staple in our summer grilling lineup!
Typically, bruschetta starts with toasted bread rubbed with garlic as the base. Tomatoes and basil get piled on top, and then a drizzle of good olive oil finishes it off. In the case of this Grilled Bruschetta Chicken, the marinated chicken breast takes the place of the toasted bread.
While it’s not terribly common to see mozzarella on bruschetta, I still went for it and melted some mozzarella on top of the grilled chicken. The cheese brings a creamy texture, and it also helps the other toppings stay in place. Plus, cheese makes everything better!
If you’ve ever found yourself looking at a boring piece of grilled chicken, then this recipe is the cure. I hope you enjoy it as much as we do – in fact, you might find yourself making this one two nights in a row!
Did you make this Grilled Bruschetta Chicken at home? Leave a comment, or snap a photo and tag me on Instagram (@Spicedblog) – I’d love to see your version!
Grilled Bruschetta Chicken
Ingredients
For the Grilled Chicken
- 3 Tbsp olive oil
- 2 Tbsp lemon juice
- 2 tsp Italian seasonings
- 1 tsp kosher salt
- ½ tsp black pepper
- 4 boneless skinless chicken breasts
- 4 slices mozzarella cheese or ½ cup shredded mozzarella
For the Bruschetta Topping
- 2 Roma tomatoes diced (or ½ pint cherry tomatoes)
- ½ Tbsp olive oil
- 1 tsp minced garlic
- ½ tsp kosher salt
- 1 Tbsp freshly chopped basil leaves
Instructions
For the Grilled Chicken
- Using a small bowl, combine olive oil, lemon juice, Italian seasonings, salt and pepper. Place chicken in a re-sealable bag and add olive oil mixture. Turn several times to coat and refrigerate for 30-60 minutes. (Note: This is a great time to go ahead and make the bruschetta topping.)
- Preheat grill to medium-high heat.
- Remove chicken from marinade and place on grill. (Discard any excess marinade.) Grill for 5-6 minutes per side, or until chicken is fully cooked (internal temperature of 165°F).
- Lay slices (or shredded) of mozzarella on top of chicken breasts. Close grill and let cook for 1-2 minutes, or until cheese has fully melted.
- Remove chicken breasts from grill and top with several spoonfuls of the bruschetta topping before serving.
For the Bruschetta Topping
- Using a medium bowl, add all of the ingredients; toss until well combined.
Looking for more tasty chicken recipes? Check out these other family favorites, too:
Sorry just saw this now will be making this soon can i use eggplant and vegan cheese as am a vegan perfect for my after office meals will dm you if i make this and let you know how it goes pl i love commenting on your recipes always brightens up my day Thanks Ramya
You know, I think you could totally use eggplant for this recipe, Ramya. In fact, that sounds quite tasty! I’m so glad these recipes brighten your day – I appreciate you following along and commenting!
We would devour this in our house, David! Love that it’s made on the grill too – definitely putting this on our summer menu!
This is a great summer grilling recipe, Marissa! So much flavor, and so easy to make, too! 🙂
Love the twist on bruschetta! Plus, chicken covered in cheese? I mean, what’s not to love?? 😉 This recipe looks like something hubby and I would love for busy weeknights. Heck, I bet it would be great for a weekend date night with some vino too. Have a great week, my friend!
You said it, Dawn – anything covered in cheese is the start of something good as far as I’m concerned! 🙂 And if you happen to serve this up with a glass of vino on the back porch? Yup, that’s summer at it’s best right there!
With all the good chicken dishes that you prepare, you will make her into a chicken convert without a doubt. This looks terrific.
Haha – thanks, Karen! A good marinade is the key to tasty chicken. Well, that and cheese. 🙂
While I do love traditional bruschetta and crostini, I won’t be able to turn down this delicious variation! The flavours and topping choices are spot on in my humble opinion. Now, I’ve got for you next idea: “chicken grilled cheese” where two slices of chicken would work in place of the bread! Laura with thank us haha!
Hahaha – chicken grilled cheese!? Now I’ve heard of it all. I mean I have heard of a burger with donuts as the bun, but I’ve never heard of a grilled cheese with chicken as the bread. Now that I think about it, though, it does sound quite tasty!
Ohh this recipe will be good for my low carb endeavors! Infact you gave me a great idea, I can even use Bens Smashed Blackberry topping on it.
Hmmm…I like that idea! The smashed blackberries would be a fun topping for this chicken – especially if you slice it up and serve it over fresh spinach. Maybe some goat cheese and toasted pecans, too? Yum! Thanks, Raymund!
What a great way to flavour chicken! This would be amazing as a sandwich too! Now I’m getting hungry…!
Oooo…I like that idea of turning this one into a sandwich, Michelle! What if you served it on crusty bread that you toasted lightly on the grill? I think we need to experiment a bit here!!
I think you’ve created a winner! Right now we are all about grilling and this is just what I need to mix things up a bit. I love the fresh topping and all the bruschetta flavors. I think I’ll be like Laura and want it a couple of times a week!
This is such a simple recipe, Kathy, but it’s packed with flavor and easy to make – perfect for summer grilling if you ask me! Thank you! 🙂
Absolutely fabulous! I love everything about this dish. I might have mentioned I’ve really gotten into smoked mozzarella – I guy it online of course at Di Bruno – and that would be wonderful on the chicken as well. Thanks!
Yes, you have mentioned smoked mozz recently – and I think that would be a fantastic twist on this recipe, Mimi! The smoky flavors from the grill combined with the smoked mozzarella would be a summer win! 🙂
You’re so right, David! Cheese definitely does make everything better – and it’s tough to make Bruschetta flavors even better – I think you’ve definitely nailed it with this one! Love the idea of the marinade – too often we try to flavor chicken only on top, you’re so right to flavor the entire thing! Love this recipe – can’t wait to give it a try!
This is such a simple recipe, Laura, but it’s packed with the flavors of summer. It’s a great way to use fresh garden tomatoes if you have extras! This entire recipe just screams summer to me – it’s so tasty. Thank you!!
i love chicken and eat it a lot but not so keen on breasts 🙂 But i don’t mind some marinated ones. and the cheese would go down a treat too.
Well I bet you could use other cuts of chicken here if you wanted, Sherry – although the marinated breasts in this recipe really are packed with flavor. And the tomatoes + cheese just boost the flavor to a whole new level, too. Save this one for when it gets warm in your area again!!
This grilled bruschetta chicken is a great idea for the BBQ David! We are having one of the best summers I can remember here in Scotland and so I’m actually running out of ideas for the BBQ (which is frequently on the go at the moment). Last night I did Halloumi Burgers, next time I’ll be giving these a go. Can’t wait! Thanks!
Ah – I’m so glad this bruschetta chicken came along at a good time, Neil! We’re right in the middle of grilling season here, too, although it’s been a bit of a wet couple of weeks. (That hasn’t stopped me though – haha!) I hope you’re planning on sharing the recipe for those Halloumi Burgers – they sound delicious!