This delicious baked Caprese chicken recipe combines juicy chicken breasts, mozzarella balls, cherry tomatoes, and pesto for a flavorful meal!
To add a rich and tangy bite, you'll top the baked chicken with a balsamic glaze and torn, fresh basil.
If you like the flavors of a Caprese salad - the combination of juicy tomatoes, fresh tomatoes, soft mozzarella, fresh basil, and tangy balsamic - you are going to love this easy chicken dinner.
This meal is easy to make and absolutely bursting with fresh flavor!
Perfect for busy weeknights when you want a healthy dinner ready in 30 minutes or less. I hope this will be one of your new family favorites.
Ingredients for Baked Chicken Caprese
Chicken - You'll need 2 pounds of boneless, skinless chicken breasts.
Pesto - You'll use 3 tablespoons of pesto. You can use storebought pesto or make homemade pesto.
Mozzarella Cheese - You'll need 8 ounces of mozzarella balls. You can use small ones (I used pearl mozzarella balls) or larger ones like Bocconcini.
Tomatoes - You'll need 2 cups of cherry tomatoes. Grape tomatoes or sliced Roma tomatoes will work as well.
Spices - You'll use 1 teaspoon kosher salt, ½ teaspoon dried oregano, ½ teaspoon garlic, powder ½ teaspoon, onion powder ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper, and ¼ teaspoon dried thyme. If you don't have all these spices you can use 2 teaspoons of Italian seasoning blend and 1 teaspoon of salt.
Olive Oil - You'll need 2 tablespoons of olive oil.
Balsamic Glaze - You'll use 1 tablespoon of balsamic glaze (or balsamic reduction) to top the chicken after it bakes.
Basil - You'll use ¼ cup of chopped fresh basil to top the finished dish.
How To Make This Recipe
Preheat the Oven - Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
Prepare the Chicken - Lay chicken on a flat surface and cut a slit on the side ¾ of the way through the chicken breast, but not all the way through.
Spoon the pesto evenly across the inside of the chicken breasts. Spread it till it covers up to the edges of the chicken breast. Close the chicken breasts. Season the outside of the chicken breasts with kosher salt, oregano, garlic powder, onion powder, black pepper, and thyme.
Brown the Chicken - Heat the 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a cast-iron skillet or other oven-safe large frying pan over medium-high heat. Add the seasoned chicken breasts and sauté for 4 minutes on each side till golden brown.
Bake - Add the cherry tomatoes and mozzarella balls to the skillet. Place the skillet in the oven for 12 to 13 minutes or until a meat thermometer reads an internal temperature of 165 degrees F in the thickest place on each chicken breast. Cooking times may vary based on the thickness of your chicken.
Garnish - Remove the chicken from the oven and top with a drizzle of balsamic glaze and fresh basil.
What to Serve Alongside This Recipe
You can serve this dish on its own, but if you'd like an easy side dish, try one of these.
More Delicious Chicken Recipes to Try
If you love chicken dinner recipes, be sure to check out these other easy dinner recipes.
- Quick & Easy Chicken Tikka Masala - the best chicken tikka masala recipe - it's so creamy!
- Lemon Chicken Rice Soup - a cozy soup with chicken and vegetables.
- Lemon Pepper Chicken Thighs - the zestiest and tangy chicken thigh recipe.
- Lemon Chicken with Orzo - the best chicken pasta dish with loads of flavor.
- Healthy Chicken Breast Recipes - a list of all our favorite ways to cook chicken breasts.
Tips for Making this Recipe
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Cooking Tips - You can use an instant-read thermometer to check the temperature of the chicken before removing it from the oven. It should have an internal temperature of 165 degrees F in the thickest place on the chicken breast.
Storing Tips - You can save this chicken dish in the refrigerator for up to 3 days in an airtight container.
If you try this chicken caprese recipe, let us know! Connect with us on Instagram and share your photos, or leave us a rating.
Baked Caprese Chicken
This delicious baked Caprese chicken is a fantastic dinner recipe.
Ingredients
- 2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts
- 3 tablespoons pesto
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon dried oregano
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon onion powder
- ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
- ¼ teaspoon dried thyme
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 cups cherry tomatoes
- 8 ounces small mozzarella balls
- 1 tablespoon balsamic glaze
- ¼ cup chopped fresh basil leaves
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
- Lay chicken on a flat surface and cut a slit on the side ¾ of the way through the chicken breast, but not all the way through.
- Spoon the pesto evenly across the inside of the chicken breasts. Spread it till it covers up to the edges of the chicken breast. Close the chicken breasts.
- Season the outside of the chicken breasts with kosher salt, oregano, garlic powder, onion powder, black pepper, and thyme.
- Heat the 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a cast-iron skillet or other oven-safe large frying pan over medium-high heat.
- Add the chicken breasts and sauté for 4 minutes on each side till golden brown.
- Add the cherry tomatoes and mozzarella balls to the skillet.
- Place the skillet in the oven for 12 to 13 minutes or until a meat thermometer reads an internal temperature of 165 degrees F in the thickest place on each chicken breast.
- Remove the chicken from the oven and top with balsamic glaze and fresh basil.
Nutrition Information:
Yield:
4Serving Size:
1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 534Total Fat: 23gSaturated Fat: 5gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 15gCholesterol: 201mgSodium: 591mgCarbohydrates: 5gFiber: 1gSugar: 2gProtein: 74g
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