Name: Chicken Bruschetta Salad, grilled
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 20 min
Total time: 30 min
Yield: 4 people
Ingredients: 4 cloves garlic, minced; 1/2 teaspoon onion powder; 2 cups diced tomatoes; 1/3 cup shredded fresh basil; 6 Tablespoons olive oil; 5 Tablespoons balsamic vinegar; 1/2 teaspoon salt; 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper; 1 1/2 lbs boneless skinless chicken breast, sliced into thin pieces; 7 ounces butter lettuce, or romaine lettuce, chopped; 1/2 red bell pepper, sliced (optional, you don't have to use this for the salad).; 1 cup shredded carrots

This chicken bruschetta salad is a satisfying lighter twist on the classic Italian appetizer. It’s got all the great flavor of bruschetta but in salad form with added protein on top.

If you love bruschetta, then you will love this salad! It tastes like bruschetta, with the satisfying flavors of tomatoes and garlic and basil, but it is in salad form. And there is the added bonus of grilled chicken on top, which adds satisfying protein.

If you love salads with grilled chicken on top, try our grilled chicken Greek salad or our kale cobb salad recipes. We also love adding canned chicken salad on top of salads as well.

Bruschetta with chicken recipe on a large serving plate.

What makes this recipe great

There is SO much bruschetta flavor. The chicken is cooked in it and the salad is covered in it. Delish!
This recipe is made with a handful of ingredients.
This recipe is high in protein. There’s 39 grams of protein per serving.
This recipe is naturally gluten-free, dairy-free, Paleo, and Whole30 complaint.

Recipe ingredients

Ingredients needed to make Chicken Bruschetta Salad.

Ingredients to make the dressing in this Chicken Bruschetta Salad.

Garlic– this gives the bruschetta a kick, which it is famous for.
Onion powder– we like using onion powder instead of onion because it is less harsh of a flavor. But you can use fresh onion if you like it.
Tomatoes– we like using medium to larger tomatoes here, but use any kind that you like.
Basil– fresh basil is a must here! It gives our favorite flavor.
Olive oil– use a good quality olive oil for this recipe.
Balsamic vinegar– again use a good quality balsamic vinegar.
Chicken– chicken breast is sliced and grilled to add as protein to this salad.
Lettuce– we like to use butter lettuce romaine lettuce for this recipe.
Red pepper– this adds a nice crunch to the recipe but isn’t necessary. Sometimes we make this salad with it, sometimes without it.
Carrots– shredded carrots add nice flavor to this salad.

See recipe card below for a full list of ingredients and measurements.

Step by step instructions

Step 1

Step 1: Prepare your tomatoes, garlic and basil for the bruschetta. Roll the basil up to prepare to cut it.

Step 2

Step 2: Slice the basil. It releases the flavor to cut it this way.

Step 3

Step 3: Mix the diced tomato, minced garlic, onion powder, sliced basil, olive oil, balsamic dressing, salt and pepper otgether.

Chicken cooking in a pan with bruschetta.

Step 4

Step 4: Slice the chicken and put it into a frying pan. Top with 1/2 cup of bruschetta and cook for 7-10 minutes.

Step 5

Step 5: Mix the salad, carrots, and red pepper together in a bowl. Top with the remaining bruschetta and mix. Add the chicken on top before serving.

Expert tips

Use a strong salad that won’t wilt easily with dressing. Butter lettuce and romaine work great.
We recommend using onion powder in this recipe instead of fresh onion. Fresh onion can make the bruschetta sharp on the palette.
If you want more of a classic bruschetta flavor, omit the red pepper. If you want more crunch, then add it.
This recipe would work with grilled salmon instead of chicken. Check out this grilled chicken tenders recipe by Cooked and Loved for another chicken option to put on top of this salad.

Bruschetta salad with grilled chicken on top.

Prep 10 minutesCook 20 minutesTotal 30 minutesMakes 4 people

Ingredients

4 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 teaspoon onion powder
2 cups diced tomatoes
1/3 cup shredded fresh basil
6 Tablespoons olive oil
5 Tablespoons balsamic vinegar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 1/2 lbs boneless skinless chicken breast, sliced into thin pieces
7 ounces butter lettuce, or romaine lettuce, chopped
1/2 red bell pepper, sliced (optional, you don't have to use this for the salad).
1 cup shredded carrots

Method

In a medium bowl, make the bruschetta mixture. Add the minced garlic, onion powder, diced tomatoes, shredded fresh basil, olive oil, balsamic vinegar, salt and pepper. Mix well with a fork.
Heat a frying pan at medium heat. Grease with olive oil. Put the sliced raw chicken into the pan and top with ½ cup of the bruschetta mixture. Cook for 7-10 minutes until the chicken is no longer pink and the liquid has mostly evaporated.
Add the lettuce, red pepper and shredded carrot to a large bowl. Add the bruschetta mixture and mix the salad all together. Then, top with the grilled chicken.

Notes

Use a strong salad that won’t wilt easily with dressing. Butter lettuce and romaine work great.
We recommend using onion powder in this recipe instead of fresh onion. Fresh onion can make the bruschetta sharp on the palette.
If you want more of a classic bruschetta flavor, omit the red pepper. If you want more crunch, then add it.