• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Home
  • Recipes
  • Subscribe
  • My Story
  • Shop

Saporito Kitchen

menu icon
go to homepage
  • Recipes
  • My Story
  • Subscribe
  • Work with Me
  • Shop
  • Subscribe
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
  • subscribe
    search icon
    Homepage link
    • Recipes
    • My Story
    • Subscribe
    • Work with Me
    • Shop
    • Subscribe
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
  • ×

    Home » Recipes » Grilling

    Published: May 5, 2021 · Modified: Dec 30, 2021 by Amanda · This post may contain affiliate links · This blog generates income via ads

    Grilled Chicken Caprese with Pesto

    146 shares
    • Share78
    • Tweet
    • Yummly
    • Email
    • Print
    Jump to Recipe
    grilled chicken caprese with pesto
    chicken caprese on a white platter next to a bottle of mazola corn oil

    This shop has been compensated by Inmar Intelligence and its advertiser. All opinions are mine alone. #GrillingWithMazola

    This tasty grilled chicken caprese is made with pesto and is the best summer grilling recipe you didn't know you needed! Chicken breasts are marinated so they stay juicy and flavorful. Grilled to perfection, this delicious summer dish is finished off with zesty pesto, fresh tomato, and melty mozzarella cheese. As the weather warms up, we love spending more time outside and cooking meals on the grill. It's great because I don't have to heat up the house, plus it also allows me to create lighter, fresher meals for the family. Mazola® Corn Oil is perfect to use for grilling recipes, especially marinades. Its neutral taste allows for the flavors in your dish to really stand out. A clinical study also showed Mazola® Corn Oil reduces cholesterol 2x more than extra virgin olive oil, so it's a perfect substitution! To learn more about this claim, visit MAZOLA.com. 

    chicken caprese on a white platter next to a bottle of mazola corn oil this recipe!
    grilled chicken caprese with pesto
    Jump to:
    • 🍅 Ingredient notes
    • 🔪 Step by step instructions
    • ⭐ Top tip
    • 📖 Recipe
    • 📋 Variations
    • 🥘 Alternative cooking methods
    • 💭 Frequently asked questions
    • 💬 Comments

    🍅 Ingredient notes

    • Marinade - A marinade is a mixture of Mazola® Corn Oil, vinegar, and spices that meat or vegetables are soaked in to help provide both flavor and moisture. Mazola® Corn Oil is a great option for both marinades and grilling due to its high smoke point of 450˚. When oil is heated past its smoke point, it will start smoking and the fumes can negatively affect the flavor of your food. This all-purpose cooking oil is also a heart-healthy* choice for your family with a variety of uses including baking, stir-frying, and more! To learn more about this claim, visit MAZOLA.com.
    • Fresh Tomato and Mozzarella - These ingredients along with the pesto combine to make that classic "caprese" flavor combination. I recommend using a large beefsteak, on the vine, or even a homegrown garden tomato would be excellent! For the cheese, a large 8-ounce mozzarella ball will work and will make nice slices to melt perfectly over the top of the tomato and pesto.
    • Pesto - You can make your own pesto if you like or buy your favorite store bought pesto. You will need about ½ cup or a 6-ounce jar will do.

    🔪 Step by step instructions

    First, combine the Mazola® Corn Oil, balsamic vinegar, Italian seasoning, and garlic powder in a large gallon-sized zip top bag and stir together. Alternatively, you can use a large shallow baking dish.

    zip top bag with marinade next to a bottle off mazola corn oil
    marinade for chicken

    Next, add your chicken breast to the marinade, close the bag and shake it around a bit to cover the chicken in the marinade. Marinate the chicken for 30 minutes in the fridge.

    chicken marinading in a zip top bag next to a bottle of mazola corn oil
    chicken marinating

    While the chicken is marinating, slice the mozzarella and tomato into 6 equal slices and preheat your grill to medium high heat or approximately 375˚. When the chicken is done marinating, remove it from the bag and place it directly on the grill to cook for 5 minutes on the first side. Flip the chicken over and top each chicken breast with a heaping tablespoon of the pesto. Add a slice of tomato to each chicken breast on top of the pesto.

    chicken cooking on the grill with pesto an a tomato slice on it
    sliced tomato on pesto and chicken

