A Caprese salad is a classic Italian summer dish, and this is a little chicken twist on it. You get all the flavours of the Caprese salad, but with some added protein too. Fresh tomatoes, mozzarella, some basil and finished off with a drizzle of balsamic. This Caprese Chicken is really simple one pan chicken dish that the whole family will love.
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Melty mozzarella cheese, fresh juicy tomatoes and finely chopped basil all layered on a chicken breast and then drizzled with balsamic vinegar just before serving.
A delicious light dinner that goes well with some roasted potatoes or a salad. If you are looking for a new way to enjoy chicken, then give this a try.
For more Mediterranean chicken recipes, take a look at our quick Greek Chicken Bowls, easy Italian Chicken or our Slow Cooker Spanish Chicken.
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Why You Will Love It
- A light and fresh meal
- A new way to enjoy chicken
- Less than 300 calories a portion
- High in protein
- All cooked in one pan
Ingredients and Substitutions
A full ingredients list, along with US Customary and Metric measurements, can be found in the recipe card at the end of this post.
- Chicken breast - We used chicken breast for this recipe as it keeps it nice and lean. You could swap it for boneless and skinless chicken thighs, but that would change the nutritional information.
- Mozzarella - This is essential for a caprese dish and try to use the best quality you can, as it will give it extra flavour.
- Cherry tomatoes - You would usually have larger tomatoes for a caprese dish, but we have used cherry tomatoes for this.
- Onion - You can swap this for diced shallots if you prefer.
- Basil - A sprinkling of fresh basil before serving adds lots of flavour.
- Garlic granules and dried oregano
- Balsamic vinegar - Try to use the best quality you can, as you really will be able to taste the difference. Cheap balsamic vinegar tends to be really vinegary.
- Olive oil
Variations
These are really easy to adapt. We like to put a layer of pesto on the check first before adding the toppings - any pesto will work, but sun-dried tomato just gives it that extra tomato burst.
You could also give this dish a vegetable boost by adding in some chopped spinach, or even some courgette (zucchini), aubergine (eggplant) or bell peppers.
Step by Step Instructions
One: On the hob (stovetop), heat some oil in a large, oven-proof pan and add the chicken breasts. Season with garlic granules, dried oregano, salt and pepper. Keep turning the chicken until it has browned on all sides.
Two: Add the cherry tomatoes and red onion to the pan.
Three: Add the balsamic vinegar to the pan. Put the pan in a preheated oven at 200°C/400°F/Gas6 for 30 minutes.
Four: Remove from the oven and cover each chicken breast with equal amounts of mozzarella.
Five: Return to the oven for 5-10 minutes, or until the cheese has melted. Sprinkle with chopped basil and serve.
This is a super easy meal to make, so it's perfect for an after work weeknight meal. But it's also impressive enough to serve up to guests.
It's easy to make a big batch of these if you are feeding a crowd. They could be really good on the BBQ too.
The Sauce
We love a good sauce, and this sauce is EVERYTHING! It's not even really a sauce as it's the natural juices from the chicken with a little oil, herbs, balsamic and juices from the tomatoes.
We added some cherry tomatoes fresh from the garden with some shallots and garlic to the chicken with some olive oil, oregano and dried basil. The rest took care of itself.
Serving Suggestions
You can serve with with pasta or rice, but we will to serve it with little crispy roast potatoes like our Italian Parmesan Roasted Potatoes. If you want to keep this meal lighter, then serve the chicken on top of a big green salad.
Here are some other side dishes that go really well with this caprese chicken:
Dannii's Top Tips
- You could make this recipe as a stuffed chicken breast. Slice the chicken at the side horizontally when it is uncooked and then add the slices of mozzarella and tomatoes and cook them at the same time as the chicken.
- Add even more flavour to this by putting a layer of pesto on the chicken before adding the tomato and cheese.
- Find the thinnest chicken breasts you can, as they will cook quicker and more evenly. You could always use a meat tenderiser to flatten them a little.
Frequently Asked Questions
We have used chicken breast to keep this nice and lean, but you could use boneless and skinless chicken thighs which would make this even juicier, but it would change the nutritional information.
If you have leftovers of caprese chicken, then you can store it in an air tight container in the fridge for up to 2 days. I then like to chops it up and fry it and then serve it over lettuce for a hot salad.
You might have heard people pronounce this differently, but Italians pronounce it "cuh-PRAY-zay."
It's always best to check that chicken is cooked with a meat thermometer. Chicken should have an internal temperature of 75°C/165°F.
Yes, you could make everything up until just before the cheese is added and then allow to cool and then store in the fridge until you are ready to finish it off. Add the cheese and then put it in the oven to melt the cheese. It will need a little longer as it has been in the fridge.
