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This Caprese Chicken Salad will be a summertime favorite! Tender spring mix and arugula are topped with grilled chicken, sweet tomatoes, fresh mozzarella, and basil, then dressed with a tangy-sweet homemade balsamic vinaigrette.
Love chicken salads? Try my Crispy Chicken Salad and BBQ Chicken Salad next!
Why I Love This Recipe
- 30-Minute Meal – The only cooking needed is for the chicken which takes about 10-15 minutes, then the caprese chicken salad comes together fast!
- Caprese-Inspired – I love the combination of tomatoes, fresh mozzarella, and basil!
- Homemade Balsamic Vinaigrette – While you can use a store-bought dressing to save a little bit of time, the homemade balsamic dressing is easy to mix up and keeps in the fridge for two weeks!
What you need
Ingredient Notes
- Boneless, Skinless Chicken Breasts – There is a simple recipe for cooking the chicken in a pan on the stove. You can also make this recipe with chicken cutlets or tenders (thinner than chicken breasts), but be aware that they will cook much faster.
- Spring Mix and Arugula – You can sub in another lettuce like a 50/50 blend (half spring mix, half baby spinach) or baby romaine. I like the peppery bite of arugula, but you could sub in all spring mix, butter lettuce, or spinach.
- Mixed Cherry Tomatoes – Use the freshest tomatoes you can! I like using halved cherry tomatoes, but you could use Roma tomatoes that are quartered or sliced.
- Fresh Ciliegine Mozzarella Balls – If you can’t find the small Ciliegine size mozzarella balls, you can use larger sizes and cut or tear them into bite sized pieces. You could also just toss the pearl size balls into the salad. Just make sure to use the fresh mozzarella, not the kind that comes in blocks or shreds. You can find fresh mozzarella in the deli or dairy section of any well stocked market.
- Balsamic Dressing – This balsamic dressing is perfectly paired with this salad, but a simple oil and vinegar dressing or an herby green goddess dressing would be delicious too. The full recipe for the balsamic dressing is included in the recipe card below, or click HERE for the recipe plus tips for making it.
How To Make Caprese Chicken Salad
See the recipe card below for full, detailed instructions
Season and Cook Chicken – Season the chicken with salt, pepper, and garlic powder, then cook in a large grill pan over medium-high heat for about 6-8 minutes per side or until the internal temp reaches 165℉.
Mix Together Salad – While the chicken is cooking, toss together the mixed greens and arugula and lay down on the bottom of a platter or large bowl. Top with the cherry tomatoes, mozzarella, avocado slices and red onion slices.
Finish Salad – Slice the chicken and arrange on top of the salad. Garnish with the fresh basil. Drizzle with balsamic vinaigrette just before serving.
What is Caprese?
Caprese Salad or “Insalata Caprese’ means ‘the salad of Capri’. Capri is an island in Italy. A caprese salad is simply made of fresh mozzarella, tomatoes, and fresh basil then drizzled with olive oil and balsamic vinegar.
This chicken caprese salad recipe takes that classic flavor combination and builds on it to make a filling, lettuce-based salad.
Storage Tips
The Best Way to Store Leftovers
Store any undressed leftover salad covered in the fridge for up to 2 days. Leftover balsamic dressing can be stored in a mason jar or other airtight container in the fridge for up to 2 weeks.
Already dressed salad will not keep well because the greens will become wilty. I like to bring the dressing for salads to the table and let everyone put dressing on their own salads. This way everyone gets as much dressing as they like, and any leftovers can be stored undressed.
Recipe Tips
- Keeping Lettuce Fresh – I hate when my lettuce gets soggy in the fridge! If I do not use the spring mix or arugula the same day, I add a paper towel to the container to help soak up any moisture. This greatly affects how long the lettuce stays fresh and crisp.
- Let Dressing Come to Room Temperature – If you mix up the dressing in advance and store in the fridge, it’s best to let it sit on the counter for 5-10 minutes before using. Oil solidifies as it chills, so a cold dressing may be too thick straight out of the fridge.
- Chicken – My stovetop chicken breast is super simple and perfect for this salad, however you can use store-bought chicken breast strips or a rotisserie chicken. Or try my Air Fryer Chicken Breast or Oven Baked Chicken Breast using just the salt, pepper and garlic powder seasonings.
More Salad Recipes
- Watermelon Salad with Feta
- Asian Cucumber Salad
- Grilled Steak Salad
- Big Mac Salad
- Chicken Fajita Salad
Caprese Chicken Salad
Ingredients
- 4 Boneless skinless chicken breasts 6 ounces each
- 1 tablespoon Olive oil
- 1 teaspoon Salt
- 1 teaspoon Garlic powder
- 1/2 teaspoon Black pepper
- 2 cups Spring mix
- 2 cups Arugula
- 1 pint Cherry tomatoes halved
- 8 ounces Fresh Ciliegine mozzarella balls drained
- 1 Avocado sliced
- 1/2 cup Sliced red onion thinly sliced
- 2 ounces Fresh basil sliced thin
Balsamic Dressing
- 1/4 cup Balsamic vinegar
- 3/4 cup Olive oil
- 1/2 teaspoon Kosher salt
- 1/2 teaspoon Black pepper
- 2 tablespoons Honey
- 1 Garlic clove
Instructions
Chicken
- Pat chicken breasts dry with paper towels, then season with salt, pepper and garlic powder.
- Heat a large grill pan or skillet over medium high heat. Add 1 tablespoon of olive oil, then turn the heat down to medium. Add the chicken breasts, making sure not to crowd the pan. Cook until chicken is cooked through to 165℉, about 6-8 minutes per side. Transfer to a plate, and let rest for 5 minutes. (Alternatively you could cook chicken on an outdoor grill, in the air fryer or oven).
Salad
- While the chicken is cooking, toss together the mixed greens and arugula and arrange on a platter or in a large bowl. Top with the cherry tomatoes, mozzarella, avocado slices and red onion slices.
- Slice the chicken and arrange on top of the salad. Garnish with fresh basil.
Balsamic Dressing
- Whisk together salad dressing ingredients in a medium bowl, or shake together in a sealed mason jar. Set aside.
- Drizzle balsamic dressing over the salad just before serving.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutritional Disclaimer Kristin Maxwell of “Yellow Bliss Road” is not a dietician or nutritionist, and any nutritional information shared is an estimate. For accurate calorie counts and other nutritional values, we recommend running the ingredients through your preferred online nutritional calculator. Calories and other nutritional values can vary depending on which brands were used.
