Caprese Chicken Skillet
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This Caprese Chicken Skillet is made with seasoned chicken breasts cooked in a balsamic sauce with tomatoes and mozzarella. Turn your caprese salad into a full meal!
Turn your Caprese salad into a meal with chicken caprese
My favorite summer salad is the caprese salad. I love to make it with big fresh Jersey tomatoes, fresh mozzarella, basil from the garden, and a drizzle of balsamic glaze.
I took all the flavors of a Caprese salad and created a skillet meal that I could make any time. For this recipe, I swapped in some balsamic vinegar for the glaze, mini mozzarella balls for the sliced mozzarella, and cherry tomatoes for the full sliced tomatoes.
What is Caprese chicken?
The word caprese in Italian means salad of Capri. It is traditionally made with large sliced fresh tomatoes, large slices of mozzarella, and fresh basil leaves.
Some people say it doesn’t need any oil or vinegar, but I love a drizzle of balsamic vinegar. It is best to make these quick and easy salad when tomatoes are in season. The ripe tomatoes slices are bursting with flavor even before you add anything else to them.
The classically caprese salad remains popular in Italy and Italian restaurants because it highlights fresh Italian ingredients and resembles the Italian flags. It is now popular in many places to add grilled chicken to the ingredients of a caprese salad to make caprese chicken.
On menus, you can find Caprese chicken salads and Caprese chicken sandwiches. I borrowed that idea to make a Caprese Chicken Skillet. The flavor combo of tomato, basil, and mozzarella is only improved by adding in some juicy chicken.
What kitchen tools will I need to make this simple chicken skillet?
- Large oven safe pan like a cast iron skillet
- Sharp knife
- Cutting board
- Measuring spoons
- Liquid measuring cup
How to serve
There are many ways to serve this delicious chicken caprese recipe. It is a full meal on its own, but it is also delicious when serve alongside noodles or with a fresh salad.
I like to serve it over arugula with lots of fresh basil and a drizzle of balsamic reduction. You could also combine the two by tossing freshly cooked pasta in arugula and olive oil, then layer chicken caprese over top.
What ingredients will I need to make this chicken caprese?
- Boneless skinless chicken breasts
- Salt
- Pepper
- Dried oregano
- Dried basil
- Balsamic vinegar
- Avocado oil
- Mozzarella
- Cherry or grape tomatoes
- Fresh basil
Ingredient Substitutions
You can use boneless skinless chicken thighs in place of chicken breasts for this easy chicken caprese recipe. They may take slightly longer to cook so be sure to check for an internal temperature of 165F to ensure they are cooked through.
Use a simple italian seasoning blend in place of the individual seasonings listed here. Cherry or grape tomatoes work best, but you can also use fresh chopped whole tomaotes.
I like to use mini mozzarella balls to top this caprese chicken skillet. They melt quickly and evenly in the oven. You can also use sliced fresh mozzarella or shredded mozzarella. Shredded mozzarella will cook very quickly so you may want to add it after the chicken has cooked in the oven for a bit.
Let’s make Caprese Chicken Skillet!
Step 1: Prep chicken
To being, slice the chicken breasts in half horizontally so you have 4 thinner pieces. Then, pound chicken with a meat tenderizer until it lays flat, but not too thin.
Next, mince the garlic cloves. Combine salt, pepper, dried oregano, and dried basil in a small mixing bowl.
Then, season all chicken pieces on both sides with seasoning mixture and preheat oven to 350F.
Step 2: Sear chicken
Next, heat 2 tbsp oil over medium-high heat in a large oven-safe pan. I use a cast iron skillet.
Once the oil is hot carefully place chicken in the pan. Then, cook the chicken for 2 minutes on each side. Remove chicken from pan and reduce the heat to low.
Step 3: Prepare balsamic sauce
Next, allow the pan to cool slightly so you don’t burn your garlic. Then, add minced garlic to the pan and saute for a minute moving constantly so that the garlic doesn’t burn.
Add the balsamic vinegar to the pan and stir – the balsamic will bubble up so be careful. Then, add the tomatoes to the pan and increase the heat to medium. Saute for 2-3 minutes.
Step 4: Melt mozzarella cheese in oven
Next, turn the heat off the stove and add the chicken back to the pan and toss to coat in the balsamic sauce. Top the tomatoes and chicken with mozzarella – I used mini mozzarella balls.
Finally, place the chicken in the oven to bake at 350F for 10 minutes. Remove from the oven and top with fresh basil and enjoy!
How long will this balsamic chicken keep in the fridge?
Once prepared, allow the chicken to cool completely. Place in an air tight container and store in the fridge for up to 4 days. Reheat in a skillet, the oven or the microwave.
Check out these other delicious chicken skillet recipes!
- Lemon and Olive Chicken Skillet
- Creamy Chicken and Broccoli Skillet
- Oven Baked Bone in Chicken Breast
- Easy Pan Seared Chicken Breast
You can find the full recipe below. If you make this recipe, please rate and review it in the comments, or share it with me on Instagram!
