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Caprese Salad with Grilled Chicken
Recipe

Caprese Salad with Grilled Chicken

Main • South Africa

A satisfying, lighter take on Caprese: lean grilled chicken, ripe tomatoes and fresh mozzarella, finished with basil and a simple balsamic dressing.

Why smarter

Uses lean chicken breast and a bright, flavour-forward dressing so you get a filling main with moderate calories and saturated fat, without relying on creamy sauces.

Chef tip

If your balsamic is very sharp, whisk in an extra 1/2 tsp honey and let it sit for 5 minutes to round it out.

Soft line

All the Caprese vibes, made hearty enough for dinner.

Ingredients

# Ingredient Text Amount Unit Ingredient Name Notes
1 Chicken breasts, boneless and skinless 600.000 g Chicken breasts
2 Canola oil 2.000 tsp Canola oil For grilling
3 Lemon zest 1.000 tsp Lemon zest
4 Lemon juice 2.000 tbsp Lemon juice
5 Garlic, crushed 2.000 cloves Garlic
6 Dried oregano 1.000 tsp Dried oregano
7 Salt 0.750 tsp Salt Divided
8 Black pepper 0.500 tsp Black pepper Divided
9 Ripe tomatoes, sliced or wedged 600.000 g Tomatoes Cocktail or vine tomatoes work well
10 Fresh mozzarella, sliced (bocconcini or a ball) 200.000 g Fresh mozzarella
11 Fresh basil leaves 20.000 g Fresh basil About 1 packed cup leaves
12 Extra virgin olive oil 2.000 tbsp Extra virgin olive oil For dressing
13 Balsamic vinegar 2.000 tbsp Balsamic vinegar
14 Honey 1.000 tsp Honey Optional but recommended

Method

  1. Pat the chicken dry. In a bowl, mix canola oil, lemon zest, lemon juice, garlic, oregano, 1/2 tsp salt and 1/4 tsp pepper. Coat the chicken and set aside for 10 minutes while you prep the salad.
  2. Slice the tomatoes and mozzarella. Arrange them on a large platter (or divide between 4 plates). Tuck in most of the basil leaves.
  3. Heat a grill pan or non-stick frying pan over medium-high heat. Cook the chicken for about 5–7 minutes per side (depending on thickness) until browned and cooked through.
  4. Rest the chicken on a board for 5 minutes, then slice.
  5. Whisk the dressing: olive oil, balsamic vinegar, honey (if using), plus the remaining 1/4 tsp salt and 1/4 tsp pepper.
  6. Add the sliced chicken over the Caprese salad.
  7. Drizzle over the balsamic dressing and scatter over the remaining basil.
  8. Serve immediately (or chill the salad components and add warm chicken on top for a hot-cold contrast).