Next Post
Summer Cookbook Dinner Club Party Menu.
This post may contain affiliate links, please see our privacy policy for details.
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
One of my favorite HBH recipes! My husband now requests this bi-weekly. Highly recommend!
Hey Julie,
Love to hear this! Thanks so much for making this recipe so often and your comment! Enjoy your day!
This was absolutely fantastic and came together quickly and easily. Bruschetta is a favorite around my house so I made extra of the marinated tomatoes to make bruschetta.
My kids said this may have been their favorite bruschetta topping yet. Thanks for sharing this recipe.
Hi Gail! Wow thank you SO much! I am so glad you loved this bruschetta topping! Makes me so happy to hear that! Have a great day! xT
This was so delicious! I served it with green beans and orzo. Definitely going on repeat!
Thank you SO much Dawn! I am so glad you loved this chicken, thanks for trying out the recipe! 🙂 xT
Wonderful! The marinades for the chicken and tomatoes really elevated the dish. And such an easy recipe! We’ll be making this again!
Thank you SO much Louis! So glad you loved this chicken! Have an awesome day! 🙂 xT
Ok, so I’ve been discovering and cooking from your recipes for the last 45 days. Almost every day we find something that I love to cook this recipe is no different!
My wife has told me, that she loves your recipes and that her jaws are getting tired from eating all of the incredible food that I have been able to cook since finding your site. I’ll be taking her to the dentist tomorrow to make sure that we can still enjoy your recipes for the rest of the month and beyond!
Hey Eric! Wow, thank you so so much! I am so glad that you are loving all of the recipes, that seriously means the world to hear that! Keep on cooking, sounds like you’re killing it in the kitchen! 🙂 xT
I made this for the first time last night and it was absolutely delicious! The marinade for the chicken and tomatoes was spectacular, so flavorful and well balanced. My neighbors had recently given me a bunch of homegrown tomatoes and they were perfect for this dish.
We also had a friend visiting from out of town and after the first bite, they immediately asked for the recipe. That’s when you know it’s a keeper. Thank you for sharing such a beautiful and memorable dish—this one is definitely going in my favorites lineup!
Hey Carissa! Thank you so much for trying out the recipe! I’m sooo glad you and your guest loved this chicken! Have a great day! xT
This was fabulous!! I skipped the fig preserves simply because it wasn’t something I had in my house already, and I used burrata cheese instead of mozzarella. It was delicious and I was soaking up every last drop with bread because it’s so full of flavor!
Hey Cassie! Thank you SO much! I’m so glad you loved the recipe! I always try to make sure my recipes are able to adapt to things you already have around the house, so I’m glad to hear that was the case for you! 🙂 xT
Delicious and Easy!! Loved this recipe!
Thank you so much Meghan! So glad you loved this chicken recipe and found it yummy and easy! Hope you have an amazing week! 🙂 xT
There is no honey listed in the ingredient list for the chicken but the text includes honey. Super confusing and honestly surprising for a professional recipe from a published author. Please advise.
Hi Jenn! Under the marinated tomatoes ingredient section it calls for 1 tablespoon of honey 🙂 Hope this helps! xT
This is a must for summer. The crusty bread was not optional. My family devoured it. No leftovers.
Thank you so so much! So glad you and your fam enjoyed this recipe! xT
This recipe has great summer flavors and comes together easily. I only marinated the chicken for 30 minutes but it was juicy and tender. I cooked the breasts in a skillet. The addition of fig jam to the tomato mixture adds just the right amount of sweetness. I subbed soft fontina cheese for the Gouda because that is what I had on hand. This is a new favorite recipe that is company worthy!
Thanks so much, Carol! I am so glad to hear you enjoyed this dish, I appreciate you making it! Happy Sunday!
This turned out great and everyone loved it. It was perfect for a hot summer night. I can’t decide if my favorite part of the recipe is the chicken marinade or the marinated tomatoes. Thanks for this wonderful recipe.
Hey Jiji,
Happy Monday!! I’m so glad to hear this recipe turned out nicely for you, thanks a lot for making it!
This one is soooooo good! So fresh and summery 🙂 And sooooo easy and inexpensive. Love that! I paired this with Trader Joe’s Gorgonzola gnocchi- maybe weird but the sauces mixing were actually so so good!
Hey Rachel,
Happy Sunday!! Thanks a bunch for making this recipe and your feedback, love to hear it was enjoyed!
This was one of the best chicken dishes we have ever had! We let the chicken marinate overnight and it was so good! Tender and full of flavor! Chicken can be so boring, but this recipe was delicious! 🙂 Highly recommend it for a hot summer night!
Thank you so much, Lisa!! I am thrilled to hear your family enjoyed this dish, I appreciate you making it! Happy weekend!
I really don’t think Gouda is the right cheese for this recipe. I would skip the cheese, skip the bread, and serve chicken and tomatoes with an arugula herb + salad.
Thanks for sharing your feedback, Tracie. Sorry to hear the recipe was not enjoyed.