Easy Chicken Caprese Salad is pan-fried chicken breasts that are tossed in a salad made with Romaine lettuce, tomatoes, mozzarella cheese, avocado, basil, and balsamic vinaigrette. You will also love my other Chicken Caprese Salad which is made with marinated chicken.
Easy Chicken Caprese Salad
The things that make this recipe different than my other Caprese salad are that there is no marinating involved and you can use store-bought balsamic vinaigrette dressing. This salad comes together quickly and is so satisfying! Serve it with a side of breadsticks for a delicious lunch or dinner. I also have Caprese Hasselback Chicken with the same delicious flavors.
Ingredients
Chicken: I used about 2 pounds of boneless, skinless chicken breasts. Be sure to pound out each chicken breast to an even thickness for cooking.
Lettuce: You could use any blend of leafy greens you choose. I used romaine lettuce, but an iceberg or a spring mix would work.
Balsamic Vinaigrette: Use store-bought dressing, or make your own balsamic vinaigrette. You can find my recipe for the balsamic vinaigrette in my Strawberry Chicken Salad.
What is a Caprese Salad?
A Caprese salad is an Italian salad that is pretty simple. It consists of mozzarella cheese, tomatoes, basil, salt, and olive oil. The ingredients in the salad represent the colors in the Italian flag. My salad has some added lettuce, protein from chicken, and avocado, with a balsamic vinaigrette dressing. You would also love my Easy Caprese Sandwich.
How to Cook the Chicken
The chicken is easy to make with no marinating required! Simply season the chicken breasts with a little salt and pepper. Then, pan-fry them in some olive oil. Make sure the chicken has reached an internal temperature of 165°F. You could also grill the chicken or even cook it in your air fryer. Just let the chicken rest for a few minutes before cutting it into pieces.
How to Store Easy Chicken Caprese Salad
Although this salad is best served fresh, you can store it to enjoy within the next day or two. Store the salad, without the dressing, in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 1-2 days. Another suggestion would be to hold off on adding the avocado until you serve the salad; this will prevent the avocado from browning.
More Delicious Salads
Easy Chicken Caprese Salad
Ingredients
Chicken
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon fresh cracked pepper
- 2-3 large boneless skinless chicken breasts, about 2 pounds, pounded to an even thickness
Salad
- 5 cups (235 g / about 2 heads) Romaine lettuce, washed and torn into bite-sized pieces
- 1 medium avocado, peeled, pitted, and sliced
- 1 cup (149 g) cherry tomatoes, halved
- ½ cup mini mozzarella cheese balls
- ¼ cup (6 g) basil leaves, thinly sliced
- ½ cup (127.5 g) balsamic vinaigrette, more or less to taste
Instructions
- Pat chicken dry with a paper towel and season with salt and pepper on all sides.
- To a large skillet over medium-high heat, add the oil. Once the oil is hot, add chicken to the pan and cook undisturbed for 4-6 minutes. Flip and repeat with the opposite side. Make sure the chicken reaches an internal temperature of 165°F.
- Remove the chicken from the skillet. Set it aside to rest for 5 minutes. After the chicken has rested and slightly cooled, slice it.
- In a large bowl, add lettuce, sliced avocado, tomatoes, mozzarella balls, and basil leaves. Top with chicken and dressing.
- Toss and serve.
Did you make this recipe?
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