Grilled Chicken with Tomato and Peach Salad

Once you start marinating chicken in Italian dressing you won’t go back. Seriously, this simple trick is an effortless way to impart loads of flavour into your chicken. I like using breast meat, but thighs or tenders also work. Served on a bed of grilled peach and heirloom tomato salad with ribbons of stracciatella cheese and fresh basil.

Equipment

Here’s everything you need to make grilled chicken with peach and tomato salad:

• cutting board
• serrated knife
• chef’s knife
• large bowl
• small bowl
• tongs

You can find the full ingredients list and instructions below!

Cooking Tips

1. Stracciatella is a fresh cow’s milk cheese that comes from Puglia, Italy. It’s made by mixing mozzarella curds with cream, and, fun fact, it’s actually what makes up the inside of burrata. If you can’t find stracciatella cheese, use burrata or fresh mozzarella instead.
2. As mentioned earlier, I like to use breasts for this recipe, but it’s important to cut them lengthwise in half for more even cooking. If you’re not into chicken breasts, thighs or tenders will also work well. But note that it will change the cook time on the grill. For the best results, use an instant-read thermometer and look for an internal temperature of 155-165°F, when inserted into the thickest part of meat.
3. Tomatoes are at their peak from July to mid-September, so if it’s available to you, look for fresh tomatoes from the farmers’ market. Good quality tomatoes will really make this dish shine. There’s literally nothing like a local, in-season tomato!

Grilled Chicken with Tomato and Peach Salad

5 from 1 vote

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Prep Time 15 minutes mins

Cook Time 15 minutes mins

Servings: 6

Ingredients Method Notes

Ingredients

  

• 4 chicken breasts about 800-1000g total
• 1 batch Italian dressing (linked below)
• 3 heirloom tomatoes
• 3 peaches
• 2 tbsp white wine vinegar
• 200 g stracciatella cheese
• 5-10 slices prosciutto
• 5-10 fresh basil leaves
• olive oil extra virgin
• salt (I'm using Diamond Crystal Kosher)
• fresh cracked black pepper

Method

 

1. Slice 4 chicken breasts lengthwise, creating two pieces per breast. Transfer to a large bowl and season with 1 batch Italian dressing and 2 tsp salt. Toss to coat and set aside for 15-30 minutes at room temperature, or up to 12 hours in the fridge.
2. Cut 3 peaches and 3 tomatoes into bite-sized wedges. Transfer tomato wedges to a medium bowl and cover with 2 tbsp white wine vinegar, 2 tbsp olive oil and 1 tsp salt. Toss to coat and set aside. Meanwhile, on the cutting board, drizzle the peach wedges in a bit of olive oil and a pinch of salt. Lightly toss to coat and set aside.
3. Heat a seasoned grill to 400°F. Once hot, add peaches and chicken. We want the peaches to retain their shape, so try not to over cook them. Look for light grill marks on each side, then place them back on the cutting board to cool while the chicken finishes. Cook the chicken for 5-8 minutes per side, or until an instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest part reads 160-165°F. Let rest on the cutting board with the peaches while you assemble the salad.
4. Add the cooled peaches to the tomatoes and their juices. Give it a nice toss, then assemble on a large serving platter starting with 200g stracciatella, followed by the tomatoes, peaches and all the juices. Top with prosciutto slices, fresh basil and grilled chicken.

Notes

To season your grill, lightly coat the grates in neutral oil using paper towel and tongs. 

Get my Italian Dressing recipe here.