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A hand holding a cut up piece of chicken caprese showing how juicy it is

Chicken Caprese

Chicken Caprese is as good as it sounds--a combo of Caprese Salad flavors all stuffed and cooked with chicken breast. So you have the best of both worlds --best of Caprese, and best Chicken recipe! This weeknight dinner wonder will be your favorite potluck, leftover lunch, summer dinner, fancy Italian mood dinner!

Course Chicken, Main Course, Main Dish
Cuisine American, Italian
Keyword caprese, caprese chicken, Caprese recipe, chicken caprese, chicken dinner, chicken recipe, Italian recipe
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 25 minutes
Servings 4 people
Calories 447 kcal
Author Mahy

Ingredients

Chicken

  • 4 boneless skinless chicken breasts
  • 1/2 teaspoon each salt and pepper
  • 1 teaspoon garlic powder
  • 2 teaspons oregano
  • 2 tablespoons butter

Caprese

  • 8 slices mozzarella cheese fresh or semi solid mozzarella is best
  • 3 ripe tomatoes on the vine sliced
  • 1/2 cup Fresh basil leaves
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 3 tablespoons fresh basil chopped
  • 1 tablespoon basil pesto optional
  • 1/4 teaspoon chilli flakes optional

Instructions

  1. Start by preparing the chicken. Place the chicken breast on a cutting board.

    one piece of boneless skinless chicken breast
  2. Use a sharp knife to cut through the chicken in half lengthwise without cutting all the way through.

    a hand using a sharp knife to cut through the chicken breast and butterfly it
  3. This is what the chicken looks like and it's called a butterflied chicken breast.

    One butterflied chicken breast
  4. Now you'll need to blend all the seasoning and spices to flavor the chicken.

    a hand holding a bowl of chicken seasoning to sprinkle on the inside and outside of the chicken
  5. Sprinkle the slices on both sides of the chicken breast.

    butterflied chicken breasts on a wooden board lined with paper that are seasoned on both sides
  6. start layering the caprese ingredients. Start with the cheese, followed by the basil and then tomatoes on one half of the chicken breast.

    A chicken breast with layers of mozzarella cheese, tomatoes and lots of fresh basil leaves on top
  7. Cover the caprese ingredients by folding the other half of the chicken over it.

    The other half of the chicken is folded over the filling
  8. Now use toothpicks and securely close up the open side of the chicken breasts.

    the chicken caprese is secured with toothpicks to seal in the filling
  9. Place the butter in a heavy duty skillet and melt. Then place the chicken in the hot skillet, top side down until it forms a golden crust. This takes 5-7 minutes.

    caprese chicken searing in a hot skillet with butter, top side down
  10. Flip the chicken when golden and cook for another 3-4 minutes before placing the skillet in a preheated 375 degree oven.

    A tong flipping one side of the caprese chicken to show the golden crust
  11. The chicken will bake in the oven for 15 minutes until cooked through.

    baked chicken caprese out of the oven cooked through
  12. When ready, drizzle some quality olive oil over the chicken, add some basil pesto, fresh basil and more tomato slices if you need.

    chicken caprese on a wooden board close up showing the golden crust and shine on the chicken
  13. Enjoy! Cut through and see how juicy and tasty the chicken is

    one cut up piece of chicken caprese stacked to show how cooked and juicy the chicken is and show the tomato, cheese and basil later close up

Recipe Video

Recipe Notes

Chicken Caprese Recipe TIPS

  • Use chicken breasts--boneless and skinless as they cook faster.
  • Fresh mozzarella is the best to use here, but semi fresh can work just as well.
  • Sweet summer tomatoes--any variety as long as they're the same size and thinly sliced would work.
  • if you don't have fresh basil on hand, use Basil Pesto.
  • Seasoning the chicken before stuffing or searing is KEY to tasty chicken rather than bland.
  • Don't over stuff the chicken breasts as that will make them harder to secure
  • Make sure to use toothpicks on a diagonal to secure the filling inside.
  • You can sear the chicken in butter or olive oil.
  • Flip the chicken when golden and then continue cooking in the oven.
  • The chicken will not cook through on the stove top, so make sure to finish cooking it in the oven.
  • A final drizzle of olive oil, basil pesto, tomatoes and more basil when cooked, takes the meal to another level!

A classic Italian dish made with chicken, mozzarella, tomatoes, basil, olive oil and cooked.

What do you serve with caprese?

Salad, sandwich, pasta, beans, rice, croutons and anything you like!

What can I substitute for basil in Caprese salad?

I love basil pesto if basil is unavailable. However if you want to swap the herb completely then I would suggest oregano like this Tomato Salad.

Why is caprese called caprese?

It's believed that the salad came from the Italian island of Capri and hence the name.

Why is caprese so good?

The combo of flavors is incredible and the tomatoes are loaded with vitamin C and so good for you!

Variations

Chicken Caprese Sandwich

Make the recipe as is, and then cut the chicken and make it into a sandwich with a spread of basil mayo or garlic aioli. So GOOD!

Chicken Caprese Salad

My favorite way to make this is either by making my crowd pleasing Caprese Salad and then slicing this chicken caprese recipe and arranging it with the salad.

Or by making the chicken recipe only and adding it over a bed of arugula/greens, adding more tomatoes and bocconcini cheese.  And finally dressing it with a fresh basil vinaigrette which you can find in my Italian Panzanella Salad With Basil Dressing

Nutrition Facts
Chicken Caprese
Amount Per Serving
Calories 447 Calories from Fat 270
% Daily Value*
Fat 30g46%
Saturated Fat 13g81%
Trans Fat 0.2g
Polyunsaturated Fat 2g
Monounsaturated Fat 11g
Cholesterol 132mg44%
Sodium 865mg38%
Potassium 713mg20%
Carbohydrates 6g2%
Fiber 2g8%
Sugar 3g3%
Protein 38g76%
Vitamin A 1719IU34%
Vitamin C 15mg18%
Calcium 326mg33%
Iron 1mg6%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.