If you love classic Italian flavors, this baked chicken Caprese recipe is for you! It features a juicy chicken breast that’s topped with tomatoes, fresh mozzarella, basil, and a balsamic glaze. When the summer tomatoes are ripe, I love using them in anything I can, but I especially love coming up with twists on Caprese salad. Be sure to try these flavors on caprese skewers, avocado Caprese salad, crustless quiche, chicken caprese salad, or Caprese stuffed avocado.
What Is Chicken Caprese?
Chicken Caprese is a delicious, easy chicken dinner made by topping chicken with the classic Caprese salad components: tomato, mozzarella, and fresh basil.
Caprese Chicken Ingredients
This section explains how to choose the best ingredients for Italian chicken Caprese, what each one does in the recipe, and substitution options. For measurements, see the recipe card below.
Chicken breasts – I prefer to use free-range chicken, but you can use whatever type you like best. Look for medium-sized chicken breasts, about 8 ounces is a good size.Olive oil – Olive oil imparts a traditional flavor, but you could also use avocado oil. Sea salt & black pepper Fresh mozzarella cheese – I prefer fresh mozzarella for the perfect melty cheese topping, but hard shredded or sliced mozzarella would also work.Roma tomatoes – Look for bright, red tomatoes. Roma is a great size, but you can also use other small tomatoes. Balsamic glaze – I love the flavor of homemade balsamic glaze, plus it has no added sugar. You can buy it as well, but be aware that most store-bought glazes do have added sugar. Fresh basil – A must for any Caprese recipe!
How To Make Chicken Caprese
This section shows how to make Caprese chicken with step-by-step photos and details about the technique, to help you visualize it. For full instructions, including amounts and temperatures, see the recipe card below.
Season. Place chicken breasts in a large baking dish and brush with olive oil and season with salt and pepper on both sides.Bake. At this point the chicken won’t be fully cooked through, about 145 to 150 degrees F.Top. Top chicken with mozzarella and tomato slices.Bake again. This time, bake until the chicken is fully cooked.Finish. Let the Caprese baked chicken rest for 5 minutes, then drizzle with balsamic glaze and top with fresh basil.
Variations
Swap in sun-dried tomatoes – Try using sun-dried tomatoes instead of the fresh romas.Use chicken thighs – Swap the chicken breasts for boneless chicken thighs. The cook time might vary a bit.Caprese stuffed chicken – Instead of adding the Caprese toppings over the chicken, cut a slit in each chicken breast and stuff the tomatoes and mozzarella inside before baking.Add pesto – Baked pesto chicken is a very similar dish, with pesto sauce on the chicken before adding the toppings.Grilled chicken caprese – Follow the same steps, but cook the chicke non the grill instead of in the oven.
Storage Instructions
To store: Store leftovers in the refrigerator for 3-4 days.To reheat: Reheat in a 350 degree F oven for best results, or microwave until just warm.To freeze: Freezing is not recommended, as the tomato will get mushy.
What To Serve With Caprese Chicken
Serve the oven baked Caprese chicken with one of these simple sides:
Roasted AsparagusAir Fryer Brussels SproutsZucchini NoodlesRoasted EggplantBaked RatatouilleTomato Cucumber Avocado Salad
More Easy Chicken Recipes
If you like this balsamic Caprese chicken recipe, you might also like some of these other chicken recipes:
Mediterranean ChickenAir Fryer Chicken BreastRoasted Chicken and VegetablesCreamy Sun Dried Tomato ChickenGrilled Bruschetta ChickenCilantro Lime Chicken
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