Italian Grilled Chicken with Salsa Verde Recipe
Grilled Chicken with Italian Salsa Verde (an Italian herby caper sauce) - a simple easy weeknight meal perfect for supper on the patio!
How to Make the Best Italian Grilled Chicken with Salsa Verde
This Italian Grilled Chicken with Salsa Verde is the perfect weeknight dinner that feels special enough for company. The star of the dish is the vibrant Italian salsa verde—a bright, herbaceous sauce packed with fresh parsley, briny capers, garlic, and a hint of lemon. It transforms simple grilled chicken into something truly memorable.
The key to perfectly grilled chicken with crispy skin is patience and low heat. By cooking the chicken slowly over medium-low heat, the fat renders gradually, creating wonderfully crisp skin without the flare-ups that come from high heat grilling. The result is juicy, flavorful chicken with a satisfying crunch.
Paired with a simple heirloom tomato salad dressed in olive oil and balsamic vinegar, this meal celebrates the beauty of fresh, quality ingredients prepared simply. It’s an ideal summer dinner for enjoying on the patio with a glass of crisp white wine.
Italian Grilled Chicken with Salsa Verde
Grilled Chicken with Italian Salsa Verde (an Italian herby caper sauce) - a simple easy weeknight meal perfect for supper on the patio!
Ingredients
Grilled Chicken
Italian Salsa Verde
Tomato Salad
Instructions
Grilled Chicken
- Preheat grill to medium-low heat.
- Pat dry the chicken and season generously with salt and pepper on all sides.
- Grill the chicken, skin side down, letting the skin slowly cook and get crisp. If the grill is too hot, the fat will melt, drip and flare up, so low heat is best here, rotating as necessary.
- Grill until good grill marks appear and skin is crisp, then turn chicken over and grill for a few minutes, until cooked through. 160°F for breasts and 170°F for thighs.
Italian Salsa Verde
- While chicken is grilling, make the Italian Salsa Verde. Place all the ingredients except the oil and capers in a food processor and pulse repeatedly, about 15 times, until finely chopped.
- Stream in the oil and pulse a few times more. Place in a bowl and stir in the capers. Set aside.
Tomato Salad & Serving
- To make the tomato salad, slice assorted ripe, room-temperature tomatoes and place on a platter. Drizzle with good olive oil, balsamic vinegar, salt and pepper. Scatter with fresh herbs for color.
- Divide chicken and tomato salad among plates, spoon a little salsa verde over the top. Enjoy!
Notes
- Feel free to substitute part of the parsley with fresh basil for a different flavor profile.
- Low heat is essential for crispy skin—high heat will cause flare-ups from the melting fat.
- The salsa verde can be made ahead and stored in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
