Easy Grilled Chicken Margherita
Grilled Chicken Margherita Recipe – Exceptional Margherita Flavors in an Easy, Simple Grilled Chicken Dish with Healthier Ingredients and Lower calories!
This is one of my favorite Italian inspired dishes; Margherita Grilled Chicken. tender chicken breasts, topped with gooey fresh Mozzarella cheese, pesto, cherry tomatoes and basil.
Eating a tasty Italian pizza but with less calories, healthier ingredients and more exceptional flavors, this is what this recipe is about. You’re going to love having this recipe for a family lunch or dinner; it’s light, tasty, and so summer like.
Why is it called Margherita?
Margherita is Italian and it refers to the combination of tomatoes, basil, and cheese. Like the pizza. Not to confuse with Margaritas, which you can totally enjoy with this recipe. So bring the wine, margaritas or your favorite beverage and let yourself indulge in
Ingredients Needed:
2 lean chicken breasts
2 tablespoons olive oil
Salt and pepper
2 slices Mozzarella cheese
1 teaspoon garlic powder
½ cup red cherry tomatoes (halved)
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
½ cup basil pesto
½ cup basil leaves (thinly sliced)
Some cracked black pepper
Instructions:
Put the chicken breasts in a large bowl. Add in the olive oil, garlic powder, Italian seasoning, and some salt and pepper to taste. Toss a bit to combine well.
Grill chicken over medium high heat, cook for about 6 to 8 minutes on each side. Place a slice of Mozzarella cheese on top of each chicken piece, then cook until melted.
Mix the cherry tomatoes, with basil leaves and fresh lemon juice.
For the final step, top each chicken piece with 3 tablespoons pesto, a scoop of tomatoes with basil, then add some freshly cracked black pepper. Enjoy immediately!
Margherita Grilled Chicken Recipe – You’re about to Get the Best of Both Worlds; Grilled Chicken & Pizza!
During summertime, what’s better than a grilled lean protein paired with a refreshing side dish. A flavorful recipe consisting of tender chicken breasts with nice grill marks, topped with cherry tomatoes and basil to brighten the dish.
A restaurant like dining experience; Exceptional flavors in a simple, healthy, and family friendly recipe, prepared in 30 minutes. It’s the perfect meal for indoor or outdoor dinner and It’s going to be your new Italian craving.
Helpful Tips and Variations:
Chicken breast substitute: You can replace the chicken breast with turkey breast.
Different way to cook the chicken: I prefer to grill the chicken breasts, I like how it tastes, and I love seeing the grill marks, however, you could either bake in the oven, pan fry, pan sear it or cook in the air fryer.
Cherry tomatoes: I prefer to use cherry tomatoes for this recipe. You can use some freshly cut ones for this recipe as a garnish, or you cook them as well on the preheated grill; they’ll taste sweeter and have beautiful grill marks.
Pesto sauce: My favorite part of this recipe is the pesto sauce, you can use store bought or make your own at home. If you’re not a fan of pine nuts, make it with cashews or walnuts; it tastes great.
Italian seasoning: You can use store bought Italian seasoning or make your own homemade version. Combine dried thyme, dried basil, and dried oregano. You can even add some garlic powder.
Mozzarella cheese sub: This recipe works well with sliced Mozzarella cheese, but you can also use shredded or swap for Parmesan cheese if you like.
To replace the lemon juice: You can either use lime juice or balsamic vinegar.
Storing Leftovers: You can safely store any leftovers in an airtight container for up to 4 days. Remove the toppings to reheat in the microwave when needed, then put them back afterwards.
Reusing Leftovers: If by any miracle, you’ve got some leftovers, think about using them in different wholesome recipes. You can slice the chicken breasts and throw them in a pasta salad with cucumbers, broccoli, arugula, green peppers, cheese and nuts. You can also use in a cheesy pasta or potato gratin.
How can I serve this Tasty Grilled Chicken Margherita Recipe?
After using either the electric or charcoal grill, I like to serve some basic side dishes, such as grilled veggies, a refreshing cold salad or toasted garlic bread. For a fancier dinner experience, I serve up the Margherita Grilled Chicken with a small twist of spaghetti or fettuccini.
Easy Grilled Chicken Margherita
Ingredients
- 2 lean chicken breasts
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- Salt and pepper
- 2 slices Mozzarella cheese
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ cup red cherry tomatoes halved
- 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
- ½ cup basil pesto
- ½ cup basil leaves thinly sliced
- Some cracked black pepper
Instructions
- Put the chicken breasts in a large bowl. Add in the olive oil, garlic powder, Italian seasoning, and some salt and pepper to taste. Toss a bit to combine well.
- Grill chicken over medium high heat, cook for about 6 to 8 minutes on each side. Place a slice of Mozzarella cheese on top of each chicken piece, then cook until melted.
- Mix the cherry tomatoes, with basil leaves and fresh lemon juice.
- For the final step, top each chicken piece with 3 tablespoons pesto, a scoop of tomatoes with basil, then add some freshly cracked black pepper. Enjoy immediately!
