Summer makes me want all things caprese. The other week I shared one of my favorite caprese recipes that I’ve been making for a few years, Watermelon Caprese Salad. This Caprese Grilled Chicken is a new favorite and it’s so simple I’m shocked I hadn’t made it until this summer. Say hello to tender grilled chicken topped with melty mozzarella, juicy grape tomatoes, fresh basil and a sweet balsamic glaze.

This dish is so easy making it all the more ideal for a perfect summer meal. Fresh mozzarella is amazing cold, but get it a little ooey and gooey and you’ll want to dive right in. Literally. But please use a fork and save yourself some embarrassment.

Caprese Grilled Chicken would be delicious over some pasta or a big salad. Or you can be like Matt and I and eat it alongside some grilled asparagus. And yes, asparagus does seem to be our meal solution to everything, but I’m okay with that.

In addition to weeknight dinners I was also thinking this chicken would be perfect for serving at 4th of July or other summer barbecues as a fresh change from hamburgers and hot dogs. I can’t believe 4th of July is already this Wednesday! It feels like summer just started. Do you have any fun plans for the holiday?

The middle of the week timing isn’t great, but we plan to sneak in some family and friends time, along with some red, white and blue food of course! If you’re looking for recipe inspiration there is a 4th of July drop-down in my recipe index. Have a great week everyone and I’ll be having my next post go out on Thursday. Trust me, you will not want to miss this one! Happy 4th of July!

Caprese Grilled Chicken

 

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Yield: 4 servings

Ingredients

• 1 pound boneless skinless chicken breasts
• 2 tablespoons olive oil, divided
• 4 ounces fresh mozzarella, sliced
• 1 cup halved grape tomatoes
• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh basil
• 1 teaspoon balsamic glaze
• Salt and pepper

Directions

1. Either place the chicken in a plastic bag or place some plastic wrap over the chicken sitting on a cutting board and carefully pound the chicken so they have a more even surface. You don’t want to pound them thin, you are just trying to even them out so they cook more evenly.
2. Lightly drizzle 1 tablespoon of the olive oil over the chicken breasts. Toss or use a basting brush to coat. Season on both sides with salt and pepper. Heat a grill or grill pan to medium-high heat. Grill the chicken for about 4-5 minutes per side, until they reach an internal temperature of 165 degrees F. When the chicken is almost done, carefully place the sliced mozzarella on the top of the chicken. Remove the chicken from the heat when the chicken is cooked through and the mozzarella is melted. Let rest before cutting into the breasts. I typically grill the chicken to 160 degrees F and allow for some carryover cooking, which is where your chicken or meat continues to cook once it’s been removed from the grill. I temp it after a few minutes and make sure it has risen to 165 degrees. This is one way to make sure you don’t overcook your chicken.
3. In a small bowl, toss the halved grape tomatoes and fresh basil with the remaining tablespoon of olive oil. Season with coarse salt. Place on top of the chicken and finish with a drizzle of the balsamic vinegar.

Notes

You can find balsamic glaze in the grocery store. If you want to make your own: combine ½ cup good quality balsamic vinegar with 2 tablespoons brown sugar in a small saucepan over medium heat. Stir until the sugar has dissolved. Bring to a boil then reduce heat to low and simmer until the mixture is reduced by half, about 10 minutes. The glaze should be thick and syrupy. Let cool before serving. Store in the fridge in an airtight container for up to 2 weeks.

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Lauren Main Dishes, Poultry, Recipes 0 Comments

It’s finally Friday! To celebrate I’m sharing these Pineapple Barbecue Chicken Foil Packet. Yes, I know it seems weird to celebrate with a chicken dish, but this dish is worth celebrating. Remember when I posted the Barbecue Chicken Stuffed Sweet Potatoes and I said the healthy homemade barbecue sauce was so good you would be seeking out recipes to put it on? Well, that’s what I’ve been doing! Have you tried my barbecue sauce yet? No?? Make it this week! I promise it’s so delicious you will be shocked you’ve never made homemade barbecue sauce before. You will also be very, very happy to eat it without any guilt since there’s no refined sugar or preservatives.

