Can I use leftover chicken for this recipe?

You can - the only thing you will be missing is having had the chicken marinate in the glorious dressing before it cooks. But using already cooked chicken is a way to speed this recipe up if you need to make it in a hurry.

Can you make this recipe ahead of time?

Yes and no. You can definitely make all the components ahead of time - cook the chicken, slice the tomatoes, etc - but as with all dressed salads, it is best to combine those ingredients right before you serve it up.

Can I use a different kind of vinegar?

I didn't convince you with all my rhapsodizing about balsamic vinegar? If you don't have or can't find balsamic, you can go with red wine vinegar.

Caprese Chicken Salad

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This easy recipe for caprese chicken salad takes the classic mozzarella, tomato and basil combo and adds some chicken to the mix!

Author: Kate Morgan Jackson
Prep Time: 15 minutes
marinating time: 1 hour
Cook Time: 8 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour 23 minutes
Yield: 4 1x
Category: Dinner
Method: Grill
Cuisine: Italian

Ingredients

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1/2 cup olive oil
1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
2 cloves of garlic, peeled and smashed
Pinch each of salt and pepper
4 boneless skinless chicken breast halves
1 small head of romaine or green leafy lettuce, washed and torn into pieces
1 pint cherry tomatoes, cut in half
1 cup of mozzarella balls (known as bocconcini) or regular mozzarella cut in cubes. The best you can find!
1/4 cup fresh basil leaves, chopped

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Instructions

Combine the oil, vinegar, garlic, salt and pepper. Save 1/4 cup of it for the dressing and pour the rest into a zippered plastic bag. Add the chicken, seal the bag, turn it around a few times to coat the chicken and let it marinate in the fridge for a few hours. At least one hour, but all day is fine!
Heat the grill to high. Grill the chicken (discarding the marinade in the bag) for 4 minutes per side. Remove and let sit for about 5 minutes before slicing.
While the chicken is resting, combine the lettuce, tomatoes and cheese in a large bowl. Drizzle with most of the reserved dressing, tasting as you go to make sure you don’t overdress it. Save a little dressing for the chicken.
Slice the chicken and divide the lettuce mixture among 4 plates. Top with sliced chicken and basil, drizzle the remaining dressing on the chicken and serve!

Balsamic Vinegar

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Notes

Need to add something to your kitchen equipment to make this recipe? Below are some of the items we used in the Framed Cooks kitchen to help cook this up. These are affiliate links to things we use and love, which helps to pay for all that bacon I keep buying (without any extra cost to you)! Thanks for using them to keep our kitchen cooking…xoxo!