Grilled Chicken Margherita Recipe
Published July 18, 2024. This post may contain affiliate links. Please read my disclosure policy.
This delicious Grilled Chicken Margherita Recipe is loaded with fontina, homemade pesto, and balsamic tomatoes, making it the perfect summer dish. My family is obsessed with this meal, and I think yours will also be once they try it.
We eat chicken several times a week in our house. It’s quick to prepare, a great lean protein, and doesn’t break the bank. If you are similar, check out my Chicken Saltimbocca or Chicken Shawarma.
Chicken Margherita
Chicken Margherita is an American-Italian dish of grilled chicken breasts, melted cheese, pesto, and tomatoes tossed in a balsamic reduction. This dish can be adapted, including the cheese and optional balsamic reduction with the tomatoes. However, if you stick with the recipe as it is, it has an incredible balance of flavors.
This recipe has no coherent origin story outside of being served on some Italian restaurant menus in the US, including the Olive Garden. The dish is essentially a place on the margherita pizza with basil, tomatoes, and cheese going on chicken.
Ingredients and Substitutions
- Chicken — I used boneless, skinless chicken breasts, but you can also use boneless, skinless thighs.
- Cheese – You can use fontina, provolone, or mozzarella.
- Tomatoes – I prefer cherry tomatoes, but any fresh tomato will work.
- Pesto – You will need pesto for this recipe.
- Balsamic – I coated the tomatoes in a balsamic reduction, which elevates the recipe. You can also use a pre-made store-bought balsamic glaze.
- Oil – Olive or avocado oil works well. However, any neutral-flavored oil will work.
- Seasonings – I only used coarse salt and freshly cracked pepper.
How to Make Grilled Chicken Margherita
Make the balsamic reduction and chill it in the refrigerator.
Prepare the pesto and briefly set it aside.
Lightly pound the chicken breasts between plastic wrap or parchment paper. The goal is to help tenderize it, which requires about 6-8 pounds per side.
Pat the chicken dry on both sides with paper towels on a platter or sheet tray.
Drizzle the chicken with olive oil and rub it in on both sides.
Season the chicken well on both sides with salt and pepper.
Place the chicken onto a pre-heated hot grill (450° to 500°) and cook for 5 to 7 minutes per side or until grill marks are formed and the chicken is cooked throughout.
Remove the chicken and place them on a sheet tray or in a cast-iron skillet.
Sprinkle the shredded cheese evenly over the chicken and place it under a preheated broiler on a middle rack for 3 to 5 minutes or until the cheese is melted and slightly starting to brown.
Remove the chicken and drizzle the pesto over each cheesy chicken breast.
Mix the sliced cherry tomatoes in a medium-sized bowl with 2 to 3 tablespoons of balsamic reduction.
Add the tomatoes and pesto to the top of the chicken.
Serve the chicken as is or with a garnish of extra cheese.
Make-Ahead and Storage
Make-Ahead: This is meant to be eaten as soon as it’s done cooking. However, keep it warm in a pan covered in the oven at low temperatures (<200°) for up to 30 minutes.
How to Store: This will cover the refrigerator for up to 4 days. It will also freeze well covered for up to 3 months. Pull it out as needed and let it thaw in the refrigerator for one day before reheating it.
How to Reheat: To reheat it, place it back in a large frying pan, cover it, and cook it in the oven for 10 to 15 minutes at 350°.
Chef Notes + Tips
- If you don’t have a grill or are preparing this in the off-season, you can also pan-sear the chicken.
- Patting the chicken dry will help adhere to the oil and make it easy to release from the grill. Moisture is always the enemy of browning food.
- You may have some pesto leftover.
More Chicken Recipes
Video
Grilled Chicken Margherita Recipe
Ingredients
- 3 tablespoons balsamic reduction
- ½ pesto recipe
- 4 8 to 10 ounce each boneless skinless chicken breasts
- 4 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 ½ cups shredded fontina cheese
- 1 1/2 cups cherry tomatoes, sliced in half
- coarse salt and freshly cracked pepper to taste
Instructions
- Make the balsamic reduction and chill it in the refrigerator.
- Prepare the pesto and briefly set it aside.
- Lightly pound the chicken breasts between plastic wrap or parchment paper. The goal is to help tenderize it, which requires about 6-8 pounds per side.
- Pat the chicken dry on both sides with paper towels on a platter or sheet tray.
- Drizzle the chicken with olive oil and rub it in on both sides.
- Season the chicken well on both sides with salt and pepper.
- Place the chicken onto a pre-heated hot grill (450° to 500°) and cook for 5 to 7 minutes per side or until grill marks are formed and the chicken is cooked throughout.
- Remove the chicken and place them on a sheet tray or in a cast-iron skillet.
- Sprinkle the shredded cheese evenly over the top of the chicken and place under a pre-heated broiler on a middle rack for 3 to 5 minutes or until the cheese is melted and slightly starting to brown.
- Remove the chicken and drizzle the pesto over each cheesy chicken breast.
- In a medium-sized bowl mix together the sliced cherry tomatoes with 2 to 3 tablespoons of balsamic reduction.
- Add the tomatoes to the top of the chicken and pesto.
- Serve the chicken as is or with a garnish of extra cheese.
Besides this being SO delsih , this is my go to , quick & fast,& everyone I’ve made this for just love s it! Even over pasta is YUM!!! Thanks Billy for making
look like a chef, 🙂
My pleasure. Thanks for giving it a try!
I love this recipe, All of my family loved basil, so it was the perfect fit for our dinner Sunday night
Excellent!
I’ve made this recipe twice. Fantastic. (The pesto turned out better the second time. Practice, practice, practice.) Will make it again. This might be my go-to grilled chicken recipe.
Excellent!
Good afternoon
Making this for dinner tonight should I put pasta under or aside having a salad and focaccia as well?
Thank You
any and all of those sound delicious.
Absolutely amazing and so simple to follow!!! Family loved it!
Fantastic!
Very good
Thank you!