Yes, this freezes really well. Allow it to cool and then put in freezeable containers and they will keep in the freezer for up to 2 months. When you are ready to cook them, defrost them in the fridge overnight and then reheat them in the oven for around 15 minutes, or until warmed through.
More Chicken Recipes
If you've tried this Caprese Chicken recipe, let us know how you got on in the comments below.
Tag us in your creations on Instagram @hungryhealthyhappy - Use the hashtag #hungryhealthyhappy too.
Recipe
Caprese Chicken
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon of Olive oil
- 600 g (1.33 lb) of Chicken breast
- 100 g (3.5 oz) of Mozzarella - grated
- 200 g (1.33 cups) of Cherry tomatoes - halved
- 1 Red onion - finely diced
- 2 tablespoon of Fresh basil - chopped
- 1 tablespoon of Garlic granules
- 1 tablespoon of Dried oregano
- 1 pinch of Sea salt and ground black pepper
- 2 tablespoon of Balsamic vinegar
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 200°C/180°C(fan)/400°F/Gas 6.
- On the hob (stovetop), heat 1 tbsp of Olive oil in a large, oven-proof pan and add the 600 g of Chicken breast. Season with 1 tbsp of Garlic granules, 1 tbsp of Dried oregano and 1 pinch of Sea salt and ground black pepper. Keep turning the chicken until it has browned on all sides.
- Add 200 g of Cherry tomatoes and 1 Red onion to the pan.
- Add 2 tbsp of Balsamic vinegar to the pan. Put the pan into the oven for 30 minutes.
- Remove from the oven and cover each chicken breast with equal amounts 100 g of Mozzarella.
- Return to the oven for 5-10 minutes, or until the cheese has melted. Sprinkle with 2 tbsp of Fresh basil and serve.
Recipe Video
Recipe Tips
- You could make this recipe as a stuffed chicken breast. Slice the chicken at the side horizontally when it is uncooked and then add the slices of mozzarella and tomatoes and cook them at the same time as the chicken.
- Add even more flavour to this by putting a layer of pesto on the chicken before adding the tomato and cheese.
- Find the thinnest chicken breasts you can, as they will cook quicker and more evenly. You could always use a meat tenderiser to flatten them a little.
Nutritional Information
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The nutritional information provided is approximate and is calculated using online tools. Information can vary depending on various factors, but we have endeavoured to be as accurate as possible.
As all appliances vary, cooking times are a guide. Please note that by changing the serving size, the cooking time may also need to be altered.
Melissa | Bits of Umami says
Loooove me some caprese. Looks like a perfect way to spice up some roasted chicken breasts! NOM.
Dave says
I love this recipe and it's so quick and easy.
Lori @ TheHealthMinded.com says
You can't ever go wrong with those ingredient combinations. A classic that always pleases!
Helen @ Scrummy Lane says
I love this idea, Dannii. It's perfect for the start of the summer season (when the sun finally comes back!)
It looks like we were thinking the same way today, too, as I've just posted a caprese recipe, too!! (great minds and all that!)
Annie @ The Garlic Diaries says
Caprese is seriously one of the best things in the world. So fresh and yummy! Such a delicious combination of flavors. I love this recipe!
Savita @ ChefDeHome says
Dannii, I'm huge fan of caprese salad with balsamic drizzle! Your addition of chicken has made it a complete meal for me! Can't wait to try it! *drooling*
Gingi says
This looks SO GOOD!!!
Alice @ Hip Foodie Mom says
Dannii, I love caprese anything!!! it's like the perfect spring/summer food! I love seeing the colors from the Italian flag! :P and your crispy lemon potatoes sound awesome!!!! what a perfect meal!!! love!
Kelly - Life Made Sweeter says
This caprese chicken looks delicious, Dannii! Love how easy it is to make and the light flavors makes it perfect for spring and summer!
David @ Spiced says
Yes!! to putting up the hammock again. It's almost time to get our hammock out here in upstate New York. We love (I mean LOVE) grilling out in the summer, and I'm totally digging this fun and easy caprese chicken recipe. I can only imagine how tasty this must have been! :-)
mira says
Love your light and easy meals Dannii! This chicken is awesome!
Gayle @ Pumpkin 'N Spice says
This chicken looks gorgeous, Dannii! Caprese is one of my favorites, so I'm loving that you combined it with chicken. Sounds like the perfect meal!
Laura says
Dannii, I am absolutely drooling over this easy to make, low carb dish that is just as delicious as it it healthy! Will be making.
Louisa says
Yummy! One of my favourite dinner's too, would love this tonight!
Glamorous Glutton says
I lurve mozzarella, fresh and creamy. A delicious way to serve chicken. GG