Doesn’t that look amazing? Delicious melty cheese over baked chicken breast, surrounded by roasted cherry tomatoes and topped with fresh basil. Finally, drizzle some balsamic reduction over it for a little extra sweetness. I can’t believe there’s only 263 calories per serving of this amazing dinner!
What Is Caprese Chicken?
Caprese is traditionally an Italian salad made with fresh mozzarella, basil, tomatoes, a drizzle of olive oil, and a sprinkle of salt. Sometimes you might see a drizzle of balsamic vinegar taking this classic dish over the top! It’s so simple, yet so delicious. While this recipe isn’t traditionally Italian, the caprese flavors overtop a juicy chicken breast were to die for.
How to Make Caprese Chicken
Start off by preheating your oven to 400F. Season the chicken breasts generously with the salt, pepper, and Italian seasoning. The cheese and basil will be added later, so we want to make sure these chicken breasts are nice and flavorful on their own. Drizzle olive oil to coat the bottom of your baking dish and add the chicken breasts. Next, you’ll add the cherry tomatoes to the dish. Spread them around the chicken evenly. We cut them in half, but you can definitely leave them whole if you like! Now your chicken is ready for the oven. Bake for 30 minutes, or until 165F at the thickest part of the breast if you have a meat thermometer handy. It’s time for the fun part! Take the baking dish out of the oven and top those chicken breasts with about 1/3 cup of the mozzarella cheese. Feel free to add more if you’d like, I won’t tell anyone! Instead of mozzarella you can use gouda, mild cheddar, provolone, havarti, gruyere, or other mild melty cheese that you like. Return the dish to the oven and bake for another 10 minutes. Sprinkle that beautiful fresh basil over the chicken, a drizzle of balsamic glaze, and serve!
What to Serve Caprese Chicken With
After this chicken came out of the oven, I saw all those gorgeous juices that I could just not bring myself to waste. All the flavors from the chicken, tomatoes, and cheese mixed into that sauce is seriously SO delicious. I made a big pot of spaghetti to serve it over for lunch. It was incredible! You could serve it over regular or cauliflower rice, mashed potatoes, polenta, or grab a good loaf of bread and soak up everything left in the pan. But whatever you do, don’t let that glorious sauce go to waste!
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title: “Caprese Chicken” ShowToc: true date: “2024-09-19” author: “Maria Rivera”
Be sure to serve this with greens and beans and smashed or roasted potatoes!
Caprese Chicken
When it comes to easy chicken recipes, I think this Caprese Chicken just jumped to the top of my favorites list! This comes together so quickly in a skillet before a quick bake in the oven to melt that delicious, fresh mozzarella cheese. This is a great way to make use of fresh garden tomatoes and basil, and it pairs really well with a variety of roasted vegetables and potato dishes! (PS- my picky eater loves this meal!) Read on to learn exactly what makes this recipe taste so delicious.
How to Make It
See recipe card below this post for ingredient quantities and full instructions. To start, sear seasoned chicken in a skillet. This creates a beautiful golden crust on the outside of the chicken and leaves a ton of flavor, (i.e. fond!) on the bottom of the pan, which is deglazed with white wine. (Chicken broth can be used if you don’t cook with wine.) From there, we make a delicious balsamic sauce, which starts with a little butter and minced garlic.
Add Chicken broth, balsamic vinegar, and honey. Bring the sauce to a gentle boil and let it reduce for 5 minutes, then remove from heat and add the chicken back.
Top the chicken with fresh mozzarella, sliced tomatoes, and dried basil. Cherry tomatoes add a nice finishing touch to the dish. Bake for 10 minutes, then broil for 3. Drizzle with balsamic glaze, top with freshly cracked pepper, and garnish with fresh basil and voila! Dinner is done.
What to Serve With Caprese Chicken
Greens and Beans Roasted asparagus, green beans, or broccoli. Vegetable Casserole Smashed, Roasted, or Grilled Potatoes Buttered Noodles More Side Dish Recipes
Storage
Store in an airtight container and refrigerate for up to 3 days or freeze for up to 3 months.
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3-Quart Stainless Steel Sauté Pan– The same size as pictured in this recipe. Meat Tenderizer– This makes the meat much more tender. 8-inch Chef’s Knife– This is the one I have, I love it. Cutting Boards- I love having assorted sizes. (One for the meat, one for the veggies, etc.) Better Than Bouillon– This is what I always use for broth in my recipes. It takes very little space and makes it easy to measure out customized amounts of broth.
