If you love bruschetta and want to eat it all the time, this chicken bruschetta is for you!
Bruschetta in the summertime is a masterpiece. The tomatoes are sweet and juicy, the basil is plentiful, the balsamic is tart and delicious, and the toasty bread is amazing. I love classic tomato bruschetta topping so much that we’ve been eating chicken bruschetta on repeat. I know it’s kind of funny to call it bruschetta chicken when bruschetta means to toast, but I really just like saying brew-sketta!
What is chicken bruschetta?
It’s a low-carb, protein forward take on tomato bruschetta. Instead of toast, we’re going to pan sear garlicky chicken breasts, melt a bit of cheese, and finish them with a sweet and bright flavorful tomato-basil topping.
What is bruschetta?
Bruschetta is grilled bread rubbed with garlic and finished with olive oil and salt. Bruschetta refers to the bread. They come in a variety of toppings, the most common being chopped tomatoes and basil.
Where is bruschetta from?
It’s from Italy and is a classic Italian antipasto, or appetizer. Its deliciousness lies in its simplicity and quality ingredients.
How to make chicken bruschetta
- Filet the chicken. Cut the chicken breast in half, horizontally to make two even, flat, filets.
- Marinate. Marinate the chicken in olive oil, garlic, and salt and pepper.
- Make the topping. While the chicken is marinating, halve the cherry tomatoes and mix with olive oil, garlic, basil, and red onion. Taste and season with salt and pepper.
- Cook. Heat up a pan over medium high heat and cook the chicken breast until golden and cooked through.
- Cheese. Turn off the heat, top the chicken breast with cheese, and cover with a lid to melt.
- Top. Remove the chicken from the pan and generously spoon on the tomato topping and enjoy!
How to pan fry chicken bruschetta
To pan fry the chicken, marinate as per the recipe, then heat a non stick pan over medium high heat and sear for 3-4 minutes per side, or until the chicken cooks through and reaches an internal temp of 165°F.
How to grill chicken bruschetta
To grill the chicken, marinate as per the recipe, then grill, on an oiled grate over medium high heat for 3-4 minutes per side, or until the chicken cooks through and reaches an internal temp of 165°F.
How to bake chicken bruschetta
To bake the chicken, marinate as per the recipe, then cook, in a single layer in an oven safe dish at 425°F bake for 20-25 minutes, or until the chicken cooks through and reaches an internal temp of 165°F.
How to air fry chicken bruschetta
To air fry the chicken, marinate as per the recipe, then cook, in a single layer in the air fryer for 8-9 minutes, or until the chicken cooks through and reaches an internal temp of 165°F.
Chicken bruschetta ingredients
This is a perfect simple recipe with only 7 ingredients.
- chicken breast – boneless skinless chicken breasts work best here. They cook up quickly and you can filet them into thin pieces for even cooking.
- extra virgin olive oil – use the good stuff, especially when you drizzle on extra olive oil at the end to finish. Extra virgin olive oil has so much delicious flavor and it pairs perfectly with tomatoes. Marinating the chicken in olive oil and garlic makes it extra juicy and flavorful.
- tomatoes – bright, tart, and sweet, I like using cherry tomatoes, but you can use whatever is in season at the store. I find that cherry tomatoes are the most consistent in quality because they’re grown in hothouses but in the summer heirloom tomatoes, chopped up, are the way to go.
- garlic and red onions – a bunch of garlic adds a huge amount of flavor and the raw red onions add just the right amount of sharp bite.
- basil – the more the merrier! Fresh basil and tomatoes are a match made in heaven.
- cheese – I like a bit of mozzarella cheese smothering the chicken, but it’s entirely up to you – these taste amazing without as well.
What kind of chicken?
I prefer using boneless, skinless chicken breasts in this case because they’re easy to halve into thin cutlets that cook quickly and evenly. Thighs take a bit longer and they have a slightly more awkward shape that doesn’t lie as flat as breast. Of course, they’re super flavorful and if you want to use thighs, you totally can, just make sure to adjust the cooking time.
How do you cut tomatoes for bruschetta?
I like using cherry tomatoes because they’re so sweet and are very consistent in quality. I typically just slice them in half but sometimes I will quarter them. There are a bunch of hacks out there on how to cut cherry tomatoes, but really, how to do it is, one by one, just grab them and slice them in half.
How to serve
You can serve chicken bruschetta on it’s own, with salad on the side, or on top of a rice pilaf, pasta, or zoodles. You can even serve it with a side of toasty bread 😉
What to serve with chicken bruschetta
- cucumber avocado salad
- kale salad
- crunchy almond broccoli salad
- garlicky herb pasta
- red wine spaghetti
- brown butter parmesan noodles
- eggplant and tomato pasta
Happy brew-sketta-ing!
xoxo steph
Chicken Bruschetta
Ingredients
- 2 boneless skinless chicken breasts
- 4 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 4 cloves garlic minced
- 1 pint cherry tomatoes halved
- 1/4 red onion sliced
- 1/4 cup fresh basil sliced
- 4 slices mozzarella cheese
- balsamic vinegar as desired
Instructions
- Slice the chicken breasts in half horizontally to make 4 filets. Season with salt and pepper and marinate with 2 tbsp of the olive oil and half of the minced garlic. Let temper in a cool spot while you prepare the tomato topping.
- Cut the cherry tomatoes in half and finely dice the red onion. Toss with 2 tbsp olive oil, the remaining garlic, and the basil. Taste and season with salt and pepper. Set aside.
- Sear the chicken breast in a non-stick pan over medium high heat until brown and cooked through, about 3-4 minutes per side. Turn off the heat, top with the slices of cheese, and cover to let the cheese melt.
- When the cheese is melty, plate the chicken, topping with the tomato mix. Drizzle on extra olive oil and balsamic vinegar, if desired. Enjoy!
