With store-bought pesto, cherry tomatoes, leafy basil, and thick-sliced fresh mozzarella, you can make this swoonworthy caprese chicken dinner in under 30 minutes.
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“I made this tonight for dinner. It was absolutely delicious! My husband doesn’t eat fresh tomatoes, but he cleaned his plate. This is a quick, easy and company worthy dish. I sprinkled the finished dish with a few red pepper flakes and it really made the dish sparkle. Thank you for such a wonderful dish!” -Nilha, FoodieCrush reader
This recipe is brought to you by DeLallo Foods
The One-Pan, 30-Minute Chicken Dinner I Make on Busy Weeknights
During the week, there are many things we have at our house, but extra time in the day is not always one of them. That’s why one-pan recipes like this make cooking at home, dare I say, enjoyable.
Caprese flavors are some of my favorites, and just like my caprese pasta salad, grilled caprese skewers, and caprese sandwich, this skillet caprese chicken recipe is singing with fresh flavor. It combines my favorite caprese salad ingredients with boneless chicken breasts for a quick-to-make dinner perfect for weeknights.
Thin-cut boneless chicken breasts are seared on the stove before being topped with pesto, sliced tomato, and fresh mozzarella cheese. It all goes into the oven to finish cooking and melts into a creamy wonder.
Finished with fresh basil and a drizzle of balsamic glaze, dinner simply doesn’t get much easier than this.
Enjoy!
Heidi’s Tips for Recipe Success
Cut boneless chicken breasts in half lengthwise so they’re thinner, cook faster, and go further. Thinner chicken breasts are also easier to gauge for doneness and have more browned and crisped areas to enjoy.
Start the chicken on the stove and finish it in the oven. This guarantees the moistest, juiciest chicken cutlets that cook quickly and taste awesome.
Use garden fresh tomatoes. If out of season, try the smaller and sweeter store-bought Campari (or cocktail) tomatoes to make this recipe all winter long.
The Main Ingredients
The full recipe, with amounts, can be found in the recipe card below.
This baked chicken caprese recipe is another one in my partnership with DeLallo Foods, and features a few of the products I keep stocked in my pantry for easy dinner recipes I can whip up in a flash.
- Boneless, skinless chicken breasts — Use an instant-read thermometer to check the chicken breasts for doneness.
- Extra virgin olive oil + butter — Adding butter to the EVOO when searing the chicken raises the smoke point so neither burns and adds a lovely golden color to the cooked chicken breasts.
- DeLallo Simply Pesto Traditional Basil Sauce — Packed with bold, fresh basil flavor that’s perfect for finishing the chicken breasts.
- Sweet Campari tomatoes — My tomato of choice when making this caprese baked chicken out side of tomato season.
- Fresh mozzarella cheese — Is much more delicate, moist, and tender than shredded, which means it will melt beautifully to cover the chicken.
- Fresh basil — Brings together the flavors and adds a pop of fresh flavor.
- DeLallo Modenacrem balsamic glaze — Drizzle a little or a lot, just make sure you drizzle!
How to Make Caprese Chicken in One Pan
- Cook the chicken breasts undisturbed until they release easily from the pan. There’s no need for flipping back and forth. When the chicken is seared, the developed crust will easily be released from the pan. The chicken will continue to bake in the oven.
- For one-step flavor, smear the chicken with pesto. The best shortcut for adding flavor is topping the seared chicken breasts with Italian-inspired basil and a garlicky, tangy schmear of pesto.
Heidi’s Tip: Making my favorite homemade basil pesto is easy, but opening a jar of DeLallo’s Traditional Basil Simply Pesto makes this dish even easier. There’s no need for any other herbs or spices—besides salt and pepper—because it’s all there in the jar. Voila!
- Add the caprese components. Thick cuts of fresh mozzarella cheese and sweet tomatoes are classically caprese.
- Transfer the skillet to a 400°F oven for about 10 minutes to finish cooking. Finish cooking the chicken in the hot skillet as the mozzarella melts and the tomatoes warm and lightly roast.
- Before cutting, allow the chicken to rest for a few minutes. Keep the juices in the chicken meat by giving it a minute to rest before taking a knife to it. Save any of the juices left in the pan for a tasty, savory drizzle.
- Finish the dish with balsamic glaze and fresh basil. Before serving, add some sweetness with a drizzle of DeLallo’s Modenacrem balsamic glaze. A sprinkling of fresh basil leaves finishes this dish off with every cheesy, chicken bite.
If you make this recipe, please let me know! Leave a ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ rating below, leave a comment to tell us what you think, and tag me on Instagram @foodiecrush.
THE BEST Caprese Chicken Recipe
Ingredients
- 2 chicken breasts , skinless and boneless
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
- 1 tablespoon butter
- 1 6 oz. jar DeLallo Traditional Basil Simply Pesto
- 4-6 slices fresh mozzarella or 6 ounces grated mozzarella cheese
- 8 cocktail or small tomatoes , sliced
- DeLallo balsamic glaze
- Fresh basil , slivered
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400° F.
- Use a thin, sharp knife to slice the chicken breasts in half lengthwise. Season both sides with kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper. Heat a large oven-proof skillet over medium-high heat with the olive oil and butter. Once the butter has melted into the olive oil, add the chicken breasts to the pan, being careful not to crowd. Cook on each side until lightly browned and easily released from the pan, about 3-4 minutes each.
- Slather the tops of each chicken breast with the basil pesto, about 1-2 tablespoons per chicken breast. Top each chicken breast with a slice of mozzarella and a few slices of tomato.
- Transfer the skillet to the oven and cook for 10-12 minutes or until the chicken reaches an internal temperature of 165°F. Remove from the oven and garnish with fresh basil and a drizzle of balsamic glaze.
Notes
Nutrition
What to Serve With Chicken Caprese
Storage Tips
Let the leftovers cool before transferring to an airtight container. The chicken will last up to 4 days in the fridge, noting that the basil will oxidize over time.
A few readers have asked if they could freeze the caprese chicken, but since it’s made with tomatoes, mozzarella, and fresh basil I’m not sure if that’s a wise idea (textures will change when thawed and reheated, that kind of thing!).
More One-Pan Chicken Recipes
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This post is part of my partnership with DeLallo Foods. As always, thank you for reading and for supporting companies I partner with, which allows me to create more unique content and recipes for you. All opinions are always my own.
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