Bruschetta Chicken

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This bruschetta chicken recipe is really close to my heart. It’s inspired by one of my earliest cooking attempts during a 4th of July trip with friends to northern Minnesota. We’d hike, have bonfires, and all pitch in with food prep. Although I was hardly a cook at the time, I came up with a bruschetta mix using both fresh and sun-dried tomatoes. Back then I would serve it on French bread and it pretty quickly became a crowd favorite.

Fast forward to today, and I’ve swapped the bread for grilled chicken (even better!). And then I adapted my chicken bruschetta, so now you can bake it in the oven any time of year. Make it with me!

Why You Need My Bruschetta Chicken Recipe

• The best bruschetta topping – Many versions use only one type of tomato, but my chicken bruschetta recipe has both juicy fresh tomatoes and sweet sun-dried tomatoes. I’m obsessed with this combo that made everyone ask for seconds in my original version!
• Juicy, tender chicken with your choice of cooking method – I originally made bruschetta chicken on my grill, but now you can bake it, too. It’s too good not to enjoy year-round! And I’ll show you how to keep it tender and juicy.
• Quick, simple, and healthy – This dish comes together in just around 30 minutes, and the simple ingedients are easy to find. It’s a fresh, protein-packed winner of a chicken dinner.

Ingredients & Substitutions

Here I explain the best ingredients for my bruschetta chicken recipe, what each one does, and substitution options. For measurements, see the recipe card.

Chicken:

• Chicken – I usually use boneless skinless chicken breasts, but you can opt for boneless chicken thighs. Steer clear of bone-in, skin-on cuts, because the topping will soften crispy skin.
• Olive Oil – I like this one. Avocado oil is great, too.
• Sea Salt & Black Pepper – I season the chicken simply, as the topping adds enough flavor. Feel free to add other spices, like garlic powder or paprika.
• Fresh Mozzarella Cheese – It gets nice and melty! Shredded also works if that’s what you’ve got.

Bruschetta Topping:

• Tomatoes – My signature bruschetta topping has a mix of fresh cherry tomatoes and sun-dried tomatoes. You can use chop Roma tomatoes instead of cherry ones, but I highly recommend including the sun-dried ones!
• Fresh Basil – Brightens everything up. A little fresh oregano, some Italian seasoning, or even arugula can add a similar boost.
• Garlic – Mince it fresh, or use a teaspoon of the jarred stuff for a shortcut.
• Olive & Vinegar – Olive oil (either regular or extra virgin olive oil) and balsamic bring it all together. You can use lemon juice in place of balsamic in a pinch, but it’s just not the same.
• Sea Salt & Black Pepper

How To Make Bruschetta Chicken

I have step-by-step photos here to help you visualize the recipe. For full instructions with amounts and temperatures, see the recipe card.

1. Make the bruschetta topping. Combine the cherry tomatoes, sun-dried tomatoes, basil, garlic, balsamic vinegar, salt, and pepper in a small bowl. Mix well and set aside.
2. Season the chicken. While your grill or oven preheats, brush both sides of the chicken with olive oil, and sprinkle with salt and pepper. If you’ll use the oven, place the chicken in a baking dish (I love this one that’s pretty enough to go straight to the table).
3. Cook the chicken. I opted for the grill this time, but you can also bake the chicken.

4. Top with mozzarella. Add the cheese in the last few minutes of cooking. Remove from heat and let it rest for 5 minutes.
5. Pile on the topping. Spoon the tomato mixture evenly over the chicken breasts. I like to garnish my bruschetta chicken with more fresh basil.

My Recipe Tips

• Make the bruschetta topping first. It will marinate while you cook the chicken, bringing out its flavors.
• Adjust salt and pepper in the topping to taste. The amount of salt you need will depend on how salty your sun-dried tomatoes are. Black pepper is a matter of preference — mine was not spicy, but you can add more.
• Use a meat thermometer. I prefer my probe thermometer so I don’t have to babysit the chicken, but also like this instant-read thermometer. You’re shooting for 165 degrees F, but I like to pull it at 162-163 degrees F and let the temp rise to 165 while resting. It’s extra juicy that way! If using boneless chicken thighs, I recommend 170 degrees F, because that’s when the collagen in dark meat breaks down and gets extra juicy.
• Add the cheese only toward the end. I’ve tried topping the chicken near the beginning, and most of the cheese slides off by the end. Adding it in the last few minutes ensures that it stays on!

See my baked chicken breast and grilled chicken breast recipes for more of my tips on these cooking methods!

You can also pan sear the chicken breast in a skillet or grill pan, or even make air fryer chicken if you prefer.

Storage & Meal Prep

• Store: Keep leftovers in the refrigerator for up to 3-4 days. I recommend storing the topping and chicken in separate airtight containers. If you just have extra topping, toss it with fresh mozzarella and basil for a chopped Caprese salad!
• Meal prep: You can mix the topping up to 2 days in advance. I prefer to cook the chicken right before serving, but you could also make the entire recipe ahead.
• Reheat: Warm bruschetta chicken in the oven (without the topping) at 350 degrees F for best results. The microwave works, but can dry it out. Top with the bruschetta mixture after reheating.
• Freeze: You can freeze the chicken in a zip lock bag for up to 3 months. Avoid freezing the topping.

