Chicken Caprese Salad
Made up of crisp lettuce, marinated grilled chicken, itty bitty fresh mozzarella pearls, creamy avocados, fresh basil ribbons, vibrant tomatoes, and its all finished with a zippy balsamic dressing. It's an exceptional chopped salad that's sure to impress!
Servings: 5
Ingredients
Chicken
- 1 1/2 lbs. boneless skinless chicken breasts
- 3 Tbsp olive oil, plus more for grill grates
- 1 Tbsp fresh lemon juice
- 1 tsp dijon mustard
- 1/2 tsp honey
- 1 1/2 tsp dried Italian seasoning
- 1 tsp minced garlic
- Salt and black pepper
Balsamic Vinaigrette
- 1/2 cup olive oil
- 1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
- 1/2 tsp minced garlic
- 1 Tbsp honey
- 2 tsp dijon mustard
Salad
- 1 large head Romaine lettuce, chopped
- 8 oz fresh mozzarella pearls
- 10 oz grape or cherry tomatoes
- 2 medium avocados, chopped
- 1/3 cup chiffonade basil (basil cut into thin ribbons)
Instructions
- For the chicken: In a small mixing bowl whisk together 3 Tbsp olive oil, the lemon juice, 1 tsp dijon, 1/2 tsp honey, 1 tsp garlic and season with salt and pepper to taste (I use 1 1/4 tsp salt 1/2 tsp pepper).
- Place chicken in a resealable bag and pound thicker parts of chicken to even thickness with a meat mallet, then pour marinade mixture over chicken.
- Seal bag and rub marinade over chicken. Transfer to refrigerator and marinate 2 - 6 hours.
- Preheat a grill to 425 degrees over medium-high heat. Brush grill grates lightly with olive oil then place chicken on grill.
- Grill until cooked through, turning once halfway through cooking, about 4 - 5 minutes per side (chicken should register 165 degrees in center of chicken on an instant read thermometer).
- Transfer to a cutting board and let rest 10 minutes then dice into cubes.
- For the balsamic vinaigrette: Make this while the chicken is marinating and refrigerate. Whisk all vinaigrette ingredients in a bowl until well combined, cover.
- For the salad: While chicken is cooling, add lettuce to a large salad bowl. Top with mozzarella, tomatoes, avocados and basil. Add chicken.
- Toss lightly then drizzle balsamic vinaigrette over salad, or plate and drizzle desired amount of dressing over each serving. Serve immediately.
Notes
- The chicken can also be cooked on a panini press, or on the stove top with 1 Tbsp olive oil in a cast iron skillet set over medium-high heat. Omit honey if cooking on the stovetop so chicken doesn't burn.
- Nutrition estimate based on 1 of the 3 Tbsp olive oil used being soaked into chicken with marinade, and all of the dressing being added.
- Recipe updated 4/26. Previously included fresh basil in the marinade it has been changed to Italian seasoning and more fresh basil is used in the salad.