Grilled Chicken Margherita

I first made this chicken during our second kitchen remodel because, well, the oven was in the basement, so outside to the grill we went — every single day! This grilled chicken margherita is perfectly juicy and seasoned, topped with gooey, melty mozzarella cheese, 5-minute pesto (the BEST EVER!) and tomato basil relish.

Grilled Chicken Margherita

Easy, healthy grilled chicken margherita topped with melted mozzarella cheese, pesto, and tomato basil garnish.

Course: Main Course Cuisine: American

Prep Time: 10 minutes Cook Time: 20 minutes Total Time: 30 minutes

Servings: 4 servings Calories: 403kcal

Ingredients

4 boneless skinless chicken breasts pounded to less than 1 inch thickness
salt and pepper to taste
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon Italian seasoning (OR ½ teaspoon dried oregano + ¼ teaspoon dried basil + ¼ teaspoon dried thyme)
4 slices mozzarella cheese
½ cup basil pesto
½ cup cherry tomatoes halved
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
½ cup packed basil leaves very thinly sliced
cracked black pepper

Instructions

In a large bowl combine chicken, salt and pepper, olive oil, garlic power, and Italian seasoning. Toss to combine.
Grill chicken over medium-high heat for about 6-8 minutes on each side until cooked through. Top each piece of chicken with a slice of mozzarella cheese and cook another minute or so until melted.
Toss tomatoes, lemon juice, and basil together. Top each chicken breast with about 3 tablespoons pesto, a scoop of tomatoes, and some freshly cracked black pepper. Serve immediately.

Notes

You can absolutely use store-bought pesto sauce in this recipe, but if you have five extra minutes (you do!) I highly recommend my super easy homemade basil pesto. You can easily sub out the pine nuts for another nut like cashews or walnuts too!

I almost always use fresh-squeezed lemon juice in my tomato topping, because I think it has the best flavor. But, you might not have a fresh lemon laying around. If that's the case, feel free to use bottled lemon juice or even lime.

After placing the cheese on top of the chicken, I always close the grill lid to help the cheese melt faster and keep the chicken from drying out.

To make your own Italian seasoning for this chicken, simply combine 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano, 1/4 teaspoon dried basil, and 1/4 teaspoon dried thyme and sprinkle all over the chicken OR swap out Italian seasoning for Herbs de Provence (one of my favorite cooking tricks for boosting flavor!).