Barbecue and pineapple is such a classic pairing that I had to stick the two together for these foil packets. I also loaded them with veggies so you could have a quick and easy all-in-one meal. Cooking in a foil packet is a great way to keep everything inside moist as it cooks. All the sauces and juices get trapped in the packet, which helps concentrate the flavor and make everything tender.

I used green beans, red bell pepper and zucchini for some variety, but you can swap with your favorite seasonal vegetables. Just make sure they aren’t so big that they might not steam through, like big florets of broccoli, or too small that they will turn to mush, like really thin asparagus.

Another advantage to cooking in a foil packet is that clean up couldn’t be easier! On a side note, I’ve been wondering about the impact my aluminum foil usage in the kitchen is having on the environment so I did some research. This article from The Kitchn explains that a lot of towns will accept aluminum foil in the recycling bin if it’s been rinsed and they have a link to check to see if your town or city allows you to toss rinsed foil in with your single stream recycling. So awesome! Unfortunately my town excludes aluminum foil from recycling, but many of the towns I checked do so hopefully mine will soon as I would happily rinse and recycle my foil, which is still a super easy cleanup! In the meantime, I’m going to start rinsing and reusing my foil to cut back on my waste. Any bit helps!

Okay, back to this sweet and juicy chicken dish! You can eat it as a meal in-itself like Matt and I did, or it would also be fantastic with some rice. If you don’t have too much leftover liquid in your packets (see the recipe – the zucchinis and chicken release some water and juices) then you could serve the rice family style and just let everyone scoop some into their packets. This is a great way to serve a healthy chicken dish for a crowd because you can prep all the packets ahead of time and just throw them in the oven when everyone arrives. I hope you all have a fabulous weekend – and don’t forget to try this barbecue sauce!

Pineapple Barbecue Chicken Foil Packets

 

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Yield: 4 servings

Ingredients

for the chicken

• 1 pound boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into 4 thin portions
• ⅔ pound green beans
• 1 red bell pepper
• ½ zucchini
• 8 sliced rings of pineapple

for the barbecue sauce

• 1 small can tomato paste, about 6 ounces
• 1 cup water
• 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
• 4 teaspoons molasses
• 4 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
• 4 teaspoons maple syrup
• 2 teaspoons dijon mustard
• 1 teaspoon onion powder
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• ½ teaspoon paprika
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper

Directions

for the chicken

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Lay out 4 pieces of aluminum foil that are big enough to completely seal in the chicken, set aside.
2. Prep the veggies. Trim the green beans. Cut the bell pepper into slices about ½” to ¾” thick. Cut the zucchini into thick rounds then halve.
3. Season the chicken with salt and pepper. Put 1 breast on each piece of aluminum foil and slightly fold up the sides so nothing with spill out. Divide the green beans, red pepper slices and zucchini wedges between the 4 packets, nestled the vegetables on either side of the chicken. Top the chicken with some barbecue sauce, making sure to save some for serving. Then place 2 pineapple rings on each chicken breast. Fold up the foil packets to tightly seal, place the packets on a baking sheet and bake for 20-25 minutes, or until the chicken reaches an internal temperature of 165 degrees F.
4. When opening the packets, be very careful because of the steam and the hot liquid in the packets. There will be liquid from the chicken and the zucchini. Remove the contents of each packet to a plate, top with additional barbecue sauce and serve.

for the barbecue sauce

1. Combine all the ingredients in a small saucepan. Bring to a boil then reduce to low heat, cover and simmer for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally. Remove from the heat.

Notes

For the chicken, I halved 2 chicken breasts lengthwise to get 4 thin breasts.
You can grill these foil packets instead of baking them if you would prefer. I have not tried grilling them so I’m not sure on the exact timing it would take, but make sure to flip it halfway through - and that your foil packet is sealed extra tight!

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Lauren Main Dishes, Poultry, Recipes 2 Comments