Bruschetta Chicken
Published February 2, 2023
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Bruschetta Chicken is a delicious dish made of pan seared chicken breasts topped with a tomato basil bruschetta mixture. Here it’s also upgraded with fresh mozzarella, balsamic glaze and toasted sourdough bread. A new staple dinner!
Flavorful Chicken Bruschetta
Who doesn’t love the classic bruschetta with vibrant Roma tomatoes, rich olive oil, bold garlic, and plenty of fresh basil? Convert that quartet of ingredients into a smothered chicken dish and you’ll have a dinner people won’t forget!
It’s a full flavored, well rounded, Italian style dish that has layer after layer of fresh goodness.
You won’t see the bread included in this recipe elsewhere but I’d say it’s a must (unless you are on a special diet and need to reduce carbs of course). It brings that authenticity and texture to this dish, you’ll love the toasty golden brown flavor and crunch of the crust.
You can use store-bought or homemade balsamic glaze in this recipe. Did you know it only requires one ingredient to make it? Which you probably already have, just balsamic vinegar and that’s it!
It’s the ultimate finishing touch to this recipe.
Add this chicken bruschetta to the menu this week, you don’t want to pass on this one!
Bruschetta Chicken Recipe Ingredients
- Roma tomatoes
- Extra virgin olive oil and regular refined olive oil
- Fresh basil
- Garlic
- Salt and pepper
- Sourdough bread
- Boneless skinless chicken breasts2 (12 oz each) or 4 (6 oz each) chicken breasts
- Dried oregano and thyme
- Parmesan cheese
- Fresh mozzarella cheese
- Balsamic glaze
How to Make Bruschetta Chicken
- Make the bruschetta: In a mixing bowl toss together tomatoes, 2 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil, the basil, garlic and season with salt and pepper to taste. Let rest 20 to 30 minutes at room temp.
- Toast bread: Brush tops of bread with the 2 tsp extra virgin olive oil. Toast in a preheated 400 degree oven about 4 minutes per side on a baking sheet, or toast in a countertop toaster oven until golden brown.
- Pan sear chicken: Dab chicken pieces dry with paper towels then season both sides with salt and pepper and the oregano and thyme.
- Heat 1 Tbsp olive oil in a 12-inch skillet over medium-high heat. Add chicken pieces to skillet in a single layer. Cook until golden brown on bottom, about 4 – 5 minutes.
- Melt cheese over top: Turn then top chicken evenly with shredded parmesan and sliced mozzarella. Let chicken cook through, about 4 minutes longer.
- Top with bruschetta mixture: Off heat add tomato mixture and their juices.
- Plate with bread, finish with balsamic glaze: Individually plate each chicken breast slightly overlapping a slice of the bread on serving plates. Drizzle with balsamic glaze immediately before serving.
Possible Variations
- Tomatoes: You can use other types of tomatoes. San Marzano, grape, campari, cherry or another fairly sweet variety.
- Cheese: This is best with fresh mozzarella but if you don’t have fresh you can use the regular aged mozzarella. Romano cheese can be used in place of parmesan cheese.
- Herbs: Try other Italian style herbs here to season the chicken such as rosemary, marjoram, basil, or parsley. Another option is to use an Italian seasoning blend instead.
- Bread: You don’t have to use sourdough. It can be another type of hearty rustic bread. French, whole grain or even this no knead bread (half the pieces) are good choices.
- Balsamic: In a quick pinch you can opt to use 1 Tbsp balsamic vinegar in place of balsamic glaze (it’s more tart and thin but is still delicious here).
Helpful Tips
- Make the tomato bruschetta first so the flavors meld and the salt has a chance to extract some of those juices from the tomatoes (which makes a nice sauce for the chicken).
- For beautiful browned chicken be sure to preheat the skillet, don’t forget to dab chicken dry beforehand and don’t move chicken around as it cooks (until ready to flip).