Serving Ideas

My bruschetta chicken recipe goes with many different sides! Try these:

• Simple salads – Toss together my quick antipasto salad, marinated artichoke salad, or colorful roasted vegetable salad. Or just serve the chicken bruschetta right on top of my arugula salad.
• Starches – I love this summery dish over zucchini noodles in particular, but your favorite pasta works, too. Make a double batch of the topping to mix into the noodles! You can also opt for rice, cauliflower rice, my hands-off air fryer baked potatoes, or creamy mashed cauliflower.
• Veggies – My baked asparagus, roasted artichokes, or roasted zucchini pair well with the Italian flavors here. If you’re grilling, try grilled broccoli.
• Soups – Kick things off with a cozy bowl of my zucchini soup or Zuppa Toscana.
• More toppings – If you want to get fancy, drizzle your bruschetta chicken with balsamic glaze for a glossy finish, pesto sauce for extra herby flavor, or sprinkle with parmesan cheese.

More Italian Chicken Recipes

Craving more summery Italian-inspired chicken dishes? Here are more of my favorites:

Balsamic Chicken

Basil Pesto Chicken

Sun-Dried Tomato Chicken

Chicken Caprese

Recipe Card

5 from 14 votes

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Bruschetta Chicken

You'll love my easy bruschetta chicken recipe with balsamic tomato topping & melty cheese! Make this simple, fresh meal in about 30 minutes.

Prep: 10 minutes

Cook: 15 minutes

Total: 25 minutes

Author: Maya Krampf from Wholesome Yum

Servings: 4 (adjust to scale recipe)

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Ingredients

Tap underlined ingredients to see the ones I use.

Bruschetta Topping:

• 1 1/2 cups Cherry tomatoes (diced) ▢
• 1/2 cup Sun-dried tomatoes (chopped) ▢
• 1/4 cup Fresh basil (chopped; plus more for garnish if desired) ▢
• 2 cloves Garlic (minced) ▢
• 1 1/2 tbsp Olive oil ▢
• 1 tbsp Balsamic vinegar ▢
• 1/8 tsp Sea salt (to taste) ▢
• 1/8 tsp Black pepper (to taste) ▢

Chicken:

• 4 8-oz Boneless skinless chicken breasts ▢
• 2 tbsp Olive oil ▢
• 1/2 tsp Sea salt ▢
• 1/4 tsp Black pepper ▢
• 2 oz Fresh mozzarella cheese (sliced) ▢

Instructions

Tap on the times in the instructions to start a kitchen timer.

1. In a small bowl, combine all the ingredients for the bruschetta topping: cherry tomatoes, sun-dried tomatoes, basil, garlic, balsamic vinegar, salt, and pepper. Adjust the salt and pepper to taste if you need to. Stir to mix well and set aside.

2. Preheat your grill to medium-high heat for at least 10 minutes or preheat your oven to 450 degrees F (232 degrees C).

3. Meanwhile, brush both sides of the chicken breasts with olive oil. Sprinkle both sides with salt and pepper. If you’re using the oven method, place them in a baking dish with space between them.

4. Cook the chicken breasts on the grill for 6-8 minutes per side (flipping once), or in the oven for 18-22 minutes. In the last 2-3 minutes of cooking, top each piece of chicken with a slice of fresh mozzarella.

5. Remove the chicken from heat and let it rest for 5-10 minutes.

6. Spoon the tomato mixture evenly over the chicken breasts. If you like, top your bruschetta chicken with more fresh basil for garnish.

LAST STEP: Leave a rating to help other readers, or tag me @wholesomeyum on Instagram. I’d love to hear from you!

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Maya’s Recipe Notes

Serving size: 1 chicken breast with 1/4 of bruschetta topping

Nutrition Facts

Amounts per serving. Serving size in recipe notes above.

Calories 436

Fat 21.1g

Protein 52.7g

Total Carbs 6.7g

Net Carbs 5.3g

Fiber 1.4g

Sugar 4.2g

I provide nutrition facts as a courtesy. Have questions about calculations or why you got a different result? Please see my nutrition policy.

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Try More Of My Recipes

• 
  Mediterranean Chicken Recipe
• 
  Chicken Marsala Recipe
• 
  Lemon Garlic Chicken
• 
  Stuffed Zucchini Boats

© Copyright Maya Krampf for Wholesome Yum. Please DO NOT SCREENSHOT OR COPY/PASTE recipes to social media or websites. We’d LOVE for you to share a link with photo instead.

Gratitude Moment

Here’s us looking like babies on one of our hikes in Lutsen (in Northern Minnesota). This was in our 20s, and apparently we were too busy partying at meals to take any pictures of the bruschetta… or any of the other food.

We sure had fun, though, and I’m grateful for these memories. These hikes were my favorite part. And back then, I never could have imagined that I’d be sharing that bruschetta topping over chicken on the internet years later.