One Pan Chicken Caprese Worthy of Your Busiest Night
This Chicken Caprese recipe is proof you can have a beautifully impressive looking dinner on the table in just about 30 minutes. I love that it pulls from the fresh flavors of a traditional caprese salad to create a flavorful chicken dish that will steal the show on any table. The key is to use fresh tomatoes from a local famers market, or grown from your garden if you’re that lucky!How to Make Chicken Caprese
Sear Chicken and Make Sauce: Season chicken on both sides with oil, basil, oregano, salt, and pepper then sear in a hot pan with oil, until golden brown on each side. In a bowl, combine diced red onion, garlic, balsamic vinegar, and brown sugar. Pour mixture into the pan and simmer.
Bake: Return chicken to the pan and spoon sauce on top. Place pan in oven and bake until chicken is cooked through. Top each chicken breast with a slice of fresh mozzarella cheese. Broil until the cheese has melted completely.
Storing and Freezing Instructions
Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. I enjoy the cold chicken chopped over salad greens, for lunch.Recipe Variations
- Grilled Chicken Caprese: Season the raw chicken as directed, but grill on a well greased grill, until cooked through. Add mozzarella cheese and close grill lid until cheese has melted. Add tomato and basil and serve.
- Chicken Caprese Pasta: Double the balsamic sauce then serve the chicken caprese over hot cooked pasta, drizzling the pasta in the extra sauce.
- Chicken Caprese Sandwich: Cook chicken in oven as directed. Serve each cooked breast inside your favorite kind of toasted bread or crusty roll, with a slice of mozzarella, tomato, and handful of arugula. Garnish with salt and pepper and a small drizzle of balsamic sauce.
Chicken Caprese
This easy Chicken Caprese recipe has juicy chicken breasts baked in a simple balsamic reduction with melted mozzarella, a slice of a fresh tomato, and chopped basil. It’s healthy, flavorful, and made all in one pan!Servings 4
Calories 360
Prep 5 minutes mins
Cook 30 minutes mins
Total 35 minutes mins
- 3-4 boneless skinless chicken breasts*
- 2 Tablespoons olive oil
- 3/4 teaspoon dried basil
- 3/4 teaspoon dried oregano leaves
- salt and pepper
- 1/3 cup red onion , diced
- 1/3 cup balsamic vinegar
- 2 Tablespoons light brown sugar
- 1 clove garlic
- 2 Roma tomatoes , sliced
- 8 ounces fresh mozzarella cheese , sliced
- fresh basil leaves , chiffonade cut
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
Season chicken on both sides with 1 Tablespoon oil, basil, oregano, salt and pepper.
Brown chicken: Heat a large oven-proof skillet over medium-high heat. Once hot, add remaining oil, then chicken, and sear chicken quickly, flipping once, just until golden on both sides. Remove to plate.
Glaze: Mix together the diced red onion, garlic, balsamic vinegar and brown sugar. Pour the mixture into the skillet and simmer, stirring, for 3 minutes.
Bake: Return chicken to pan and spoon sauce over it. Place pan in oven and roast until the chicken is cooked through (165 degrees), about 10-20 minutes depending on how thick the breasts are. Remove from oven.
Turn oven to broil.
Top each chicken with a slice of fresh mozzarella cheese. Broil just until the cheese has melted. Serve immediately, topped with fresh sliced tomatoes and fresh-cut basil and spoon the pan sauce over the top.
Make it a meal and serve chicken caprese with a green salad and fresh artisan bread.
Notes
Chicken: If your chicken breasts are overly thick, you can butterfly them by cutting them in half, horizontally, to make two thinner chicken breast halves that will cook faster.
Storing Instructions: Keep leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. I enjoy the cold chicken chopped over salad greens for lunch!
Freezing Instructions: You may freeze the chicken before adding the cheese and tomatoes in an airtight container for up to 2 months. Thaw overnight in the fridge, then re-warm and add caprese toppings.
Grilled Chicken Caprese: Season the raw chicken as directed, but grill on a well greased grill, until cooked through. Add mozzarella cheese and close grill lid until cheese has melted. Add tomato and basil and serve.
Chicken Caprese Pasta: Double the balsamic sauce and serve the chicken caprese over hot cooked pasta, drizzling the pasta in the extra sauce.
Chicken Caprese Sandwich: Cook chicken in oven as directed. Serve each cooked breast inside your favorite kind of toasted bread or crusty roll, with a slice of mozzarella, tomato, and handful of arugula. Garnish with salt, pepper, and a small drizzle of balsamic sauce.
Nutrition
Calories: 360kcal, Carbohydrates: 13g, Protein: 29g, Fat: 21g, Saturated Fat: 5g, Cholesterol: 74mg, Sodium: 149mg, Potassium: 502mg, Fiber: 1g, Sugar: 11g, Vitamin A: 540IU, Vitamin C: 10.6mg, Calcium: 237mg, Iron: 0.9mg