- Note that the recipe calls for two types of olive oil, this is intentional. Extra virgin olive oil isn’t the best for pan frying at a high temperature so regular refined olive oil is used for that while the extra virgin has more flavor and is used for the bruschetta and bread.
- Wait to add the balsamic glaze until ready to serve for the cleanest appearance.
What to Serve with Bruschetta Chicken
- Green salad with Italian dressing
- Roasted vegetables or steamed vegetables (a like to serve with a green vegetable such as broccoli, asparagus, green beans, or zucchini)
- Pasta such as this easy lemon orzo
- Tiramisu, panna cotta, or ricotta cake for dessert
More Delicious Chicken Recipes to Try
Follow Easy Cooking Zone
Bruschetta Chicken
A delicious twist on classic bruschetta! Pan seared chicken breasts are topped with fresh mozzarella, a tomato basil bruschetta, and a balsamic glaze. And to keep it true to classic flavor it's served with toasted crisp bread. It's a new staple dinner!
Servings: 4
Ingredients
Bruschetta
- 13 oz. roma tomatoes (3 large)
- 2 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil, divided
- 1/4 cup chopped fresh basil ribbons
- 2 tsp minced fresh garlic (2 cloves)
- Salt and black pepper
Bread
- 4 medium slices (4 oz) sourdough bread
- 2 tsp extra virgin olive oil
Chicken
- 2 (12 oz each) or 4 (6 oz each) chicken breasts
- 1 tsp dried oregano
- 3/4 tsp dried thyme
- 1 Tbsp olive oil
- 1/2 cup (1 oz) finely shredded parmesan cheese
- 5 oz. fresh mozzarella, sliced fairly thin (can freeze 20 minutes beforehand for easier slicing)
- 3 Tbsp balsamic glaze, homemade or store-bought
Instructions
For the bruschetta mixture
- In a mixing bowl toss together tomatoes, 2 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil, the basil, garlic and season with salt and pepper to taste. Let rest 20 to 30 minutes at room temperature for flavors to meld.
For the bread
- Brush tops of bread with the 2 tsp extra virgin olive oil. Can season slices with pepper if desired. Toast in a preheated 400 degree oven about 4 minutes per side on a baking sheet, or toast in a countertop toaster oven until golden brown.
For the chicken
- If using 2 (12 oz) chicken breasts then butterfly and cut into 2 portions through the thickness, then pound with a meat mallet to even out pieces. If using 4 (6 oz) pieces then pound each to an even 1/2-inch thickness.
- Dab chicken pieces dry with paper towels then season both sides with salt and pepper and the oregano and thyme.
- Heat 1 Tbsp olive oil in a 12-inch skillet over medium-high heat. Add chicken pieces to skillet in a single layer.
- Cook until golden brown on bottom, about 4 - 5 minutes. Turn then top chicken evenly with shredded parmesan and sliced mozzarella. Let chicken cook through, about 4 minutes longer (they should be 165 degrees in center).
- Off heat add tomato mixture and their juices (the juices will help scrape up those browned bits from the bottom of the pan as you plate it, don't forget to stir them in).
- Individually plate each chicken breast (and the tomato topping) slightly overlapping a slice of the bread on serving plates. Drizzle with balsamic glaze immediately before serving.
Nutrition Facts
Bruschetta Chicken
Amount Per Serving
Calories 582
Calories from Fat 270
% Daily Value*
Fat 30g46%
Saturated Fat 9g56%
Trans Fat 0.02g
Polyunsaturated Fat 3g
Monounsaturated Fat 15g
Cholesterol 142mg47%
Sodium 710mg31%
Potassium 976mg28%
Carbohydrates 26g9%
Fiber 2g8%
Sugar 6g7%
Protein 51g102%
Vitamin A 1909IU38%
Vitamin C 18mg22%
Calcium 338mg34%
Iron 3mg17%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
Nutrition values are estimates only. See full disclaimer here.