Grilled Chicken Cutlets with a Cherry Tomato Panzanella is a super easy and perfect weeknight meal. Bright and cheery with a sweet cherry tomato panzanella on top, this recipe is pure summer.
If you love easy Italian summer meals, you'll also want to try my Panzanella Tuscan Tomato and Bread Salad and my Easy Grilled Chicken Salad.
This article contains affiliate links which support us at no extra cost to you.
Jump To
- Why You'll Love This Grilled Chicken Recipe
- Ingredients for Grilled Chicken Cutlets with Panzanella
- How Long to Grill Chicken Cutlets
- Is this recipe Whole30 compliant?
- Variations and Substitutions
- Frequently Asked Questions
- Some other chicken recipes to try:
- Chicken Panzanella Salad with Grilled Chicken Cutlets
Grilled chicken cutlets with cherry tomato panzanella is one of those weeknight dinners that looks like you put in serious effort but takes almost no time at all. The chicken is seasoned simply and grilled until perfectly tender, then topped with a bright, herby panzanella loaded with sweet cherry tomatoes, cucumber, red onion, and torn bread that soaks up all the juices. Pure summer on a plate.
This is the kind of recipe my mom and I put together one August afternoon when we had more tomatoes than we knew what to do with. My father - who grew tomatoes and every kind of vegetable in Sicily - would have loved it.
My father and his family were tomato producers (and every fruit and vegetable!) in Sicily, and he was truly a magician with growing everything! Even though they say that in this part of Florida it is very hard to grow veggies, he grew tomatoes and so much more!
Why You'll Love This Grilled Chicken Recipe
- Fast and weeknight-friendly. The chicken grills in under 10 minutes and the panzanella comes together while it rests.
- Big Italian summer flavor. Cherry tomatoes, fresh basil, red wine vinegar and good olive oil - it tastes like eating al fresco in Italy.
- One recipe, multiple uses. The panzanella is incredible on its own, over grilled salmon, or with shrimp. Make extra and use it all week.
- Naturally light and healthy. No heavy sauces, no cream - just fresh ingredients doing all the work.
- Whole30 and Paleo friendly. Skip the bread in the panzanella and it fits right in.
Ingredients for Grilled Chicken Cutlets with Panzanella
For the panzanella
- artisan bread (or baguette)
- cherry tomatoes
- cucumber
- red onion thinly sliced
- extra-virgin olive oil
- red wine vinegar
- sea salt
- freshly ground pepper
- fresh basil
For the chicken
- boneless skinless chicken breasts
- Salt and pepper to taste
- Dried oregano
- Cooking spray or oil
- extra-virgin olive oil
My Sicilian father is often talked about here. Even though he has passed away, he is often influencing my recipes. This is a dish he would just love! Mom was over when we were thinking about what to do with chicken breasts I had just bought.
I was already making panzanella and I remembered coming across an older issue of Bon Appetit where the chicken is seared with the skin on and a panzanella is served on top.
These were not chicken breasts with skin on. We also grilled the chicken instead of searing in the pan. We have a really nice grill pan that is so easy to clean up. It only took a few minutes on each side. We have been making this panzanella recipe all summer long! It's so great with different grilled meats or tofu.
How Long to Grill Chicken Cutlets
For a 4-ounce chicken cutlet, grill 4 to 5 minutes per side over medium-high heat. You're looking for an internal temperature of 165°F. Let the chicken rest a few minutes off the grill before topping with the panzanella - the temperature continues to rise as it rests and the juices redistribute, which keeps it tender.
If your chicken breasts are on the thicker side, slice them in half horizontally before grilling to get an even, quick cook.
Depending on size of the chicken breast and if it has bone, it could take longer.
Is this recipe Whole30 compliant?
If you serve the chicken without the panzanella, yes, it is Whole30 compliant, Paleo and keto friendly. It is also dairy-free + sugar-free. Serve it with a nice big salad or grilled veggies to stay Whole30 compliant.
Variations and Substitutions
This recipe is very flexible. Here are a few ways to switch it up:
- Protein: Swap the chicken for grilled shrimp, salmon, or steak - the panzanella works beautifully with all of them.
- Going Whole30 or Paleo? Skip the bread in the panzanella entirely and serve the chicken over greens - romaine, spinach, or kale all work well.
- More vegetables: Add grilled zucchini, peppers, or easy marinated mushrooms alongside or in place of the panzanella.
- Dairy-free, sugar-free, keto: This recipe is naturally all three - no adjustments needed on the chicken side.
Frequently Asked Questions
4 to 5 minutes per side for a 4-ounce cutlet over medium-high heat, until the internal temperature reaches 165°F.
Day-old artisan bread or a baguette - sturdy enough to soak up the tomato juices without falling apart. Avoid soft sandwich bread.
