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These Grilled Caprese Pesto Chicken Skewers are a summertime go-to. Chicken plus sweet in-season cherry tomatoes tossed up with basil pesto. Thread the chicken and tomatoes onto skewers and grill until the tomatoes get a nice little char. Serve each chicken skewer over creamy burrata cheese with a simple honey balsamic vinaigrette. Easy to toss together, extra colorful, super flavorful, and always a family favorite. Serve this up any night of the week all summer long, it never disappoints.
With the 4th of July approaching so quickly I’ve decided the days leading up to this fun summer holiday will be all about simple summer recipes. I will not lie, sometimes I struggle with 4th of July recipes. But this summer, I’m so excited for each and every one.
Starting with today’s chicken. This is so basic, so easy, and very straightforward, but the flavors just work so well together. Can you ever really go wrong with tomatoes, basil, and mozzarella?
Not in the summertime. The combination always wins and it’s these simple recipes that we end up loving and using the most.
The details
Start with the honey balsamic vinaigrette. A mix of basil pesto, balsamic, honey, and lemon with a few chili flakes for heat.
If you have added time, make your own basil pesto with fresh basil. It’s a game-changer and I always keep a jar in my fridge during the summer. I love to use it to flavor dishes throughout the week. It makes weeknight cooking fast and easy, and of course, delicious.
Toss the chicken with a bit of that vinaigrette. Then simply thread the cubed pieces of chicken onto skewers with the sweet cherry tomatoes.
Throw the skewers on the grill and really allow those tomatoes to get a nice char while the chicken cooks. When you pull everything off the grill, the tomatoes should be bursting. They’ll be perfectly cooked, sweet, juicy, and so delicious that they taste almost like candy.
Totally addicting.
Finish it up
To finish, I love to toss a handful of small mozzarella balls with the vinaigrette, then arrange the burrata and mozzarella on a nice big platter. I put the chicken over the cheese and spoon the vinaigrette over everything. Lots of fresh basil goes on top. Then last but not least, a drizzle of olive oil and balsamic vinegar, and some seasoning with flaked salt, black pepper, and chili flakes.
Grilled-up ciabatta bread is a must for enjoying alongside. It’s great for scooping everything up.
This is truly one of those simple dinners you’ll be excited to serve throughout the season. It’s full of color, flavor, in-season produce, and the creamy burrata really does seal the deal. I’m already seeing this on our vacation 4th of July menu!
Looking for other great grilled chicken recipes? Here are some favorites:
Grilled Chicken Shawarma with Golden Butter Fries and Garlic Sauce
Pesto Chicken, Corn, and Avocado Bacon Pasta Salad
Lemon Chicken Skewers with Creamy Feta Sauce
Lebanese Chicken with Charred Lemon Cauliflower
Grilled Lemon Herb Chicken Avocado Orzo Saladg
Lastly, if you make Grilled Caprese Pesto Chicken Skewers, be sure to leave a comment and/or give this recipe a rating! Above all, I love to hear from you guys and always do my best to respond to each and every comment. And of course, if you do make this recipe, don’t forget to tag me on Instagram! Looking through the photos of recipes you all have made is my favorite!
Grilled Caprese Pesto Chicken Skewers
Servings: 6
Calories Per Serving: 611 kcal
Nutritional information is only an estimate. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 2/3 cup basil pesto
- 1/3 cup balsamic vinegar
- 3 tablespoons honey
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice
- kosher salt, black pepper, and chili flakes
- 2 pounds boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into bite-size chunks
- 2 cups cherry tomatoes
- 1/2 cup mozzarella balls (use marinated, if you can find)
- 8 ounces burrata cheese, at room temperature
- 2 cups fresh basil leaves
Instructions
- 1. To make the vinaigrette. In a glass jar, combine the pesto, balsamic vinegar, honey, and lemon. Season with chili flakes, salt, and pepper. 2. In a bowl, toss the chicken with half of the vinaigrette and 1 tablespoon olive oil. In a separate bowl toss the tomatoes with 1 tablespoon olive oil, salt, and pepper.3. Set your grill, grill pan, or skillet to medium-high heat. Take skewers and thread the chicken with the tomatoes. If you have additional tomatoes, thread them on additional skewers and grill them up with the chicken. 4. Grill the skewers until lightly charred and cooked through, turning them occasionally throughout cooking, about 10 to 12 minutes total. 5. To serve, toss the mozzarella balls with a couple tablespoons of the vinaigrette. Arrange the mozzarella and burrata on a serving plate. Place the skewers over the cheese. Spoon the remaining vinaigrette over everything. I usually add additional olive oil + balsamic too. Top with basil. Enjoy!
This came out perfect and was so delicious! Made this for a friends dinner and they were blown away! Will definitely make this again!! Love your recipes Tieghan!!
Hey Carla,
Happy Sunday!! Thanks for sharing your feedback and making this recipe, I am so glad it was a hit! Happy 4th of July!??
This recipe is a complete 10/10!! I served the skewers over a bed of fresh spinach and marinated the chicken in the dressing for a few hours before cooking. As always Tieghan killed it.
Hi Amanda,
Happy Sunday!! Thanks for sharing your feedback and making this recipe, I am so glad it was a hit! Happy 4th of July!??
