Grilled Chicken Caprese Salad
This Grilled Chicken Caprese Salad is a delicious salad that will make even the pickiest eater love to eat salads! It’s crunchy, flavorful and packed with cheese, bacon, and avocado. This is going to become your favorite salad from the second you try it!
If you have never been a big fan of salads or if someone in your family considers salad boring or not filling then you need to make this Grilled Chicken Caprese salad ASAP. It’s going to change everyone opinions about eating greens. The reason? It’s so flavorful and so filling! and it has BACON! It’s also a bit tangy thanks to the quick balsamic vinegar vinaigrette and packed with lots of goodies including Bocconcini pearls and Parmesan cheese and bacon.
The clear star of this recipe, however, is the balsamic grilled chicken. It’s marinated in olive oil, balsamic vinegar, lemon juice, brown sugar, and spices. The vinegar and lemon juice make the chicken really tender and the brown sugar helps to balance all the acidity and tanginess. And the spices. Can we please talk about the spices? Because the combination of garlic, oregano, paprika, and basil it’s so good I just can’t believe it.
How do I cook the marinated chicken?
You can make the chicken indoors in a skillet or you can fire up your outdoor grill. You can even make this chicken for a BBQ; I guarantee everyone will rave about it.
I recommend that you marinate your chicken for at least 20 minutes – that’s what makes this Grilled Chicken Caprese salad a weeknight recipe! If you have more time on your hands or want to make it part of your meal prep menu, you can marinate it for up to 3 days in the refrigerator. The longer you marinate your meats the most powerful the flavor is going to be.
The secret to perfect grilled chicken, one that’s crispy and golden outside and juicy inside is letting it cook undisturbed before flipping it. Letting it cook undisturbed for at least 5 minutes is what creates the crispy layer outside. That layer seals in all the juices. Oh and let the chicken rest 4-5 minutes before slicing too.
But back to the Grilled Chicken Caprese salad as a whole. I love to serve it with cherry tomatoes, bacon, avocado, and Bocconcini cheese. However, you can add all the veggies you love in here! Add some baby spinach or maybe a bit of corn or asparagus. Feel free to add some fresh basil leaves or a spoonful of pesto drizzled on top to go with the Italian flair.
Grilled Chicken Caprese Salad Recipe
Ingredients
For the balsamic dressing
- ¼ Cup balsamic vinegar
- ½ Cup olive oil
- ½ Tbsp lemon juice
- 1 cloved garlic minced
- Salt and pepper to taste
- 1 Tbsp dijon mustard
For the balsamic grilled chicken
- 1 Pound chicken breasts
- 3 Tbsp balsamic vinegar
- 4 Tbsp olive oil
- 1 Tbsp dijon mustard
- 1 Tbsp brown sugar
- 1 Tbsp lemon juice
- 1 Tsp garlic powder
- 1 Tsp dried basil
- 1 Tsp oregano
- 1 Tsp paprika
- Salt and pepper to taste
For the salad
- 7 Cups lettuce washed and chopped
- 1 Pint cherry tomatoes halved and quartered
- ¼ Cup cooked bacon
- 1 whole Avocado sliced
- 1 Cup bocconcini pearls
- ¼ Cup parmesan cheese shredded or shaved
Instructions
For the balsamic dressing
- Whisk together the balsamic vinegar with lemon juice, dijon mustard, salt, pepper and garlic. Whisk in the olive oil until everything is well incorporated.
For the balsamic grilled chicken
- In a small bowl combine the balsamic vinegar, olive oil, mustard, brown sugar, lemon juice and spices. Set aside.
- Pat dry the chicken breasts and place into a Ziploc bag. Pour the marinade into the Ziploc bag and let it marinate for 4 hours.
- Add some oil to a skillet over medium heat. Add the chicken breasts and cook 7 minutes per side or until done. Remove from fire and let it set for 3 minutes before slicing.
For the salad
- In a big bowl or dish arrange the lettuce, cherry tomatoes, bacon, avocado and bocconcini pearls.
- Add the grilled chicken sliced. Drizzle with the balsamic vinaigrette.
- Top with parmesan cheese and serve.
If you’re looking for something summery and refreshing to serve with this salad, give my Strawberry Pineapple Lemonade a try. It takes only a few minutes, less than 5, to assemble and it’s incredibly delicious! It will pair really well with Grilled Chicken Caprese Salad.
This salad is fabulous!
Such a great way to enjoy capreses! Making this for a barbecue this weekend!
Delicious! Made this for my weekday lunches this week, super easy and very very filling!