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Pesto Chicken Bruschetta

January 16, 2024

We’re breaking out the big flavors for this baked pesto chicken—homemade pesto, slices of fresh mozzarella, and juicy marinated tomatoes atop simple chicken breasts for an easy summer meal.

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Pesto chicken bruschetta on a serving platter. Chicken topped with melted mozzarella, pesto and bruschetta.
Photography by Gayle McLeod

Easy Pesto Chicken Starts With An Easy Homemade Pesto

What we like about homemade pesto is that you can taste all the individual ingredients in each bite. There is nothing better than sweet basil, salty parmesan, and rich pine nuts all blended into one stunning pesto. Paired with fresh mozzarella and ripe, garlicky tomatoes it makes for a super flavorful baked chicken topping. Serve it as is, or with a big Caesar Salad and a simple pasta dish like our Creamy Cavatappi Cacio e Pepe.

raw chicken breast, sliced fresh mozzarella, pesto, tomatoes, basil, spices, olive oil and white balsamic in prep bowls

Ingredients You’ll Need To Make Pesto Bruschetta Chicken

  • Pesto sauce – A dollop of freshly made pesto is the best way to make sure that each bite is packed with flavor and no chicken bite is boring or bland.

  • Ripe tomatoes – Ripe tomatoes are juicy enough as it is, but we took a hint from classic Italian bruschetta and tossed our ripe tomatoes with garlic, salt, pepper and olive oil so that they’re even juicier.

  • Fresh mozzarella – When in doubt, add more mozzarella. It makes everything taste like a treat. If you have any leftovers, you can make our favorite Homemade Mozzarella Sticks.

  • Skinless chicken breasts – The simplest and most straightforward part of the chicken to cook. We’re always looking for the best chicken breast recipe–find more ideas in our 60 Best Chicken Breast Recipes.

  • Fresh basil leaves – We’re doubling down on the fresh basil flavor of the pesto in the tomato marinade.

halved cherry tomatoes, garlic, salt, pepper, olive oil, vinegar, lemon juice, and basil in a glass bowl
bruschetta in a glass bowl made with cherry tomatoes, garlic, salt, pepper, olive oil, vinegar, lemon juice, and basil
chicken brushed with olive oil and seasoned with salt in a baking dish
baked chicken with melted mozzarella on top in a casserole dish

How To Make Pesto Chicken Bruschetta

  1. Preheat the oven or grill.

  2. Marinate the tomatoes. In a small bowl, combine the tomatoes, garlic, salt, pepper, olive oil, vinegar, lemon juice, and basil. Set aside to marinate for 20 minutes.

  3. Bake (or grill) the chicken. Cook until the internal temperature of the chicken reaches 165°F on an instant-read thermometer. Remove the chicken from the oven, place a slice of fresh mozzarella on each breast. Return to the oven until the cheese melts, 2-3 minutes more.

  4. Top the chicken with a dollop of pesto and a scoop of bruschetta. Serve immediately.

baked chicken with melted mozzarella on a serving platter next to bowl of bruschetta and pesto
Pesto chicken bruschetta on a serving platter. Chicken topped with melted mozzarella, pesto and bruschetta.

How to Store Leftover Pesto Chicken Bruschetta + Tips

  • Fresh basil pesto is easy to make and comes together quickly, and it's easy to freeze! Make a big batch and save yourself time in the future. One of our favorite ways to freeze pesto is to pour it into an ice cube tray, chill until solid, and then pop the pesto cubes into an air-tight container. The cubes should be used within six months.

  • We don’t love the way that fresh tomatoes freeze because the texture turns unpleasant, but you can always freeze the prepared chicken for future meals.

  • Leftovers make great sandwich filling! Slice up some crusty bread, and pour over olive oil and balsamic for an easy lunch, cold or hot! You can also save leftover pesto to use in our One Pot Pesto Chicken and Rice or Stuffed Chicken Breast.

  • If you’re entertaining vegetarians, you can make some bruschetta with just pesto, tomatoes, and mozzarella on thinly sliced toasted bread.

Pesto chicken bruschetta on a serving platter. Chicken topped with melted mozzarella, pesto and bruschetta.
Pesto chicken bruschetta on a serving platter. Chicken topped with melted mozzarella, pesto and bruschetta.

