Chicken Panzanella Salad with Mozzarella (Easy Dinner Recipe)
This Chicken panzanella Salad with Mozzarella is a fresh, hearty twist on the classic Italian bread salad—turned into a complete, family-friendly dinner. Juicy chicken, toasted bread, ripe tomatoes, and creamy mozzarella are tossed together with a simple dressing for a flavorful, satisfying meal.
Unlike traditional panzanella, which is typically served as a side, this version adds protein to make it filling enough for dinner. It comes together quickly with simple ingredients and can easily be adjusted for picky eaters by serving components separately or simplifying flavors. If you’re looking for a low-stress, no-fuss meal that still feels fresh and seasonal, this one checks all the boxes.
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If you love quick and delicious salads, be sure to check out this refresh Watermelon Chicken Salad with Arugula & Feta and our amazing Light and Simple Bow Tie Pasta Salads. Or for a heartier dish, try our Blackened Shrimp Caesar Salad.
🤔 What is a Panzanella Toscana?
Panzanella is a traditional Tuscan dish comprised of stale bread, olive oil and onions. In Italian the word ‘panzanella’ is a combo of the words for ‘bread’ and ‘deep dish.’ Looking at the history of panzanella, the salad was actually based around toast and garden veggies (namely onions) until the 20th century, when tomatoes were also incorporated.
A modern Panzanella Toscana salad typically has these as a base: bread, olive oil, onion & tomato. And then you could add some cucumber, fruit, cheese (mozzarella, feta or parmesan), capers, basil, parsley, roasted peppers, olives, sturdy greens, vinegar, etc. I feel like we live in more culinarily irreverent times. So, it seems like you can make this salad whatever you want, as long as it still has the delicious croutons!
Why We Love this Recipe
- Easy and fast! Our chicken panzanella salad follows our 28-minute approach and is very simple.
- Customizable– Panzanella salad has some basic key components, but you can make it whatever you want. We added chicken to the salad to satisfy heartier appetites, as a stand-alone dish for dinner.
- Veggies galore! This dish is loaded with fresh veggies and the juicy tomatoes give the salad a huge pop of flavor that we can’t get enough of!
🛒 Ingredients
Notes on key ingredients are provided below. Please see the recipe card below for a full list of ingredients and quantities.
For the chicken:
- Boneless, skinless chicken thighs
- Salt
- Italian seasoning
- Lemon zest
- Garlic-minced or zested
For the chicken panzanella salad:
- Loaf of rustic bread- just not sourdough, since the flavor of sourdough doesn’t really work for this salad
- Olive oil
- Lemon juice
- Heirloom tomatoes- cut into thick slices
- Red onion- thinly sliced
- Cucumber- peeled & chopped
- Fresh basil- cut into strips
- Mozzarella balls- ciliegine
- Balsamic vinegar
🍞 Stale or Toasted Bread?
Traditional Panzanella Toscana calls for stale bread for the salad croutons. Stale bread is thought to absorb juices better than fresh bread, without falling apart. This works well if you plan ahead of time and let your bread get stale.
For this chicken panzanella salad , we operate under the assumption that you haven’t planned ahead of time and are working with fresh bread. So, our instructions are to put cubed fresh bread in the oven for a bit. Same effect.
👩🍳 Instructions
Step 1: Toss chicken in seasoning.
Step 2: Prepare and bake bread.
Step 3: Grill chicken and cut into strips.
Step 4: Assemble/plate the salad individually and drizzle 2 t of the oil-vinegar mix atop.
✔️ Expert Tips and Tricks
- Get a good olive oil. If you can splurge a bit on any one ingredient, choose a great olive oil. The combo of the bread and olive oil is really the star of a panzanella. Moreover, I would go with extra virgin olive oil, either Italian or Spanish, stored in a dark glass bottle.
- Don’t over-bake the bread. You want it soft on the inside but a little crunchy on the outside.
- Be sure to check the temp of the chicken with a reliable meat thermometer. Chicken is fully cooked at 165°F.
- Make this Panzanella Toscana salad dairy-free and vegetarian by simply eliminating the cheese. The salad is super flavorful without the cheese…and healthier. Lol.
- Make this salad vegan by taking out the mozzarella and chicken. You’ll be left with a delicious and more proper Chicken panzanella salad! I don’t think you even need any replacements for these ingredients because the flavor is so solid already.
🧊 Storage
This dish is best served immediately, otherwise the croutons may become soggy as they soak of the salad’s juices. Store Panzanella Toscana salad in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 24 hours.
❓ FAQ
You can add almost anything to your panzanella. Here are some popular ingredients: bread, olive oil, onion, tomato, cucumber, fruit, cheese (mozzarella, feta or parmesan), capers, basil, parsley, roasted peppers, olives, sturdy greens, vinegar, etc.