    Lastly, add a slice of mozzarella to each chicken breast on top of the tomato.

    chicken cooking on the grill with pesto, sliced tomato and mozzarella on top
    sliced mozzarella cheese on top of tomato, pesto and chicken

    Close the grill and cook until the internal temperature of each chicken breast reaches 165˚F when checked with a kitchen thermometer. This should take approximately 5 minutes. Cooking times may vary depending on the actual size and thickness of each chicken breast.

    chicken on the grill with pesto, tomato and mozzarella on top
    finished grilled chicken caprese with pesto

    Remove the chicken from the grill and allow it to rest for 5 minutes before serving.

    grilled chicken topped with pesto, tomato and melted mozzarella
    grilled chicken caprese with pesto

    ⭐ Top tip

    When selecting chicken breasts for this recipe, try to pick similar-sized pieces so they cook evenly and in the same amount of time.

    grilled chicken on a white plate topped with pesto, tomato and mozzarella cheese
    grilled pesto caprese chicken

    📖 Recipe

    grilled chicken topped with pesto, tomato and mozzarella

    Grilled Chicken Caprese with Pesto

    Amanda
    This tasty grilled chicken caprese is marinated, grilled to perfection, and finished off with zesty pesto, fresh tomato, and melty mozzarella cheese.
    5 from 5 votes
    Print Recipe Pin Recipe
    Prep Time 10 mins
    Cook Time 10 mins
    Marinating Time 30 mins
    Total Time 50 mins
    Course Main Dishes
    Cuisine Italian
    Servings 6 servings
    Calories 482 kcal

    Ingredients
      

    • ½ cup Mazola® Corn Oil
    • ¼ cup balsamic vinegar
    • 1 Tablespoon italian seasoning
    • 1 teaspoon garlic powder
    • 6 chicken breasts approximately 6 ounces each
    • ½ cup pesto store bought or homemade
    • 8 ounces fresh mozzarella
    • 1 large tomato

    Instructions
     

    • Combine Mazola® Corn Oil, balsamic vinegar, italian seasoning, and garlic powder in a gallon sized zip top bag and stir together.
    • Add the chicken breasts to the bag, close it and shake the bag around slightly to cover the chicken breasts in the marinade. Place bag in a dish and marinate in the fridge for 30 minutes.
    • While the chicken is marinating, slice both the mozzarella cheese and tomato into 6 even slices and preheat the grill to medium high heat or 375˚. 
    • When the chicken is done marinating, remove it from the bag and cook on the preheated grill on one side for 5 minutes. 
    • Flip the chicken over and top each breast with a heaping tablespoon of pesto, one slice of tomato, and then one slice of fresh mozzarella.
    • Close the grill and cook for another 4-5 minutes or until the internal temperature of each chicken breast reaches a minimum of 165˚. Cooking times may vary depending on the actual size and thickness of each chicken breast.

    Nutrition

    Serving: 1breastCalories: 482kcalCarbohydrates: 5gProtein: 46gFat: 30gSaturated Fat: 8gPolyunsaturated Fat: 4gMonounsaturated Fat: 9gTrans Fat: 1gCholesterol: 140mgSodium: 630mgPotassium: 744mgFiber: 1gSugar: 3gVitamin A: 983IUVitamin C: 6mgCalcium: 244mgIron: 1mg
    Did You Make This Recipe?Mention @SaporitoKitchen or tag #SaporitoKitchen!

    📋 Variations

    • Dairy free - Omit the cheese or replace it with your favorite dairy free mozzarella to make this dish dairy free!
    • Spicy - Add 1 teaspoon of crushed red pepper flakes to the marinade for a zestier flavor to your chicken.
    • No Pesto - Not a fan of pesto or need a nut-free alternative? Omit the pesto and add a fresh basil leaf to the top of the cheese after cooking instead!

    🥘 Alternative cooking methods

    • Oven - This recipe can be made in an oven on a sheet pan instead of on the grill. Cooking times will be closer to 10 minutes on each side.

    💭 Frequently asked questions

    How do you grill chicken breast without drying it out?

    Marinating chicken for at least 30 minutes prior to grilling helps to ensure your chicken is moist. Using a kitchen or grill thermometer also helps to make sure your chicken doesn't dry out. Chicken should be cooked to an internal temperature of 165˚.

