Marinated Grilled Chicken and Veggies with Burrata

Anti-inflammatory, protein-packed, and beautiful enough for guests. This is the recipe that lives on repeat in my kitchen from June through September.

If there's one recipe that earns a permanent spot in your summer rotation, this is it. Marinated grilled chicken and veggies with burrata checks every box I care about these days: high in lean protein, loaded with colourful vegetables, deeply flavourful, and flexible enough to go from a Tuesday night family dinner to a dinner party centerpiece without changing a single thing.

I made this recently when we had friends over, and honestly? It felt effortless….which is exactly what I need. Because if you're anything like me, you're not looking for "more." You're looking for better with less.

Why I Eat Like This (And Why It Matters at This Stage of Life)

I'm not going to pretend this is just a food blog anymore. You know me - the way I eat is directly connected to how I feel, and in perimenopause and menopause, that connection becomes impossible to ignore.

Here's what I've learned, both from research and from experimenting on my own body: when estrogen declines, baseline cortisol rises. That means inflammation gets easier to trigger and harder to calm. The foods I eat either fan that fire or help put it out. It's really that simple.

So I've built my plate around a few non-negotiables:

Plenty of lean protein. Not a little. Not "some." Enough to protect muscle mass, support stable blood sugar, and keep me full without spiking my cortisol. In this recipe, that's the chicken.

As many vegetables as possible. Colourful, varied, loaded with fibre and antioxidants. Zucchini, peppers, red onion, cherry tomatoes - whatever you’ve got works great here.

Anti-inflammatory fats and flavours. The marinade in this recipe is doing more than adding flavour. Olive oil, garlic, lemon, lime, fresh herbs- these are ingredients with real anti-inflammatory properties that taste like summer.

The 80/20 rule. Which is why burrata is on this plate. Because gorgeous, creamy burrata on top of grilled vegetables is one of life's great pleasures, and feeling good doesn't have to mean eating joylessly. Dairy is not an ally for everyone in this season, if you're dealing with inflammation, skin flares, or digestive sensitivity, skip it. But if you're at a dinner party and burrata is on the table? Live your life.

What Makes This the Perfect Make-Ahead Summer Meal

This is a recipe I reach for when I want to feel ahead of dinner instead of scrambling at 6pm.

The chicken marinates overnight (or up to 24 hours), which means the actual cooking is fast. The vegetables grill in minutes. Everything comes together on one platter, and it looks like you put in far more effort than you did.

A few things that make it genuinely weeknight-friendly:

• Marinate in the morning or the night before. The longer it sits, the better it tastes.

• Grill the chicken and veggies at the same time. One grill, one window, done.

• Scales up easily. Double the marinade, double the chicken, feed twelve. No stress. You’re going to want extra of that delicious green sauce.

• PS: This marinade works on everything. Salmon. Shrimp. Portobello mushrooms if you're cooking for someone plant-based. File it.

A note on protein in peri/menopause:

If you've been following me for a while, you know I talk about protein constantly — and this is why. In the research on women's health in midlife, one of the most consistent findings is that we tend to undereat protein, especially as our needs actually increase with age and hormonal change.

Muscle mass declines faster in the perimenopause transition. Protein is one of the most effective tools we have to slow that process. It also supports stable blood sugar, which helps manage cortisol, which helps manage... basically everything else we're dealing with.

Aiming for around 30 grams of protein per meal is a target I use for myself and with the women I work with. A good serving of grilled chicken lands right in that range, which is part of why this recipe works so well as a regular in your rotation.

You don't have to choose between food that supports your body and food that tastes incredible and looks beautiful on a platter. That's the whole point of the way I cook.

Marinated Grilled Chicken and Veggies with Burrata

Ingredients:

For the marinade:

• 1 cup packed cilantro.

• 1 cup packed parsley

• 1 lemon, juiced

• 1 lime, juiced

• 3 garlic cloves

• 1/3 cup olive oil

• 1 tsp salt

For the chicken and veggies:

• 2 ½- 3 lbs chicken, combination of breasts and thighs is fine

• 1 large zucchini, sliced lengthwise into 1/4” planks

• 2 bell peppers, cored and sliced into 1” slices

• 1 red onion, sliced into 1/8”

  To Serve:

• Sourdough or crusty bread

• 4 oz burrata

• reserved green sauce

  Directions:

1. Start by making the green sauce. In a blender, combine: 1 cup cilantro, 1 cup parsley, 4 scallions, 2 garlic cloves, 1/3 cup olive oil, juice of 1 lime, juice of 1 lemon, and 1/2 teaspoon salt and blend until smooth

2. Into a large ziplock bag, place the chicken breasts, chicken thighs, 1 zucchini, red bell pepper, onion into a large bowl or gallon Ziploc bag and cover with half of the green sauce. Add 1 teaspoon salt. Reserve the second half of the sauce for serving.

3. Cover and refrigerate for up to 24 hours (flip the bag occasionally), or marinate at room temperature for 15 minutes, flipping once or twice.

4. Preheat the grill to medium-high heat (450°F).

5. Grill the chicken thighs and peppers for 5 minutes per side, breasts for 4 minutes per side, and squash and zucchini for 3 to 4 minutes per side, or until charred and tender. Check the internal temperature of the chicken, it’s finished when 160°F internally (it will continue cooking once off the grill to reach 165°F). Transfer everything to a large platter as it finishes.

6. Brush the bread slices with olive oil and grill until toasty and charred in spots, 1 to 2 minutes per side. Transfer to the platter as they finish.

7. Garnish the chicken and vegetable platter with 4 ounces burrata, torn into 2 or 3 pieces and 2 cups arugula, tucked under and around the chicken and veggies, and drizzle it all with the reserved green sauce. Sprinkle salt and pepper over everything. Serve the remaining green sauce in a bowl on the side, along with the grilled bread. Enjoy hot or at room temperature.

   📌 Pin this recipe for later. You’ll want to make it again!

---

If this recipe is the kind of thing you're looking for — food that supports how you feel without making your life harder — come join us in the Peri Posse. It's a free community for women navigating this season of life, with nourishing recipes, nervous system tools, and women who actually get it.  The Peri Posse.

Tried this recipe? I'd love to know how it went.

Drop a comment below or tag me on Instagram @christiechapmanwellness …I look forward to every single one.

And if you want to learn more about how to hit your protein and fiber targets without overhauling your entire life, grab my free guide: Why the Weight Won't Budge in Midlife — it walks you through the 30/30/30 Method that's at the heart of everything I teach.