Baked Caprese Chicken is an easy dinner recipe to make in under 30 minutes! Stuffed chicken breast with mozzarella, tomatoes and fresh basil.
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Baked Caprese Chicken is an Italian dinner recipe that is simple to make, healthy, and beyond delicious! Juicy chicken breast is stuffed with mozzarella, tomatoes, and fresh basil, then baked in the oven for the perfect lighter meal!
The original Caprese salad recipe was a refreshing appetizer salad. These days, thick slices of vine-ripened tomatoes, soft mozzarella, and fresh basil are used in a lot of different dishes, from caprese meatballs and caprese pasta salad to this recipe for Caprese stuffed chicken breast!
Instead of using a balsamic vinaigrette salad dressing, this healthy baked chicken dish is drizzled with a tangy balsamic reduction.
great reasons to make baked caprese chicken
- Easy to make – While this dish may look complicated, it’s not hard to make! It’s really simple to slice, stuff, sear, and bake chicken breasts, and it looks really impressive on the plate, too.
- 30-minute dinner – If your family is busy like ours, you will appreciate that this is a quick dish to make. Believe it or not, this meal can be on the table in 30 minutes or less!
- Light and delicious! – This is the perfect meal for spring or summer because it won’t leave you feeling heavy. The combo of basil, mozzarella, tomatoes, and balsamic is simply unmatched!
ingredients for this recipe
For this chicken caprese you’ll need:
- chicken breasts – you’ll want boneless, skinless breasts for this recipe
- salt, pepper
- olive oil – this is our favorite brand
- balsamic vinegar – you could also use a balsamic reduction if you don’t want to make your own
- garlic
- brown sugar – this is used for the balsamic reduction
- basil pesto
- roma tomatoes
- mozzarella – using fresh slices of mozzarella is our preference, but shredded cheese works too
- fresh basil leaves
substitutions for this recipe
Olive Oil: You can substitute avocado oil, butter, or ghee.
Chicken Breasts: It’s hard to substitute chicken breasts in this recipe. You might be able to do it with chicken thighs but they’re smaller and not as easy to stuff.
Fresh mozzarella is the best choice, but you could use block or shredded mozzarella cheese if you must, but it will not melt as smoothly. This Apple and Brie Stuffed Chicken is great if you’re looking for a brie stuffed chicken recipe!
Roma tomatoes are a great choice for this dish because it has less moisture and seeds than other tomatoes and keeps the dish from becoming too watery. Sun dried tomatoes can be a good substitute. Cherry tomatoes are a bit too soggy, but heirloom tomato slices might work!
Basil: Keep the fresh basil leaves tucked inside the chicken as best you can. Basil burns really quickly and will turn brown and crispy if it’s not tucked in the chicken. We don’t recommend using dried basil.
Balsamic Glaze: You can buy already made balsamic glaze at the grocery store in the same aisle as the vinegar if you want to take a shortcut.Â
How to make Caprese Chicken Breast
- Trim chicken breasts and slice a large pocket horizontally in the center of the breast, making sure not to cut all the way through. Season chicken all over with salt and pepper.
- Place 1 tbsp of pesto into the pocket of each breast and spread evenly.
- Stuff each chicken breast with 2 halves of the mozzarella, 2 slices of tomato and 1 to 2 basil leaves. Secure with toothpicks.
- In a saucepan, over medium heat whisk together the balsamic, garlic and brown sugar. Bring to a boil, and cook until it has reduced by half, about 15 minutes. Set aside.
- In a large oven safe skillet over medium heat, thinly coat the pan with olive oil. Sear the chicken breasts until the outside is golden brown.
- Bake at 375° for 8-12 minutes until the chicken’s inside temperature reaches 165℉.
- Remove from the oven and let rest for 5 minutes. Serve with a drizzle of the balsamic glaze and fresh basil for garnish.
tips for making stuffed caprese chicken breasts
- Be sure all of the chicken pieces are roughly the same thickness. This helps to ensure even cooking.
- When creating the pocket for stuffing, avoid cutting all the way through. You want to use your knife to slice a large pocket horizontally in the center of the breast, but be sure not to cut all the way through from side to side, or so far back that you slice the breast into two pieces.
- Sear each stuffed chicken breast before baking. It only takes a couple of minutes per side to sear them, and it helps to lock the juices inside the meat.
- Use an instant-read digital thermometer to check doneness of baked caprese chicken. Your meal will be safe to eat when the internal temperature in the center of the breasts reaches 165°F.
