Easy Bruschetta Chicken.

Easy Bruschetta Chicken — Italian-seasoned chicken, grilled or oven-baked, topped with melty mozzarella and marinated burst cherry tomatoes. Use a homemade Italian seasoning blend or your favorite store-bought mix. Cook the chicken in a skillet or on the grill, then layer on the cheese, tomatoes, and plenty of fresh basil. Serve with toasted bread or toss it with pasta. Quick to make, packed with flavor, and perfect for summer nights!

Friday marks the official start of summer, but I’m already feeling it. I’ve been bouncing between New York, Miami, and now Chicago — and every stop has felt like pure summertime. The markets are overflowing with fresh produce: berries, cherries, and of course, tomatoes.

Cherry tomatoes are my favorite, especially paired with fresh basil — which we always grow in abundance in the greenhouse. With the best of summer produce already showing up, my focus this season is simple: fresh ingredients, quick cook times, and no fuss.

I love entertaining with crostini, bruschetta, or a big summer charcuterie board. Today’s dinner is inspired by one of those go-to appetizers — bruschetta chicken!

Think tomato, basil, and mozzarella bruschetta, but instead of bread on the bottom, it’s flavorful, juicy Italian-seasoned chicken. And yes — we’re adding melty Gouda (or mozzarella) on top, because why not?

It’s so simple, whether you bake it or grill it — and so delicious.

Here are the details

Ingredients

• chicken breasts
• olive oil
• fig preserves
• champagne or balsamic vinegar – I’ve been using peach balsamic lately
• Italian seasoning – try my home blend!
• garlic
• basil
• Gouda or mozzarella cheese – we love Gouda
• grilled bread – I love ciabatta

Ingredients – for the tomatoes

• olive oil
• champagne or balsamic vinegar
• honey
• shallots
• garlic
• cherry tomatoes
• basil

Special Tools

You will need a couple of bowls, a skillet, or use the grill. Nothing too crazy!

Steps

Step 1: Marinate the Chicken

When I say marinate, I mean it loosely — we’re really just seasoning the chicken to start. In a bowl, combine chicken breasts (use cutlets or pound them thin), olive oil, balsamic vinegar, honey, Italian seasoning, garlic, fresh basil, salt, pepper, and chili flakes. Let the chicken sit for about 5 minutes.

You can also marinate the chicken longer — even overnight in the fridge — for even more flavor. Either way, it will turn out juicy and delicious.

Step 2: Marinate the Tomatoes

In a separate bowl, combine the cherry tomatoes with olive oil, vinegar (I’ve been loving peach balsamic lately), honey, shallots, garlic, and basil. Season with salt, pepper, and chili flakes.

Let the tomatoes sit for at least 5 minutes, or marinate them overnight in the fridge to deepen the flavor.

Step 3: Cook

I usually cook this using a skillet and the oven, but you can also grill the chicken.

Start by searing or grilling the chicken on both sides. Once it’s mostly cooked through, add a few spoonfuls of the marinated tomatoes and top each piece with cheese (both Gouda and mozzarella work great — use what you love).

Transfer the skillet to the oven to melt the cheese and finish cooking. If grilling, close the lid after adding the cheese to melt it, then top with the tomatoes once the chicken is off the grill.

Step 4: Finish and Serve

To serve, spoon the remaining fresh tomatoes over the chicken and top with lots of fresh basil leaves.

I love serving this with grilled bread or pasta — and honestly, sometimes both! But definitely don’t skip the bread — it’s perfect for scooping up all those juicy tomatoes and melty cheese.

Looking for other summer dinners? Here are a few of my go-tos. 

Pesto Chicken Saltimbocca with Burst Tomatoes and Burrata

Skillet Chicken Fajitas with Creamy Jalapeño Verde Sauce

Greek Chicken and Orzo with Tomatoes, Feta, and Tzatziki

Cajun Chicken Lazone with Herby Corn

Pesto Peach Chicken in White Wine with Burrata

Lastly, if you make this Easy Bruschetta Chicken, be sure to leave a comment and/or give this recipe a rating! Above all, I love hearing from you and always do my best to respond to each and every comment. And of course, if you do make this recipe, don’t forget to tag me on Instagram! Looking through the photos of recipes you all have made is my favorite!