Summertime is here and I especially love cooking healthy chicken recipes. There is something refreshing about grilled chicken and a summer salad. This recipe is the perfect mix of balanced an healthy but also very flavorful. Keep reading to find tips for making this chicken and how to balance it out with all macronutrients. Enjoy!

Balancing marherita chicken:

Carb: There are many different carbs that pair really well with this chicken. I love throwing a few small potatoes on the baking sheet with the chicken, seasoning with salt and pepper and eating them with this meal. Brown rice is also a really good starch to add. Quinoa pairs well also.

Veggie: Like I mentioned, I love fresh salads in the summer so I made my chicken with a side salad. However, broccoli, grilled zucchini, or asparagus are all very good options as well.

Fat: I typically like adding a fat to my meals, but the pesto and the mozzarella cheese are already built into this recipe. There is no need to add anything else to it!

TIPS FOR MAKING MARGHERITA CHICKEN:

Cheese: If you don’t have fresh mozzarella, you have a few options. First, you can substitute a different kind of cheese like Swiss or pepper jack. However, I think the mozzarella makes the best combination with the tomatoes and the pesto.

Baking: If you prefer your chicken grilled rather than baked, you can also do prepare this chicken that way. I recommend grilling for 3-5 minutes each side, and topping with the cheese once the chicken reaches about 160 F degrees. Make sure the internal temperature reaches 165 F degrees before removing from the grill.

Chicken Breasts: Be sure to thaw out the chicken completely and you may even pound to less than 1” thick before cooking. This will help the chicken cook thoroughly and quicker than if cooking from frozen. I prefer to use the think sliced breasts rather than pounding the chicken, but either will work!

INGREDIENTS

2 large chicken breasts - sliced in half (4 - 4 oz pieces)
Salt and pepper, to taste
1 tsp Italian seasoning (OR 1/2 tsp dried oregano + 1/4 tsp dried basil + 1/4 tsp dried thyme)
4 oz mozzarella cheese
4 tsp pesto
1/2 cup cherry tomatoes - quartered
1 tbsp lemon juice
1/2 tsp dried basil (OR 2-3 fresh basil leaves)
Black pepper, to taste

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Preheat oven to 450 F degrees. Cover a baking sheet with aluminum foil, or spray with non-stick cooking spray.

2. Lay thawed chicken breasts on the baking sheet. Spray with cooking spray and top with salt, pepper, and Italian seasoning.

3. Bake at 450 F degrees for 15-20 minutes. Then top each chicken breast with 1 oz of mozzarella cheese and return to the oven for 5-10 minute, or until the internal temperature of the chicken reaches 165 F degrees. See notes for grilling chicken*

4. While the chicken is cooking, prepare the tomato mixture. In a bowl combine quartered cherry tomatoes, lemon juice, basil, and pepper.

5. When the chicken is done cooking, immediately top each chicken breast with 1 tsp of pesto and top it off with the tomato mixture. Enjoy!

NUTRITION (per serving)
Makes 4 servings
306 calories
42 protein (58%)
3g carbs (4%)
13g fat (38%)

OTHER RECIPES YOU MAY LIKE