    What is caprese?

    Caprese is traditionally a salad consisting of mozzarella cheese, tomatoes and fresh basil that is sometimes dressed with oil and vinegar. This chicken combines all of those fresh flavors into a delicious and fresh main dish that is perfect for summertime!

    Don't forget! If you make this recipe, be sure to leave a comment and give it a rating. I love to hear from each and every one of you! Tag me on Facebook and Instagram as well! It makes my day to see all of your photos of the food you have made.

    DISCLAIMER: Corn Oil is a cholesterol-free food that contains 14g of total fat per serving. See nutrition information on the product label or at MAZOLA.com for fat and saturated fat content.

    DISCLAIMER: *Very limited and preliminary scientific evidence suggests that eating about 1 tablespoon (16 grams) of Corn Oil daily may reduce the risk of heart disease due to the unsaturated fat content in Corn Oil. FDA concludes that there is little scientific evidence supporting this claim. To achieve this possible benefit, Corn Oil is to replace a similar amount of saturated fat and not increase the total number of calories you eat in a day. One serving of this product contains 14 grams of Corn Oil.

    « Buffalo Chicken Burgers
    Grapefruit Cocktail »

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Tracey says

      May 13, 2021 at 5:05 pm

      5 stars
      We love caprese salad so I knew this dish was going to be so good! My kids licked their plates... that’s how good it was. We did sub olive oil instead of the corn oil

      Reply
      • Amanda says

        May 14, 2021 at 1:25 pm

        I'm so glad you guys enjoyed it! Thank you for trying the recipe!

        Reply
    2. Oscar says

      May 13, 2021 at 3:17 pm

      5 stars
      This recipe looks amazing, I can't wait to make this. My family will love it.

      Reply
      • Amanda says

        May 14, 2021 at 1:26 pm

        Thank you!

        Reply
    3. Raquel says

      May 13, 2021 at 3:12 pm

      5 stars
      A lovely dinner idea! Cannot wait to try this!

      Reply
      • Amanda says

        May 15, 2021 at 10:43 am

        Thank you!

        Reply
    4. michele says

      May 13, 2021 at 1:07 pm

      5 stars
      Love this grilled chicken caprese for a weekend meal!

      Reply
      • Amanda says

        May 13, 2021 at 1:17 pm

        Thank you! It's one of our favorites!

        Reply

    Leave a Comment Cancel reply

    Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

    Recipe Rating




    This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

    Primary Sidebar

    amanda scarlati of saporito kitchen

    Hi, I'm Amanda! Welcome to Saporito Kitchen. Here you will find tasty, seasonal homemade recipes that are designed to feed your family.

    More about me →

    as seen in text with logos for parade, msn, yummly, feedfeed, foodgawker, bloglovin

    Trending Recipes

    • Classic Italian Lasagna with Ricotta Cheese
    • Old School Italian Gravy
    • Creamy Crock Pot Chicken Marsala
    • Baked Mostaccioli con Ricotta
    • Sunday Pot Roast Dinner
    • Italian Lemon Olive Oil Cake

    Mother's Day Recipes

    • Strawberry Biscuits
    • Bacon Wrapped Dates with Manchego
    • Rossini Cocktail
    • Panko Crusted Salmon
    • Mini Lemon Cheesecakes with Mascarpone
    • Easy Spinach Salad with Pears

    Summer Recipes

    • Strawberry Rhubarb Cheesecake Bars
    • Easy Italian Steaks on the Grill
    • Grilled Peaches with Mascarpone
    • Summer Panzanella {Italian Bread Salad}
    • Shrimp Kabobs
    • Melon Prosciutto Salad
    • Pink Vodka Lemonade
    • Pizza on the Grill {with a stone}

    Footer

    as seen in text with msn, parade, side chef, feedfeed, foodgawker, flipboard, blogloving and trivet recipes logo

    ↑ back to top

    About

    • My Story
    • Work with Me
    • Shop

    Contact

    • Contact Us
    • Client Inquiry Form
    • Subscribe

    Disclaimers

    • Privacy Policy
    • Disclosures
    • Comment Policy
    • Nutrition Disclaimer

    copyright © 2022 Saporito Kitchen | all rights reserved