Liz’s Tip:
For less dishes to wash, use an oven-safe skillet. This way, you can sear and bake in the same pan!
what to serve with baked caprese chicken
Any of your favorite sides, pasta, rice, or a crisp salad with this baked stuffed chicken breast. Some of our favorites are:
- Grilled Vegetables
- Green Beans Almondine
- Garlic Roasted Brussels Sprouts
- Balsamic Mushrooms
- We love serving Homemade Bruschetta on the side!
We love this instant-read thermometer for checking the internal temperature to make sure your meat is cooked thoroughly!
Storing Baked Chicken Caprese
Storing: Place any leftover baked chicken caprese in an airtight container and store it in your fridge. It should keep well for about 3 days.
Freezing: We don’t recommend freezing this recipe. The tomatoes will become very watery as they thaw out.
Reheating: The best way to reheat baked stuffed chicken without the meal becoming dry is in a covered pan in the oven. We like to add about 1/4 cup of liquid (water or chicken stock) to promote steaming.
You can reheat it in the microwave, but if so, use 50% power to keep the chicken from drying out and the cheese from getting hard.
Other healthy chicken dinner recipes:
Chicken recipes are our favorite! Check out these Healthy Chicken Recipes & see more of our best chicken recipes below. Click here to grab our free healthy 30 minute dinners cookbook.
Chicken Breast Caprese
Ingredients
- 1.5 lbs boneless, skinless chicken breasts 4 small breasts
- 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon fresh black pepper
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
Balsamic Reduction:
- ½ cup balsamic vinegar
- 1/2 teaspoon minced garlic
- 1 tablespoon brown sugar
Filling:
- 4 tablespoons basil pesto
- 8 slices roma tomatoes sliced thin-about 3/4 cup
- 4 slices fresh mozzarella cut in half -about 3/4 cup
- 1 bunch fresh basil leaves
Instructions
- Trim chicken breasts and slice a large pocket horizontally in the center of the breast, making sure not to cut all the way through. Season chicken all over with salt and pepper.
- Make the balsamic reduction. In a small saucepan, over medium heat whisk together the balsamic, garlic and brown sugar. (Tip: You can buy already made balsamic glaze at the grocery store in the same aisle as the vinegars, if you want to take a shortcut. )
- Bring the balsamic mixture to a boil, and cook until it has reduced by half, until only a ¼ cup remains and the mixture is just thick enough to coat the back of a spoon, about 15 minutes. Set aside.
- Preheat oven to 375℉. Prep the chicken. Place 1 tablespoon of pesto into the pocket of each breast and spread evenly. Stuff each chicken breast with 2 halves of the mozzarella, 2 slices of tomato and 1 to 2 basil leaves.
- Secure the chicken together with toothpicks to make sure the filling is secured.
- In a large oven safe skillet over medium heat, add enough olive oil to thinly coat the pan. Sear the chicken breasts until the outside is golden brown.
- Once the chicken has seared, bake in the oven until the chicken is fully cooked and the inside temperature reaches 165℉, about 8-12 minutes depending on the thickness of the chicken. If you do not have a large oven safe skillet, you can transfer the chicken to a baking dish or sheet tray to finish baking in the oven.
- Remove from the oven and let rest for 5 minutes. Serve with a drizzle of the balsamic glaze and fresh basil for garnish.
Notes
- Be sure all of the chicken pieces are roughly the same thickness. This helps to ensure even cooking.
- When creating the pocket for stuffing, avoid cutting all the way through. You want to use your knife to slice a large pocket horizontally in the center of the breast, but be sure not to cut all the way through from side to side, or so far back that you slice the breast into two pieces.
- Sear each stuffed chicken breast before baking. It only takes a couple of minutes per side to sear them, and it helps to lock the juices inside the meat.
- Use an instant-read digital thermometer to check doneness of baked caprese chicken. Your meal will be safe to eat when the internal temperature in the center of the breasts reaches 165°F.
Ashley Roseberry says
This was REALLY good and really easy! My husband and kids loved it! I served it with a salad and some bruschetta and it was a perfect light, summer meal. The balsamic glaze was **chef’s kiss** Will definitely make again!
Ora says
Made this for dinner tonight with pasta with pesto sauce. Husband and I enjoyed it! Good use of our bountiful basil.
Liz Marino says
So glad you enjoyed!
Tina says
Loved this recipe, quick and easy!! Made it for a family dinner with a bunch of family members and everyone loved it!!! Will definitely add to my list of regular meals.
Lisa Gates says
This sounds so good! Cannot wait to make it, probably next week💜💜