Grilled Bruschetta Chicken

March 7, 2021 By Stephanie 32 Comments

Looking for a way to spice up boring old grilled chicken? Meet Grilled Bruschetta Chicken; it’s like grilled chicken, but way better. Topped with melted mozzarella cheese and a delicious bruschetta inspired topping of chopped fresh tomatoes, red onion, balsamic vinegar, and fresh basil, this dish is anything but ordinary. But don’t fret, this one is on the table in under 20 minutes.

What you’ll need to make Grilled Bruschetta Chicken

Here’s what you’ll need to make grilled bruschetta chicken:

chicken breast, sliced into six thin pieces (I use Perdue, they sell thin sliced chicken breast which makes it so easy)
garlic powder
onion powder
paprika
oregano
kosher salt
balsamic vinegar
reduced fat mozzarella
tomatoes
red onion
basil

How to make flavorful grilled chicken

The only way to make grilled chicken less…. grilled chicken-y is to marinate it. You just have to! Trust me on this.

I used to buy bottled marinades all the time, and I still use my favorite McCormick marinade packets a lot too. But when I created this recipe, I made it on a day where I didn’t have any marinades on hand, so I had to make my own.

Maybe it sounds intimidating, but at the end of the day, all you’re doing is throwing a bunch of spices together, and then binding them with some liquid. Back in the day, I would have poured a ton of olive oil into this marinade too, but I’ve realized over time that it’s not needed. For this marinade, all I add as the liquid is balsamic vinegar. It’s sharp, flavorful, and acidic, and it helps break down the chicken, making it flavorful and tender.

So, whenever you can, get to the marinade part of this recipe. You can do this half an hour before cooking, but it’s really better the longer it sits. I suggest doing this whenever you have time in the morning, and letting the chicken hang out all day in the fridge while it marinates.

It only takes five minutes to throw together, so trust me, you can do it!

Just combine the marinade ingredients and then rub it all over the chicken. It will be the consistency of a paste.

Making the bruschetta topping

This part couldn’t be easier; this can also be done ahead of time, as it just gets better as it sits. When I made this last, I marinated the chicken and made the topping both the day before. I had all intentions of cooking this dish that night, but it didn’t happen. When I got home the next day, all I had to do was grill the chicken, but the rest was done. Dinner was done so quickly, and was super flavorful.

Chop the tomatoes and onions, and throw them in a small mixing bowl. Add the fresh basil, balsamic vinegar, and salt, and toss everything together. That’s all.

Cooking the chicken

When it’s time to cook the chicken, just get your grill pan preheated. You can also use a skillet for this, but since it’s called “grilled chicken bruschetta,” I figured I’d grill it. You can also use a barbeque for this, too. It would be perfect for the summer time!

Spray the preheated grill pan with cooking spray, and then cook the chicken for five minutes per side.

When the chicken is cooked, turn the heat off, sprinkle the mozzarella over each piece, and then cover the pan with a lid so that it melts.

Remove the chicken from the pan, place it on a platter, and then top with the bruschetta topping.