Simple Gluten Free Kitchen

Balsamic Marinated Chicken & Caprese Salad (Low Carb Dinner)

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There are days in summer when I do not want to add carbs to my dinner plate and on those days Balsamic Marinated Chicken and Caprese salad always make a winning combination. This recipe was first posted in 2012. I have updated the photos and made the recipe a bit more simpler. I hope you enjoy it. I have also added the cooking video for this recipe on my YouTube channel.

 

 

Because this recipe is so very simple, choosing a good quality balsamic, flavorful summer tomatoes and additive free chicken will elevate  this dish to something truly wonderful. The recipe starts with making a balsamic marinade. It is simple, easy to whip up, and out-of-this-world delicious! The marinade works double-duty in the recipe. First, it is used to marinate the chicken breasts and then as a dressing for the Caprese salad. Beautifully layered juicy fresh tomatoes, creamy mozzarella, and sweet fresh basil leaves, drizzled with balsamic vinaigrette are simple, fresh, healthy, and yet so flavorful. Serving this delicious salad with grilled balsamic chicken makes the meal more filling and nutritious.

 

 

You will love how quick and easy this is to make. 30 minutes from start to finish! So, let’s see what is in this Balsamic Marinated Chicken and Caprese Salad.

Chicken: I used free-run and vegetable grain-fed (frozen) chicken raised without using antibiotics or hormones. Even though I cannot tell the difference in taste, but I am satisfied with it being nutritionally superior to regular chicken. If you want to make this fully vegetarian use Tofu instead.

Tomatoes: I like to use mixed-color tomatoes of assorted sizes. Juicy Roma tomatoes, heirloom tomatoes, or any that are available will do. This provides you with a variety of flavors, textures, and colors on the plate.

Fresh mozzarella: This type of cheese is stored in water and has a much creamier, softer texture than other types of mozzarella. Don’t use a mozzarella ball like you would grate over a pizza, because this isn’t as soft. If you can’t find fresh mozzarella, you can also use burrata. I have also tried this combination with fresh paneer, and it is phenomenal.

Fresh basil: Fresh basil is a must.

Balsamic Vinegar: I love balsamic vinegar. It is fruity, tangy, rich, and has a deep flavor. It helps tenderize the chicken and you do not need to marinate it for long. 10 -15 minutes is good enough. I used regular dark-colored balsamic vinegar, but if you want it to have a lighter color, use white balsamic vinegar instead.

Honey: Honey balances both the salt and the acid. It also helps in caramelization, quicker browning, and beautiful grill marks.

Olive oil: Olive oil is the perfect oil to use when making Caprese salad. The simple flavors really allow the olive oil to shine through.

This grilled Balsamic chicken and caprese salad recipe is best served immediately. If you want to make it ahead, prepare the elements of the salad, but do not compile or dress it until it is time to serve. The chicken takes just 10 minutes so wait until you are almost ready to serve it, to cook that too.

If you like this recipe, you will also love Grilled Eggplant Caprese Salad, Garden Summer Salad with Crispy Chicken, and Lemongrass Chicken Skewers with Pan Roasted Japanese Eggplant.

 

Clickable Image to my Video on YouTube

 

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Balsamic Marinated Chicken & Caprese Salad

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 15 minutes

Total Time: 25 minutes

Yield: 4 servings

A super-simple yet incredibly delicious meal for an easy weeknight or entertaining.

Ingredients

  • 1 lb. chicken breasts
  • Dried basil
  • Salt and pepper
    • Balsamic Vinaigrette
  • 1/2 cup balsamic vinegar good quality
  • 1 Tbsp. honey
  • 1/4 cup olive oil
  • 1-2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
    • Caprese Salad
  • 2-3 cups multicolored tomatoes, quartered or sliced
  • 170 g fresh Mozzarella, cut into 1/4 " thick slices
  • Flaky sea salt
  • Freshly ground black pepper
  • Fresh basil leaves

Instructions

    Making Balsamic Chicken
  1. Carefully cut the chicken breast in half lengthwise. If the chicken breast is too thick, you can pound it with a meat mallet until it is 1/2-inch thick.
  2. Season the chicken breasts generously with salt, pepper, and dried basil.
  3. Combine balsamic vinegar, olive oil, honey, minced garlic, in a bowl. Give it a whisk. Set aside until needed.
  4. Be sure to give it a good whisk before using.
  5. Place chicken in a baking dish. Pour 1/3 cup marinade over it, making sure it is evenly coated. Let is sit for 10-15 minutes
  6. Preheat heavy duty grill pan on medium high heat.
  7. When it's hot. Brush oil.
  8. Pick up chicken, allowing excess marinade to drip off and place it on the grill pan. Cook for 5-6 minutes. Brush the leftover marinade (in the baking dish) on chicken. Then flip. Cook the chicken an additional 5-6 minutes until done and Internal temperature reaches 165 degrees. I often put a lid on after flipping. This helps in keeping the chicken breasts moist.
  9. Remove chicken from grill pan and let rest for 5 minutes.
    10. Making Caprese Salad
  10. Arrange the tomatoes and mozzarella on a platter, alternating tomato slices and mozzarella slices to make for a lovely, colorful, composed salad.
  11. Drizzle with the balsamic dressing, and finish with fresh torn basil and salt and pepper to taste.
  12. Repeat another layer of tomatoes, mozzarella, basil, salt and pepper and balsamic vinaigrette.
  13. Serve balsamic marinade chicken with Caprese salad.

Notes

The balsamic vinaigrette also goes well for bread dipping.

https://www.simpleglutenfreekitchen.com/2023/08/balsamic-marinated-chicken-caprese-salad.html

Bringing this low carb dinner recipe to Angie’s Linky Party “Fiesta Friday“.

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Garden Summer Salad with Crispy Chicken
Refreshing Papaya and Grapefruit Salad

Reader Interactions

Comments

  6. Tomatoes are utterly perfect and actually irresistible 😀
    You have used your gorgeous finds perfectly my friend, what a lovely salad!

    Cheers
    Choc Chip Uru

    Reply

  7. Balsamic chicken will be a good change, something different to the curried chicken we tend to have. Lovely presentation though I must say tomatoes are not my fav, just can’t digest them except that I add it as a flavour into curries.

    Reply

  11. Hi Neetu,,
    You are right, fresh produce are always fun to cook with this, This salad is die for one. As it has balsamic, tomato and mozzarella is a deadly combo.

    Reply

  12. Gorgeous heirloom tomatoes…you are so right that everyone can eat Gluten Free. The chicken looks perfect, and yummy, the salad is spectacular~
    Now, I’m craving for all this, because this is exactly my type of foods that I so, enjoy!

    Reply

  13. Thanks for making up my mind about what to make for dinner tonight, this is perfect! We have an abundance of tomatoes in the garden this year, and I think I will use smoked mozzarella, looks delicious!

    Reply

  23. Wow, what a nice meal Balvinder…healthy and so so tasty. Love the colors of it!
    Thanks for the recipe and hope you are having a wonderful week 🙂

    Reply

  35. This looks like a nutritious and delicious meal to me too 🙂 This is a wonderful meal for a warm summer day, but I would enjoy this for dinner any time of year!!

    Reply

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