You can use dried basil but we don’t recommend it. Fresh basil will make your salad much more flavorful.
While we opt to add grilled chicken to our Panzanella Toscana, you can easily pair this salad with any grilled meat, like steak, shrimp or salmon.
To keep panzanella from getting soggy, make sure to toast the bread well so it holds its texture. If prepping ahead, store the components separately and wait to add the dressing until just before serving. Once mixed, enjoy the salad soon after, as the bread will continue to absorb moisture over time.
Tips for Picky Eaters
- Separate the parts! Some kids find meals more palatable when the ingredients are separated out. Food isn’t as scary when you can identify it. While I don’t want to encourage this, if it gets your kids to eat, do whatcha gotta do.
- Set aside the onions
- Go easy with the croutons! My kids ate the bread before it was cut up, after I flavored it, and when it came out of the oven. They couldn’t stop! lol. Just monitor their bread intake.
Looking for more tips? Find what works for your kids with our Picky Eater Dinner Planner.
Craft For This Recipe
Paint Toast!
Need a craft to keep kids busy while you cook? We’ve got you! Use extra bread to make this adorable Painted Toast Craft! With this craft, you turn leftover bread into a bright and colorful snack.
Learn why we use crafts during dinner prep.
Want more easy ideas to keep kids busy nearby? Browse our full list of dinner-time activities.
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Chicken Panzanella Salad with Mozzarella (Easy Dinner Recipe)
Ingredients
- 2 Tablespoons salt (divided)
- 1 Tablespoon Italian seasoning
- 1 small lemon, zested & juiced
- 1 clove garlic, minced or zested
- 1 1/2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken thighs
- 1 loaf of any rustic bread (but not sourdough)
- 1/4 cup olive oil (divided)
- cooking spray
- 3 heirloom tomatoes, cut into thick slices
- 1/2 red onion, thinly sliced
- 1 cucumber, peeled & chopped
- 1 cup fresh basil, cut into strips
- 6 ounces mozzarella balls, ciliegine
- 3 Tablespoons balsamic vinegar
Instructions
- Set oven to 400 degrees.
- In a small bowl, combine 1 1/2 t of the salt, Italian seasoning, lemon zest and garlic. Place chicken in medium bowl and sprinkle mixture on top. Toss and set aside.
- Cut loaf into 1" cubes (makes ~ 3 cups of bread cubes). Put cubes in a large bowl. Drizzle lemon juice, 1/2 of the olive oil, and 1/2 t of the salt over bread. Mix together with your hands, kind of sponging it together. Place bread cubes on a baking sheet and bake for 12 minutes, max. Bread should be toasted but not dried through.
- Meanwhile, coat a grill pan with cooking spray, using a basting brush to spread it, and heat on medium. Once hot, lay chicken on pan and cook for 10 minutes, flipping over several times. Remove chicken from heat, and once cooled, cut into strips.
- Plate the salad individually: 2-4 tomato slices, topped with a few slices of red onion, some cucumber, strips of chicken, basil, croutons, and mozzarella. Mix together the balsamic vinegar and the other 1/2 of the olive oil. Drizzle roughly 2 t of that mix over each plate (4 plates total).
Video
Notes
-
- Plate the salad individually: 2-4 tomato slices, topped with a few slices of red onion, some cucumber, strips of basil, croutons, and mozzarella. Drizzle 2 t of the oil-vinegar mix atop.
- Get a good olive oil. If you can splurge a bit on any one ingredient, choose a great olive oil. The combo of the bread and olive oil is really the star of a panzanella. Moreover, I would go with extra virgin olive oil, either Italian or Spanish, stored in a dark glass bottle.
-
- Don’t over-bake the bread. You want it soft on the inside but a little crunchy on the outside.
-
- Be sure to check the temp of the chicken with a reliable meat thermometer. Chicken is fully cooked at 165°F.
-
- Make this salad dairy-free and vegetarian by simply eliminating the cheese. The salad is super flavorful without the cheese…and healthier. Lol.
-
- Make this salad vegan by taking out the mozzarella and chicken. You’ll be left with a delicious and more proper Panzanella salad! I don’t think you even need any replacements for these ingredients because the flavor is so solid already.
Nutrition
The nutrition facts provided are calculated using a third-party tool and are estimates only. Actual nutritional content may vary based on the ingredients and brands you use, as well as portion sizes. For accurate results, please consult a registered dietitian or nutritionist.
Categories:
28 Minute Recipes, Chicken Recipes, Main Dishes, Meaty Recipes, Salad Recipes, Spring Recipes, Summer Recipes,