Easy and excellent!
Hey Kathy,
Happy Wednesday!! Thanks a bunch for making this recipe, I love to hear that it was enjoyed!!? xTieghan
Hi there! How many skewers does this recipe yield? I am hosting 12 people for a potluck this Friday for Canada Day and plan on making these. Should I double the recipe? Thanks!
Hey Nina,
This recipe makes 6 skewers, so yes I would definitely double the recipe. I hope you love it, let me know if you have any other questions!! xx
Hello! I love all of your recipes:) Just curious how long you marinate the chicken ahead of time? Wasn’t sure if I could just toss and grill or let it sit for a while. I’m making it tonight.
Hi Angie,
You could let this marinate for a few hours if you wanted to. Let me know how the recipe turns out, I hope you love it!! xx
I just made this tonight. I love it! I have made many of your recipes and enjoyed the all, but this one made me write. This was my first time using berata cheese and it is sooooo good (worth the price). Thank you so much.
Hey Allan,
Happy Friday!! Thanks a bunch for trying this recipe and sharing your review. I love that it was enjoyed!! Happy 4th of July weekend!??
Made this last night for dinner. I did not cut up the chicken, I actually grilled the whole chicken breasts on the grill and it worked out perfectly. The pesto vinaigrette was amazing – I doubled the vinaigrette and will be using it tonight with shrimp. Thank you for a fabulous recipe!
Hey there,
Awesome!! Thanks so much for your review and what worked well for you:) Love to hear that this recipe was enjoyed, thanks for giving it a try! xx
Made this tonight for dinner. Will definitely make again!
Hi Pam,
Happy Monday!! I love to hear that this recipe was enjoyed, thanks so much for giving it a go! xxT
Do you have a good homemade pesto recipe? I’ve tried making it before, but it didn’t turn out well. But my basil is going crazy this year, so I’d love to make some homemade pesto for this recipe! Thank you!
Hey Susan,
Sure do, here is one that you might like:
https://www.halfbakedharvest.com/antipasto-mozzarella-sandwich-with-lemony-basil-pesto/
Please let me know if you have any other questions! xTieghan
This was so good, and quick to put together. I used jarred pesto, but next time I’ll try making it from scratch. The leftover marinade was perfect on some mozzarella pearls I had on hand. Paired it with Ohio City Basil Pappardelle. Will definitely make this again.
Hi Diane,
Happy Monday!! I love to hear that this recipe was enjoyed, thanks so much for giving it a go! xxT
Hello from Cleveland! This was terrific. (as were all of your recipes I have tried) I made it exactly EXCEPT I did not use the burrata. It was delicious and beautiful. The tomatoes roasted perfectly on the grill and were excellent with the marinated mozz balls (from Trader Joe’s) Everyone at my dinner party loved it!
Would you consider a lesson on burrata? It’s watery inside. I had it at a restaurant and it looked like they whisked it together so it was all the same consistency.
Hi Marilou,
Happy Monday!! I love to hear that this recipe was enjoyed, thanks so much for giving it a go! I could try to do something like that, burrata is definitely moist on the inside. xxT
Seriously?! OMG! So good! Made this tonight. Only change was that I didn’t grill the tomatoes. Just marinated them in the vinaigrette and added sliced some Persian cucumbers. Absolutely delicious. My hubby has loved everything I’ve made so far this week. Chix pesto wrap, Tuna poke bowl, Southern Spicy shrimp orzo. Next up – trying the drunken noodles and the chix skillet fajita.
Hey Barbara,
Happy Sunday!! I love to hear that this recipe was a winner, thanks a lot for trying it out and sharing your review! Let me know how the other recipes turn out! xxT
Made this last night. It was delicious. Just grilled chicken breasts instead of doing them as skewers, and then had the tomatoes with mozzarella and burrata on the side. Loved the pesto vinaigrette!
Hey Amanda,
Awesome!! Thanks a bunch for giving this recipe a try and sharing your feedback! Love to hear that it was enjoyed! Have the best weekend:)
I made this with homemade pesto and it was delicious and the family liked it. I did not make this as skewers and cooked the chicken in a frying pan on the stove. This was so good and will be on repeat as a nice lighter meal this summer! Thanks!
Hi there,
Happy Friday!! I am thrilled that this recipe was a hit, thanks a bunch for trying it out! ☀️xxT
When grilling skewers I typically thread meat and veg separately because they cook up differently. Vegetables require far less time to grill than meat. Have you found this to be a problem with this recipe?
Hi Rosemarie,
I found that the chicken and the tomatoes cook well together, but you can totally keep them separate if that is your preference:) I hope this recipe turns out amazing for you! xTieghan
Could you provide your recipe for homemade pesto? My basil plants are doing very well!
I agree, I would like the pesto recipe as well!! Lots of fresh basil in my garden.
Hey Andria,
Here is the pesto recipe that I like to use:
https://www.halfbakedharvest.com/antipasto-mozzarella-sandwich-with-lemony-basil-pesto/
I hope it turns out amazing for you! xTieghan
Hey Karen,
Here is a great pesto recipe that I love:
https://www.halfbakedharvest.com/antipasto-mozzarella-sandwich-with-lemony-basil-pesto/
Please let me know if you have any other questions! xTieghan