Chicken Caprese with Balsamic Glaze

Baked chicken recipes are probably one of the most searched recipes out there. And this Chicken Caprese recipe is sure to be one of your new favorites. Juicy and delicious, this delicious recipe comes together with just 6 ingredients.

 

What is Caprese?

Caprese usually refers to a combination of three ingredients:

• Mozzarella or burrata cheese
• Fresh Basil (sometimes pesto)
• Tomato (fresh, pesto or sun dried)- I like thick slices from a beefsteak, but you can also plum or cherry tomatoes

For this recipe we are using fresh tomato slices, boneless skinless chicken breasts, slices of mozzarella and fresh basil leaves. It makes for a great weeknight dinner or even a fancy meal. My family loves it!

The term comes from the Italian island of Capri, where the combination originated and is still very popular. Besides this caprese chicken, some of my other favorite caprese recipes are:

• Caprese Quesadillas
• Caprese Kabobs
• Caprese Burgers
• Hot Caprese Dip

Why You’ll Love This Caprese Chicken

When you’re looking for easy chicken recipes, thus simple recipe is a great way to make dinner in a cinch.

• Great for summer months – Fire up the outdoor grill and add your favorite summer salad caprese flavors to an easy weeknight dinner!
• The whole family will enjoy – Even the pickiest of eaters will love the finished dish with juicy chicken, melty cheese and fresh flavor.
• Make it your own – There are endless ways for you to customize this dish to you and your family’s liking.

Ingredients

The simple ingredients needed to make this caprese chicken can easily be found at your local grocery store.

• Chicken breasts – I like to use boneless skinless chicken breasts for sake of ease. I like to make sure they are trimmed and pounded to a relatively uniform thickness.  
• Italian dressing – To simplify things, you can just use your favorite bottled version from the grocery store! If you have a homemade dressing that you love, use that instead.
• Kosher salt – We add salt to the marinade to help the flavors to better penetrate the chicken. It enhances flavor while also promoting a juicy chicken breast.
• Roasted tomatoes – Instead of using fresh tomatoes like a classic caprese salad, I like to use roasted tomatoes. You can roast them yourself or even buy them already roasted at the grocery store.
• Fresh mozzarella cheese – You want this to be sliced, not shredded. The melted mozzarella sends this baked caprese chicken over the top! 
• Fresh basil leaves – Used as a garnish, fresh basil adds a bite and freshness to this easy dinner recipe.
• Balsamic reduction – You will easily be able to find this down the dressing aisle, but you can also make your own homemade balsamic reduction too.
• Parmesan cheese – I always prefer to freshly grate my cheese. Pre-shredded cheese has an additive that doesn’t allow it to melt smoothly.
• Salt and pepper – I like to use a simple blend of flakey sea salt and freshly ground black pepper to season this dish to taste

Variations

There are plenty of ways for you to make this caprese chicken recipe your own. Here are a few suggestions.

• Chicken – If you’d like to swap out the chicken breasts for chicken thighs, be my guest! You could also use chicken cutlets. Make sure to adjust cook time accordingly and use an instant-read thermometer to check the internal temperature.
• Tomatoes – You can swap out the roasted tomatoes for fresh tomatoes instead. I recommend using sweet tomatoes like roma tomatoes or grape tomatoes. Keep in mind the juicy tomatoes will make more liquid in the dish.
• Basil – In addition to the basil or instead of, you can use basil pesto for even more flavor! Try making it homemade, or use your favorite store-bought pesto.

How to Make Caprese Chicken

Making this delicious meal is easier than you think! There are even two methods of cooking the chicken laid out below.

1. Prepare chicken. Trim chicken breasts and place in an airtight container or plastic bag along with Italian dressing and Kosher salt. Marinate for 1-24 hours.

On the Grill

1. Prepare grill. Heat grill to medium-high heat, about 400 degrees.
2. Remove chicken from marinade. Remove chicken and shake off excess marinade. Discard leftover marinade.
3. Grill chicken. Oil grates and place chicken over indirect heat. Cook chicken on each side. Time will be determined by the thickness of your chicken and can vary greatly.
4. Turn off heat. Cook until chicken registers at 165 degrees. Turn off heat, but leave chicken on the grill.
5. Assemble. Place roasted tomatoes and mozzarella cheese on each breast. Shut the lid and allow to heat until cheese just starts to melt.
6. Garnish. Remove and top with fresh basil and drizzle with balsamic reduction sauce. Parmesan cheese, Maldon sea salt and freshly ground pepper are optional.

In the Oven

1. Prepare oven and baking dish. Preheat the oven and coat a baking dish or rimmed baking sheet with cooking spray.
2. Remove chicken from marinade. Remove chicken and shake off excess marinade. Discard leftover marinade. Place chicken on cooking dish with space between each.
3. Bake chicken until it reaches 165 degrees internally. Turn off oven.
4. Assemble. Top with roasted tomatoes and mozzarella cheese on each breast. Place back into the oven until cheese just starts to melt.
5. Garnish. Remove and top with fresh basil and drizzle with balsamic reduction sauce. Parmesan cheese, Maldon sea salt and freshly ground pepper are optional

What to Serve with Caprese Chicken

This is a fairly basic baked chicken recipe, so the side dish options are endless!I might start it off with Air Fryer Burrata. If I’m having something that’s cheesy like this, I generally like to serve it with something green or leafy.

You could make some steamed broccoli to go alongside it. Or even a nice leafy salad, too. I’ve also seen this dish served as “caprese chicken pasta,” so if you’re a pasta lover, consider some angel hair pasta.

You could totally whip up a a batch of linguine, or fried gnocchi throw some pesto on it and serve it alongside your chicken. Or just plop the chicken right on top!

One thing is for sure. You can’t have a meal like this without some garlic bread! Here are some of my favorites:

• No Yeast Roasted Garlic Bread
• Truffle Butter Garlic Bread
• Cheesy Garlic Bread Sticks
• Pull Apart Cheesy Garlic Bread

And if you want to take your bread a step further, try my Garlic Parmesan Olive Oil Bread Dip or Carrabba’s Olive Oil Bread Dip to dip it in!

Storage and Freezing

How to Store

You can store any leftover caprese chicken in an airtight container. It will last in the refrigerator for up to five days.

Can I Freeze Caprese Chicken?

Freeze leftover chicken for up to 3 months in resealable freezer bags or a freezer-safe container.

More Baked Chicken Recipes

Chicken recipes can become quite ho hum and boring. But not anymore! Check out some of our favorites.