Prep the tomatoes, cucumber, and onion a few hours ahead, but hold off on adding the bread until just before serving so it doesn't get too soggy.
Yes - a cast iron grill pan works perfectly. Get it hot before adding the chicken and don't move it around too much so you get those nice grill marks.
The chicken on its own is Whole30, Paleo, and keto friendly. To keep the panzanella compliant, skip the bread and serve over greens instead.
Some other chicken recipes to try:
This post contains affiliate saleslinks.
Just a quick request: if you enjoyed this Grilled Chicken Cutlets with a Cherry Tomato Panzanella as much as we did, would you kindly leave me a 5-star rating and a short (or long!)comment-the ratings are what helps get my recipes and hard work discovered, so I can keep leaving you more delish recipes!
Your comments mean the world to me….and I really SMILE when I read them. Thank you so much! XX
Originally posted August 2019 and republished April 2026
Chicken Panzanella Salad with Grilled Chicken Cutlets
Ingredients
- PANZANELLA
- 3 cups artisan bread or baguette cut into 1-inch chunks
- 1 pound cherry tomatoes
- ½ large English cucumber
- ½ medium red onion thinly sliced
- ½ cup extra-virgin olive oil
- ¼ cup red wine vinegar
- ½ teaspoon salt
- Pepper to taste
- ½ cup thinly sliced basil
- CHICKEN
- 6 Raw boneless skinless chicken breasts mine were around 7.5 ounces each
- Salt and pepper to taste
- Dried oregano - about ⅛ teaspoon per chicken breast
- Cooking spray or oil of your choice high smoke point oil like avocado, coconut or even canola is best
- extra-virgin olive oil
Instructions
- PANZANELLA
- Slice or tear the bread into large cubes (about 1-inch). Place them on a baking sheet and leave them out to harden overnight (if the bread is not old).
- You could bake the bread in a 300 F oven until the crust is a little hardened but the inside is still soft. Made sure to move the bread around during the baking a couple of times.
- Place the bread chunks into a small bowl. Add some lukewarm water on top of the bread chunks to let it soak in and soften the bread a little while you prep the vegetables and dressing. (It could take about ½ cup water).
- Cut the cherry tomatoes in half and cucumber into bite-sized pieces.Thinly slice the red onions.
- In a small bowl, combine the olive oil, red wine vinegar, salt, and a few grinds of fresh pepper; whisk together.
- In a large bowl combine bread and chopped vegetables. Pour on the vinaigrette and gently stir together to combine all the flavors.
- Let the salad sit at least half an hour before serving, or up to 4 hours. Next step is to grill the chicken cutlets.
- Next step is to grill the chicken cutlets.
- CHICKEN
- Place a chicken breast between two layers of plastic wrap. Using a meat mallet, flatten the thigh to ¼" thickness. Repeat with remaining chicken thighs.
- Season both sides of chicken with salt and pepper.
- In a large stove top grill pan, spray with cooking spray (I used avocado oil spraon medium-high until shimmering.
- Working in batches to avoid crowding, add chicken to the pan. Cover and cook for 2 to 3 minutes, allowing the one side to cook without turning and to get grill marks.
- Flip chicken and cook the second side for about 2-3 minutes. It shouldn't take more than 6 minutes to cook and if you cut into the chicken, there should be no pink in the middle. Be sure not to overcook the chicken.
- Place each chicken breast on a plate, drizzle on a little extra-virgin olive oil on each piece and sprinkle on a little dried oregano. Top generously with panzanella and fresh parsley leaves. Serve immediately.
Nutrition Disclaimer
Please keep in mind that the nutritional information presented below is an approximation and may vary depending on the exact ingredients used.
Just made these grilled chicken cutlets with cherry tomato panzanella—super fresh and so satisfying! Perfect for a light summer dinner.
The flavor combo is amazing! The recipe turned out delicious and perfect for summer
This meal is so delicious! Such a perfect summer recipe.
Thank you! Happy you enjoyed the recipe!
Such a delicious meal! The perfect summer dinner recipe.
Super fresh and summery—loved how the juicy tomatoes and crunchy bread paired with the grilled chicken. Definitely keeping this in rotation while tomatoes are still in season.
Grilled chicken cutlets looks delicious I have made it for our family they asked me to make it again.
Hi Swathi-Happy your family enjoyed the chicken cutlets!
This grilled chicken with panzanella was incredible!!! So many flavors going on at one time, but they all worked perfectly together, loved it!
Really liked this grilled chicken and was pleased with the panzanella. I wasn't sure if I would make that part of recipe, and am happy I did!
Hi Patti-Happy you enjoyed this chicken cutlet recipe! Yes, the panzanella is absolutely worth trying!