Caprese Chicken Bowl
Updated: Sep 4
Insalata Caprese—or tomato mozzarella salad—is a classic Italian dish that combines simple, fresh ingredients like ripe tomatoes, fresh mozzarella, basil, olive oil, and balsamic vinegar.
Because I love those flavors so much, I decided to turn a traditional Caprese salad into a complete meal by adding grilled chicken for protein, cucumber for a little crunch, and fresh arugula for extra leafy greens.
The result is an easy Caprese Chicken Bowl that's fresh, flavorful, and perfect for lunch.
It's also a great meal-prep option because you can make it the night before, refrigerate it, and take it to work the next day. Just keep the balsamic vinegar and arugula separate until you're ready to eat so everything stays fresh.
This recipe makes 2 servings.
Why I Love This Caprese Chicken Bowl
This is one of those recipes that proves lunch doesn't need to be complicated.
Using precooked grilled chicken saves a ton of time, while tomatoes, cucumber, mozzarella, basil, and arugula require almost no prep.
You still get plenty of flavor from the fresh basil, Italian seasonings, extra virgin olive oil, and balsamic vinegar without needing a complicated dressing.
It's also really easy to customize depending on your dietary needs.
Caprese Chicken Bowl
Ingredients:
8 oz. organic grilled chicken strips
½ cucumber, diced
1 large ripe tomato or 2 small tomatoes, chopped
16 small fresh mozzarella balls (omit for dairy-free)
⅛ teaspoon dried basil
⅛ teaspoon dried oregano
⅛ teaspoon onion powder
⅛ teaspoon garlic powder
Avocado oil spray
Handful of fresh basil, chopped
1 tablespoon olive oil, divided
4 tablespoons balsamic vinegar, divided
1 cup fresh arugula, divided
Sea salt, to taste
Black pepper, to taste
Directions:
Heat the chicken. Heat a frying pan over medium-high heat and lightly coat it with avocado oil spray.
Season the chicken. Add the precooked grilled chicken strips along with the dried basil, oregano, onion powder, and garlic powder.
Brown the chicken. Stir-fry for approximately 5 minutes, or until the chicken is heated through and slightly golden.
Cool the chicken. Remove it from the pan and allow it to cool to room temperature. If you're meal prepping, you can also place it in the refrigerator to chill.
Prepare the vegetables. Chop the tomatoes, cucumber, and fresh basil.
Assemble the bowls. Divide the tomatoes and cucumber evenly between two bowls. Add 6–8 mozzarella balls and equal amounts of the cooled chicken to each bowl.
Add the olive oil and seasonings. Drizzle each bowl with ½ tablespoon olive oil and top with fresh basil, Himalayan salt, and black pepper.
Finish before serving. When you're ready to eat, add ½ cup fresh arugula and 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar to each bowl.
Toss everything together and enjoy!
Make It Dairy-Free
Traditional Caprese gets much of its signature flavor from fresh mozzarella, but you can easily make this recipe dairy-free.
Simply leave out the mozzarella or substitute a dairy-free mozzarella that you enjoy.
You'll still get plenty of Italian flavor from the tomato, basil, balsamic vinegar, olive oil, and seasonings.
An Easy High-Protein Lunch
Each bowl starts with approximately 4 ounces of chicken, making this much more substantial than a traditional Caprese salad.
If you want even more protein, simply increase the amount of chicken based on your individual needs.
You could also make this recipe with leftover homemade grilled chicken instead of packaged chicken strips. It's a great way to use leftovers from dinner without feeling like you're eating the exact same meal again the next day.
Perfect for Meal Prep
This is a really easy recipe to make the night before work.
Prepare the chicken, tomato, cucumber, mozzarella, and basil and divide everything between two containers.
But here's the important part:
Wait to add the arugula and balsamic vinegar until you're ready to eat.
Otherwise, your greens can become soggy overnight.
You can portion the balsamic into a small container and add it right before lunch.
Make It Your Own
There are plenty of ways to change this bowl depending on what you have available.
Try adding:
Avocado
Red onion
Kalamata olives
Roasted red peppers
Artichoke hearts
Extra arugula
Pine nuts
You can also add a serving of quinoa or rice if you want more carbohydrates and a more substantial meal.
💡 Dr. Stephanie's Tip: Use the best tomatoes you can find.
Caprese is such a simple combination of ingredients that the quality really does make a difference. Ripe, in-season tomatoes and fresh basil completely change the flavor of this bowl.
And don't drown everything in dressing. A little good-quality olive oil and balsamic vinegar is really all you need.
Fresh, Simple & Perfect for Lunch
Healthy lunches don't have to involve hours of meal prep.
This easy Caprese Chicken Bowl combines grilled chicken, tomatoes, cucumber, fresh mozzarella, basil, arugula, olive oil, and balsamic vinegar for a fresh Italian-inspired meal you can put together in minutes.
Make both servings at once and tomorrow's lunch is already done!
Looking for more healthy recipes? You’ll find 93 of my favorite gluten-free and dairy-free recipes in my cookbook, with simple meals the whole family can enjoy.
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