Caprese Chicken Skillet
One pan caprese chicken dinner
Ingredients
- 2 boneless skinless chicken breasts
- 1 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp ground black pepper
- 1/2 tsp dried basil
- 1/2 tsp dried oregano
- 2 tbsp avocado oil
- 4 cloves of garlic
- 1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
- 1 1/2 cup cherry or grape tomatoes
- 2oz mozzarella cheese
- Fresh basil
Instructions
- Slice the chicken breasts in half horizontally so you have 4 thinner pieces
- Pound chicken with a meat tenderizer until it lays flat, but not too thin
- Mince garlic
- Combine salt, pepper, dried oregano, and dried basil in a small mixing bowl
- Season all chicken pieces on both sides with seasoning mixture
- Preheat oven to 350F
- Heat 2 tbsp oil over medium-high heat in a large oven safe pan – I use a cast iron skillet
- Once oil is hot carefully place chicken in the pan
- Cook for 2 minutes on each side
- Remove chicken from pan and reduce the heat to low
- Allow the pan to cool slightly so you don’t burn your garlic
- Add minced garlic to the pan and saute for a minute moving constantly so that the garlic doesn’t burn
- Add the balsamic vinegar to the pan and stir – the balsamic will bubble up so be careful
- Add the tomatoes to the pan and increase the heat to medium
- Saute for 2-3 minutes
- Turn the heat off the stove and add the chicken back to the pan and toss to coat in the balsamic sauce
- Top the tomatoes and chicken with mozzarella – I used mini mozzarella balls
- Place in the oven to bake at 350F for 10 minutes
- Remove from the oven and top with fresh basil and enjoy!
Sarah says
Holy moly this was delicious and easy! I planned to make this for dinner but lost track of time and thought it might be too hard to make in a short time with a toddler running around, but boy was I wrong! I’m so glad I stuck to my plan because this dish was so easy to make and beyond delicious. My husband even said he would pay good money for it at a restaurant. I will be sending this recipe to everyone! Thanks for creating this recipe, it will be one we continue to make through the years.
★★★★★
Madeline says
Wow this is the nicest review ever! Thank you!!
Whitney says
This was so easy and so flavorful! I served with a side of penne. Will definitely become a staple recipe in our home.
★★★★★
Madeline says
awesome!! thank you so much!!
dgorm says
This was such a hit! It was so quick to make and easy clean up! Will definitely be making it again. My boyfriend asked for it every night! Thanks for creating recipes for those who used to dread cooking dinner every night 🙂
★★★★★
Madeline says
Ah yay! That makes me sooo happy. Gotta make those easy weeknight meals possible!
Emily says
My boyfriend said this was the best meal I’d ever made!! Will definitely be incorporating into our regular meal plans.
★★★★★
Madeline says
wow LOVE that!!
Colleen says
I made this for dinner tonight because it sounded good and it tastes just as good (if not better?) as it sounds! I love all of the recipes you put out but this one will definitely be saved for future dinners. So simple and easy to make but so many amazing flavors.
★★★★★
Madeline says
so wonderful!!! thank you!!
Sam says
Hi there! Do you think there’d be a way to adapt this recipe for an instant pot?
Madeline says
Hi ! I truly don’t think this one would be great in the instant pot. It will probably be more like a shredded chicken option? But if you do want to try it would will recommend using at least 1 cup of extra liquid so it doesn’t burn in the instant pot. You can use chicken broth
Elisa O says
Sent this around to all of my friends! So easy to make and tastes even better than it looks!!!
Sarah says
So easy and so tasty!! My whole family loved dinner and had zero complaints!
★★★★★
Madeline says
so glad to hear that! Thank you!!!
Breanne says
Loved this recipe. So flavorful and an easy weeknight dinner that feels like a treat! Will definitely make again.
★★★★★
Madeline says
wonderful!! thank you so much!
Caroline says
So tasty! Perfect weeknight dinner with minimal cleanup- which is always a win!
★★★★★
Madeline says
so great to hear that! thank you!
Quinn says
Was in a rut last week and didn’t grocery shop so I was tired of eating out. On Sunday I printed out 5 of your recipes that were on the relatively quicker side. My fiancé and I made this dish tonight and it was PHENOMENAL. Seriously so easy to prep, eat, and clean up. I loved how flavorful but also light it was. Perfect spring/summer meal. I already shared it in my family group chat!
★★★★★
Madeline says
AHH love that! Thank you SO much!
Nancy says
This is my go-to summer dinner when I want something easy and delicious to serve to family or friends. Paired with a yummy pasta it is a huge crowd pleaser!
★★★★★
Tricia says
Made this last night with some arugula thrown in and TJ’s shredded parm to finish. Also used the back of a spoon to “burst” some of the tomatoes into the balsamic for depth. Delicious!
Madeline says
Those are all such great ideas Tricia! Thanks!
Rachael says
This is such a simple and delicious recipe. It hits the spot every time!
★★★★★
Madeline says
thanks Rachael!
Kay says
Simple, easy, and delicious. Will definitely put this is my dinner routine.
★★★★★
Madeline says
the best compliment! thanks Kay!
Joan Shapiro says
Great taste and easy to make
★★★★★
Madeline says
thanks so much Joan
Joan Shapiro says
My family loves this chicken dish. I double the balsamic to have extra sauce for the noodles. I also use part fig infused balsamic and they love that even more. My family ask for it at least once a week.
★★★★★
Renee says
This recipe was easy and delicious + easy cleanup with the entire meal in one skillet! My only change was to add asparagus to it, because we love asparagus. Thanks for the great recipe!!
★★★★★
Madeline says
Thanks, Renee! Asparagus sounds like a great addition, too.
Katie says
This was a HUGE hit at our house! Loved by all and can’t wait to make it again!
Madeline says
Wonderful! Thanks, Katie!