More Great Recipes With Pesto From The Modern Proper

Baked Chicken + Pesto + Mozzarella = A Winning Combo

For more recipe inspiration, follow us on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok and Pinterest or order our cookbook. We love when you share your meals. Tag us on Instagram using #themodernproper. Happy cooking!

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Pesto Chicken Bruschetta

  • Serves:  6
  • Prep Time:  20 min
  • Cook Time:  40 min
  • Calories:  528

Ingredients

  • 10 ounces cherry tomatoes, halved or quartered
  • 2 to 3 cloves of garlic, minced
  • 1¼ teaspoons kosher salt
  • ¼ teaspoon freshly cracked black pepper, plus more for serving
  • 4 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
  • 1 tablespoon white balsamic vinegar
  • 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice (from about 1 lemon)
  • 4 fresh basil leaves, thinly sliced
  • 4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (about 1¾ pounds)
  • 4 slices fresh mozzarella
  • Freshly cracked black pepper, to taste
  • ½ cup pesto, homemade or store bought

Method

  1. Preheat the oven to 400°F with a rack in the center position. See note.

  2. In a small bowl, combine the tomatoes, garlic, ¼ teaspoon salt, ¼ teaspoon pepper, 2 tablespoons olive oil, vinegar, lemon juice, and basil. Set aside to marinate for 20 minutes.

  3. Pat the chicken dry with a paper towel and rub all over with the remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil, remaining and 1 teaspoon salt. Place in a baking dish and bake until the internal temperature of the chicken reaches 165°F, about 20-25 minutes. Remove the chicken from the oven, place a slice of fresh mozzarella on each breast. Return to the oven until the cheese melts, 2-3 minutes more.

  4. Top the chicken with a dollop of pesto and a scoop of bruschetta. Serve immediately.


Note: Alternatively, preheat the grill over medium-high heat. Place the chicken on the grill and cook until the internal temperature of the chicken reaches 165°F, about 5-6 minutes each side. Place a slice of fresh mozzarella on each breast and cook another 4-5 minutes, or until the cheese melts. Top the chicken with a dollop of pesto and a scoop of bruschetta. Serve immediately.

Nutrition Info

  • Per Serving
  • Amount
  • Calories 528
  • Protein 31 g
  • Carbohydrates 9 g
  • Total Fat 46 g
  • Dietary Fiber 1 g
  • Cholesterol 46 mg
  • sodium 754 mg
  • Total Sugars 2 g

Pesto Chicken Bruschetta

Questions & Reviews

Join the discussion below.

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  • Joyce

    What to serve with this recipe

    an italian chopped salad, mashed potatoes or broccolini would all be great choices and of course a loaf of rustic crusty bread or garlic bread. Hope you enjoy Joyce!

  • Josephine

    can this dish be frozen

    Sure.

  • Robin

    OMG this has it all... I loved this recipe, and so did my husband!

    Thanks Robin, so happy you both enjoyed it!

  • Nathalie

    I have made this recipe several times now and it is such a wonderful summer meal as tomatoes and basil are in abundance! I had so much basil that I made numerous batches of pesto to freeze and love the convenience when I need a pop of flavor! On one occasion, I ran out of pine nuts for the pesto and used roasted cashews I had on hand! It was equally outrageous!!
    Thanks for all the wonderful recipes! I LOVE Modern Proper!

    Thank you so much Nathalie! We are so glad you love our recipes, including this one!

  • Wendy

    The recipe was delicious but it should be called Pesto Chicken Capresse not brushetta. Your brushetta is really a capresse salad. I did substitute white balsamic and used a balsamic glaze instead.

    Great Dinner

    Thanks Wendy, we are happy you enjoyed it!

  • John

    This was really good! Thank you! I changed a few things up. I pounded the chicken flat and grilled it. Since we were using pesto, I decided to cook 9 ounces of fresh fettuccine and add the extra pesto to that and use it as a base. I served 1/2 chicken breast per serving, along with the pesto pasta, and then the mozzarella and pesto dollop on top. Delicious!

    Thanks John! So happy you enjoyed it!

  • Mary

    Very delicious! I used chopped roma's, which was the only tomato I had on hand. I will definetly make this again - next time for a family gathering. Thank you for creating something so yummy!

    Thanks Mary, we are so happy you loved it!