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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!
Easy Bruschetta Chicken
Servings: 6
Calories Per Serving: 497 kcal
Nutritional information is only an estimate. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.
Ingredients
- 6 boneless chicken breasts, pounded thin
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 2 teaspoons fig preserves (option)
- 1 tablespoon champagne or balsamic vinegar
- 2 tablespoons Italian seasoning (see notes)
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1 clove garlic, chopped
- 1/4 cup fresh basil, chopped
- salt, black pepper, and chili flakes
- 1 cup melty Gouda or mozzarella cheese, or a mix
- grilled bread, for serving
Marinated Tomatoes
- 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
- 2 tablespoons champagne or balsamic vinegar
- 1 teaspoon fig preserves (optional)
- 1 tablespoon honey
- 1 shallot, chopped
- 2 cloves garlic, chopped
- 3 cups cherry tomatoes, halved
- 1 cup fresh basil, chopped
Instructions
- 1. Preheat the oven to 400°F. 2. In a bowl, combine the chicken, olive oil, fig preserves, if using, vinegar, Italian seasoning, oregano, garlic, basil, salt, pepper, and chili flakes. Let sit for 5 minutes or up to overnight in the fridge.3. Meanwhile, make the tomatoes. Mix all ingredients in a bowl. Season with salt, pepper, and chili flakes.4. Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the chicken and the marinade left in the bowl. Sear on both sides until golden, 3 minutes per side. Top each piece of chicken with cheese and spoon over 2 big spoonfuls of the tomatoes. Bake 10 minutes, until the cheese is melted and the chicken is cooked throughout.5. Finish with the remaining tomatoes and basil. Serve with lots of yummy crusty bread! Pasta is delicious too!
Notes
Italian Seasoning: Mix 2 tablespoons dried basil, 2 tablespoons dried oregano, 2 teaspoons dried thyme, 2 teaspoons garlic powder, 2 teaspoons onion powder, 1 teaspoon dried rosemary, 1 teaspoon dried sage. Store in a sealed container.
This post was originally published on June 18, 2025
Oregano is missing from ingredient list. How much to add?
Hi Robert,
You are going to use 1 teaspoon of oregano. Please let me know if you have any other questions!
How much oregano is called for in step 2?
Hi Alice,
You will want to use 1 teaspoon of oregano. I hope you love this recipe, please let me know if you give it a try!
5 stars – Amazing! I marinated both the chicken and tomatoes in the fridge for 24 hours then grilled the chicken, and finished it all together on a large cast iron placed on the grill. Divine. Paired with some angel hair with 8-hour slow-cooked red sauce. Definitely still need bread to soak up the remaining goodness. Fantastic Recipe!
Hey Jared,
Wonderful!! Love to hear this dish turned out nicely for you, I appreciate you making it!
This is quite good. It’s very rustic feeling. Like Italian country cooking! I used less chicken because it’s just two of u but prepared the full amount of tomatoes. Having ready access to only a little fresh basil I save the fresh for topping the dish. Since I had time to marinate the chicken for a few hours I used dried basil in the marinade. When I seared the chicken I ended up with a nice crust on it. The oven time was the perfect amount. I grilled ciabatta bread. The char on the bread was a perfect match for the chicken. Still smiling over the meal!
Quick question on your homemade Italian seasoning: My first exposure to it was in the Marry Me Chicken pasta. One of the commenters asked what the proportions of the listed herbs, etc. were. Your answer was a teaspoon of each. That was wonderful in the pasta dish. Here, you indicate different proportions. Was that change to suit this dish or have you amended the blend?
Cheers and regards!!
Hey Dan,
Wonderful!! Love to hear this dish turned out nicely for you, I appreciate you making it! Just updated the seasoning recipe a bit:) Have a great day!
New summer hyperfixation meal. Delicious!
Hey Alix,
Fantastic! I appreciate you making this recipe. Love to hear it turned out nicely for you! Have a nice day!
I made this on Saturday night and it was delicious! Such depth of flavor in every bite. Will definitely make this again, and often, especially this summer. Thank you!
Love to hear this, Paula! I appreciate you giving this dish a try and your feedback! Have the best week!
Huge hit again!! I have made almost all
Of your recipes and they are a huge hit!! This was perfection! Could be yummy over polenta too. My kids all loved this!!! Thank you for making me a better cook!!
Hey Meghan,
Thank you so much:) I’m so glad you enjoyed this recipe! Love the idea of serving over polenta! Happy Monday! xx
Fabulous! My husband just had surgery. I was having trouble getting him to eat! He loved this! He ate every bite! He said you have to make this again!
Hey Bonnie,
Happy Monday!! Thanks a bunch for your comment and making this recipe, love to hear it was a hit!☀️
Loved this! Summer on a plate, will definitely be making on repeat
Love to hear this, Jen! Thanks so much for trying the recipe and sharing your feedback! Happy Summer!!
Omg! Where do I begin? This recipe is amazing! As it is written,it is impeccable. But it is also a perfect template for innumerable substitutions and culinary forays!
Thank you so much!
Hi Kathleen,
Happy Sunday!! Thanks a bunch for trying this recipe and your comment, love to hear it was enjoyed! Happy Summer!
This is amazing!!! Fan favorite in this family. I grilled the marinated chicken until almost done, then transferred it to a cast iron to melt the cheese. Absolutely excellent.
Hi Amy,
Awesome! Love to hear this dish turned out nicely for you, I appreciate you making it! Have a great weekend! T
This was freaking delicious! I texted the recipe to my husband this morning and he made it tonight. So simple, but the flavors are perfect for summer. This one is going to the top of our list!
Hi Kim,
Fantastic!! So glad to hear your family enjoyed this dish, thanks so much for making it! Have a great weekend! xx
This was so delicious!! So easy to make and I love that it can be prepared in advance. One of the best dishes I’ve made in a long time!
Hey Alison,
Happy Friday!! I appreciate you trying this recipe and your comment, love to hear it was a winner!
Love your recipes! Thank you for another that looks amazing! Can’t wait to try your homemade Italian Seasoning blend. Quick question, How much oregano should we add to the chicken marinade given that it’s already in the Italian seasoning?
Thanks so much, Margaret!! No need to add any oregano to the marinade if you are using the homemade Italian seasoning recipe. I hope you love this dish! x
I haven’t tried this particular recipe, yet, but I intend to make it tomorrow. What I really want to comment on is your Italian seasoning mix. A while back I made a pasta dish to take to a friend just home from hospital. This was my first experience with your seasoning mix. I’ve always wanted to have my kitchen smell like a nona was cooking. With this seasoning it finally happened! Also, when I took the dish my friend’s wife got a smell when I took the lid off and said “I have GOT to have some of that!”
Thanks so much!
Thanks so much, Dan!! Love to hear this! I hope this recipe is a hit. Happy Friday!! xx