This easy chicken Caprese salad combines juicy, marinated chicken breasts with fresh mozzarella and ripe summer tomatoes.
Tomato salad is one of my favorite things to make during the summer, so this chicken Caprese salad recipe happens a lot in our home.
The chicken turns out really flavorful thanks to our quick garlic-basil marinade, and we use our favorite method for cooking chicken breasts, which means it also stays juicy and tender. Then, we serve it with lots of Caprese salad on the side. It’s everything I love about summer in one dish.
Key Ingredients
- Chicken: I’ve used chicken breasts in our photos, but feel free to substitute skinless, boneless chicken thighs.
- Basil Marinade: You’ll combine lemon juice, garlic, fresh basil, salt, red pepper flakes, and olive oil. It’s simple and fresh. I use a similar marinade for these basil baked chicken breasts, which would also be amazing in this dish.
- Tomatoes: Use fresh tomatoes that are smooth-skinned, heavy for their size, and smell sweet and earthy. If your tomatoes don’t smell like anything, put them back (they won’t have much flavor).
- Mozzarella and Basil: Fresh mozzarella is ideal, but if you can find burrata, it’s even more decadent thanks to its creamy center. When using burrata, I keep it whole until we’re ready to serve. Then, I pierce the middle and let the creamy inside spill over the tomatoes and basil. You’ll use basil to make the marinade, but I also love it tossed into the salad, too.
- Salt and Olive Oil: Use sea salt flakes, such as Maldon, and a high-quality extra-virgin olive oil for the salad. It blends with the tomato juices to create a rich, naturally flavored dressing that ties everything together.
Find the full recipe with measurements below.
How to Make the Best Chicken Caprese Salad
Tip 1: Marinate the chicken. Just 20 minutes in this basil marinade will make your chicken taste amazing. Place your chicken into a resealable bag with the marinade and marinate in the fridge for up to 2 hours.
Tip 2: Cook the chicken in a skillet. I love cooking chicken breasts in a skillet with a lid. For the juiciest, most tender chicken breasts, sear them on one side in a skillet. Flip, then cover with a lid and cook over low heat until done. We use the same method when making these lemon dill chicken breasts, and it works like a charm every time.
Tip 3: Salt the tomatoes. This is the secret to the best Caprese salad! Sprinkle salt over your sliced tomatoes and let them sit for about 10 minutes. The salt draws out their juices, which deepens the flavor and mixes with olive oil to create a simple, perfect dressing.
More Summer Chicken Recipes
- Lemon Dill Chicken Breasts – with a cucumber and feta salad
- Lemon Baked Chicken Breasts
- Juicy Grilled Chicken
- Roasted Red Pepper Chicken Bake
Chicken Caprese Salad
- PREP
- COOK
- TOTAL
Delicious warm or cold, this chicken Caprese salad is the ultimate summer dinner. Be sure to choose ripe, high-quality tomatoes for the best flavor. Mozzarella is traditional in a Caprese salad, but this version is just as good with feta or creamy goat cheese.
You Will Need
Lemon Basil Chicken Breasts2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, about 6 ounces each
¼ cup fresh lemon juice
3 garlic cloves, minced
2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil
½ teaspoon fine sea salt
Pinch crushed red pepper flakes
2 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil, for cooking
Caprese Salad¾ pound ripe tomatoes, at room temperature
2 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil
Salt and fresh ground black pepper
2 ounces fresh mozzarella cheese
Handful fresh basil leaves, torn into pieces
2 cups baby spinach leaves
Directions
1Marinate the chicken: In a resealable plastic bag or shallow dish, combine the lemon juice, garlic, basil, salt, and red pepper flakes. Add the chicken breasts, seal the bag, and move the chicken around so it’s evenly coated in the marinade. Let it sit for 20 to 30 minutes at room temperature or up to 2 hours in the refrigerator.
2Make the salad: About 20 minutes before serving, prepare the Caprese salad. Chop the tomatoes into bite-size chunks and add them to a medium bowl. Season with ¼ teaspoon of salt and a few grinds of black pepper. Add the olive oil, stir gently, and let sit for 15 minutes so the tomatoes release their juices. Taste and adjust with more salt and pepper, if needed. Tear or cube the mozzarella and stir it into the tomatoes.
3Cook the chicken: When ready to cook, brush off any extra garlic from the chicken and pat the surface dry. Heat olive oil in a medium skillet (with a lid) over medium-high heat. When the oil looks hot and shimmery, add the chicken breasts. Cook for 2 to 3 minutes, until golden on the bottom.
4Finish cooking: Flip the chicken, reduce the heat to low, and cover the pan with a lid. Cook for 10 to 20 minutes, or until an instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest part reads 165°F (74°C).
5Rest and serve: Transfer the chicken to a plate, cover loosely with foil, and let rest for 5 minutes, before slicing into thick slices. Make a bed of spinach on each plate, then top with sliced chicken. Spoon a generous amount of the tomato and mozzarella mixture over the chicken. Drizzle some of the flavorful juices from the bottom of the bowl over everything. Finish with torn basil leaves, and enjoy!
Adam and Joanne's Tips
- The nutrition facts provided below are estimates.
Made this last week and my husband, daughter, and I ate it up! I am making it again and this time doubling the chicken so we can have seconds 🙂 Already added this to my “keepers” list!
This salad just screams summer! I can’t wait to get some juicy red tomatoes from my garden to throw this together!
OMG I could LIVE off this recipe! Can’t wait to try it!