Grilled Chicken Margherita Recipe
This delicious Grilled Chicken Margherita Recipe is loaded with fontina, pesto, and balsamic tomatoes, making it the perfect summer dish.
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.
Notes
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°.
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.
Nutrition
Calories: 661kcalCarbohydrates: 5gProtein: 73gFat: 37gSaturated Fat: 13gPolyunsaturated Fat: 3gMonounsaturated Fat: 17gTrans Fat: 0.04gCholesterol: 239mgSodium: 735mgPotassium: 1.216mgFiber: 0.4gSugar: 4gVitamin A: 813IUVitamin C: 16mgCalcium: 296mgIron: 2mg