Grilled Chicken Caprese Salad (Printable)

Juicy grilled chicken paired with ripe tomatoes, fresh mozzarella, and basil in a light, refreshing Italian-inspired salad.

# What You Need:

→ Chicken

01 - 2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (10.5 oz)
02 - 1 tablespoon olive oil
03 - 1/2 teaspoon salt
04 - 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
05 - 1/2 teaspoon dried Italian herbs

→ Salad

06 - 3 medium ripe tomatoes, sliced
07 - 7 oz fresh mozzarella cheese, sliced
08 - 1 cup fresh basil leaves
09 - 3.5 oz mixed salad greens

→ Dressing

10 - 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
11 - 2 tablespoons balsamic glaze
12 - 1 teaspoon honey
13 - Salt and black pepper to taste

# How-To Steps:

01 - Preheat a grill or grill pan over medium-high heat.
02 - Rub chicken breasts with olive oil, salt, pepper, and dried Italian herbs.
03 - Grill chicken for 6-7 minutes per side until cooked through and juices run clear. Remove and let rest for 5 minutes, then slice thinly.
04 - Arrange tomato slices, mozzarella slices, basil leaves, and mixed salad greens on a large platter or individual plates.
05 - Layer grilled chicken slices over the salad base.
06 - In a small bowl, whisk together extra virgin olive oil, balsamic glaze, honey, and season with salt and pepper to taste.
07 - Drizzle dressing evenly over the salad just before serving.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • Everything comes together in thirty minutes, which means you can decide to make it on a whim after work.
  • The combination of warm grilled chicken with cool mozzarella creates a temperature contrast that feels surprisingly fancy.
  • It looks so impressive on the plate that guests always assume you spent way more time than you actually did.
  • Leftovers hold up beautifully for next day lunch if you keep the dressing separate.
02 -
  • Pound your chicken breasts to an even thickness before grilling or you'll end up with dried out edges and undercooked centers.
  • Let the chicken rest after cooking, cutting into it immediately releases all the moisture you worked so hard to keep inside.
  • Always dress this salad right before serving, if you do it too early the acid in the balsamic breaks down the tomatoes into mush.
  • Room temperature mozzarella tastes infinitely better than cold, take it out of the fridge twenty minutes before you start cooking.
03 -
  • Invest in good buffalo mozzarella if you can find it, the creamier texture and richer flavor make this dish go from good to absolutely craveable.
  • Grill extra chicken and use it for sandwiches or grain bowls the next day, you're already heating the grill anyway.
  • A drizzle of the pasta cooking water mixed into your leftover dressing creates an instant sauce for weeknight penne.
  • Freeze your balsamic glaze for ten minutes before drizzling if you want those perfect thin lines like they do in restaurants.
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