Description
Bruschetta Chicken is a flavorful Italian-inspired dish featuring tender, marinated chicken breasts topped with a savory tomato basil sauce and melted mozzarella and parmesan cheeses. The chicken is seared to a golden crust and then finished in the oven with a rich balsamic-honey glaze and fresh herbs, delivering a perfect balance of tangy, sweet, and cheesy flavors.
Ingredients
Scale
Chicken and Marinade
- 2 large boneless skinless chicken breasts
- Salt and pepper, to taste
- ½ cup Italian salad dressing
- 1–2 tablespoons olive oil
Sauce
- ½ cup dry white wine (or substitute chicken broth)
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 tablespoons butter
- ½ cup balsamic vinegar
- ¼ cup honey
- 1 teaspoon mustard powder
- 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
- 1 teaspoon dried basil
- 2/3 cup chicken broth
- 2 tablespoons cornstarch
- 2 tablespoons cold water
Toppings
- ¾ cup shredded mozzarella cheese
- ½ cup shredded parmesan cheese
- 1 ½ cups cherry tomatoes, halved or quartered
- Fresh basil leaves
- 1/3 cup panko breadcrumbs
- 1 tablespoon butter
Instructions
- Prep Work: Slice each chicken breast lengthwise to create 2-3 thinner slices. Place the slices in a gallon freezer bag or between sheets of plastic wrap, then use the textured side of a meat mallet to pound them to about ½ inch thickness. Pat the chicken dry with paper towels.
- Marinate the Chicken: Lightly season the chicken slices with salt and pepper. Pour the Italian salad dressing into a gallon freezer bag, add the chicken, remove excess air, and seal the bag. Let the chicken marinate at room temperature for 20 minutes to enhance flavor and tenderness.
- Prepare the Sauce Ingredients: While the chicken marinates, combine all the sauce ingredients except the cornstarch and cold water mixture in a bowl, and set aside. Measure out the remaining ingredients so everything is ready when cooking begins.
- Preheat the Oven: Set your oven to 400°F (204°C) to warm up while you finish prepping and searing the chicken.
- Sear the Chicken: Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Remove chicken from marinade and sear in batches, cooking each slice for 3-4 minutes per side until a golden crust forms. Once seared, set the chicken aside on a plate.
- Deglaze the Pan and Cook Garlic: Clean any black burnt spots from the skillet but leave the browned bits (fond) as they add flavor to the sauce. Pour in the white wine to deglaze the pan and use a spatula to scrape up the browned bits from the bottom and sides. Allow the wine to reduce by half over 3-4 minutes. Add butter and minced garlic, cooking for about 1 minute until fragrant.
- Add the Sauce Mixture and Simmer: Pour the pre-mixed sauce ingredients into the skillet and let it gently simmer over medium heat for 5 minutes, allowing flavors to meld.
- Thicken the Sauce: In a small container with a lid, combine the cornstarch and cold water, shaking to mix thoroughly. Bring the sauce to a boil in the skillet, then slowly stir in the cornstarch slurry until the sauce thickens and becomes glossy. Once thickened, remove the skillet from heat.
Notes
- You can substitute dry white wine with chicken broth if preferred or to avoid alcohol.
- The Italian salad dressing serves as a flavorful marinade but can be homemade or store-bought.
- For added texture, you can toast the panko breadcrumbs with butter before topping the chicken.
- Serve with fresh basil leaves to add a bright herbal freshness to the dish.
- Ensure the chicken is thinly pounded for even cooking and tenderness.
- Use fresh cherry tomatoes for the best flavor; if unavailable, ripe grape tomatoes can be used instead.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 20 minutes
- Category: Main Course
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: Italian
Keywords: Bruschetta Chicken, Italian chicken recipe, chicken with tomato basil sauce, easy chicken dinner, balsamic chicken
