The Cozy Cookbook is here! This Caprese Chicken has the most flavorful balsamic sauce, seasoned and seared chicken, fresh tomatoes, and basil. It comes together quickly in a skillet before a brief bake in the oven to melt the fresh mozzarella cheese!
Be sure to serve this with greens and beans and smashed or roasted potatoes!
Caprese Chicken
When it comes to easy chicken recipes, I think this Caprese Chicken just jumped to the top of my favorites list! This comes together so quickly in a skillet before a quick bake in the oven to melt that delicious, fresh mozzarella cheese.
This is a great way to make use of fresh garden tomatoes and basil, and it pairs really well with a variety of roasted vegetables and potato dishes!
(PS- my picky eater loves this meal!) Read on to learn exactly what makes this recipe taste so delicious.
How to Make It
See recipe card below this post for ingredient quantities and full instructions.
To start, sear seasoned chicken in a skillet. This creates a beautiful golden crust on the outside of the chicken and leaves a ton of flavor, (i.e. fond!) on the bottom of the pan, which is deglazed with white wine. (Chicken broth can be used if you don’t cook with wine.)
From there, we make a delicious balsamic sauce, which starts with a little butter and minced garlic.
Add Chicken broth, balsamic vinegar, and honey. Bring the sauce to a gentle boil and let it reduce for 5 minutes, then remove from heat and add the chicken back.
Top the chicken with fresh mozzarella, sliced tomatoes, and dried basil. Cherry tomatoes add a nice finishing touch to the dish.
Bake for 10 minutes, then broil for 3. Drizzle with balsamic glaze, top with freshly cracked pepper, and garnish with fresh basil and voila! Dinner is done.
What to Serve With Caprese Chicken
- Greens and Beans
- Roasted asparagus, green beans, or broccoli.
- Vegetable Casserole
- Smashed, Roasted, or Grilled Potatoes
- Buttered Noodles
- More Side Dish Recipes
Pro Tips
- Wine: Sauvignon Blanc is the best wine to use in this recipe, followed by Chardonnay, and then Pinot Grigio. Chicken broth can be used if you don’t cook with wine.
- I use Pompeian Gourmet Balsamic Vinegar for this recipe.
Storage
- Store in an airtight container and refrigerate for up to 3 days or freeze for up to 3 months.
Tools For This Recipe
(Amazon affiliate links)- Check out all of my kitchen essentials here.
- 3-Quart Stainless Steel Sauté Pan– The same size as pictured in this recipe.
- Meat Tenderizer– This makes the meat much more tender.
- 8-inch Chef’s Knife– This is the one I have, I love it.
- Cutting Boards- I love having assorted sizes. (One for the meat, one for the veggies, etc.)
- Better Than Bouillon– This is what I always use for broth in my recipes. It takes very little space and makes it easy to measure out customized amounts of broth.
Try These Next
-
- Pepper Steak
-
- Mushroom Ravioli Sauce
-
- Tomato Chicken Pasta
-
- Pan Fried Pork Chops
-
- Italian Pasta Salad
-
- Peach Chicken
Get My Free Meal Plan
I’ve got a Free Meal Plan with 7 of my super popular recipes (complete with grocery list)! Sign up for my email list and I’ll send it over now along with weekly dinner recipes!
And follow me on Facebook, Instagram, and Pinterest!
Tried This Recipe?
Leave a review, I love hearing your feedback! ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Caprese Chicken
Ingredients
Chicken
- 2 large boneless skinless chicken breasts
- Salt/Pepper
- 2 teaspoons Italian seasoning
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 8 slices fresh mozzarella, whole milk/low moisture melts best
- 1 whole tomato, thinly sliced
- 1 cup cherry tomatoes
Balsamic Sauce
- 1/3 cup dry white wine, see notes
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 3 tablespoons butter
- 1/3 cup Balsamic vinegar
- 1/3 cup chicken broth
- 3 tablespoons honey
- 1 teaspoon dried basil
For Serving
- Fresh Basil
- Balsamic Glaze
- Freshly Cracked Pepper
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 425°F.
- Slice the chicken in half lengthwise to create 2-3 thinner slices. Place in a gallon freezer bag (or in between saran wrap) and use the textured side of a meat mallet to pound it to ½ inch thick. Pat completely dry. Season each side with salt, pepper, and Italian seasonings.
- Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Sear the chicken in batches for 3-4 minutes per side, until a golden crust has developed. Set aside.
- Add the wine to the skillet over medium heat and use a silicone spatula to “clean” the bottom and sides of the skillet. Let it reduce by half, 3-4 minutes.
- Melt the butter, then add the garlic and cook for 2 minutes. Add the balsamic vinegar, chicken broth, and honey and stir to combine. Bring to a gentle boil. Let it simmer and reduce for 5 minutes, remove from heat.
- Transfer the sauce to a 9 x 13-inch baking dish if your skillet isn’t oven safe.
- Add the chicken to the sauce along with any juices from the plate. Top each piece of chicken with 2 slices of mozzarella and 1 slice of tomato, then sprinkle with dried basil. Arrange the cherry tomatoes around the chicken.
- Bake for 8-10 minutes, or until the cheese is just melted, then broil at 425 (or a low broil), for about 2 minutes. Watch it carefully during this time. Remove from oven. Drizzle with balsamic glaze and garnish with fresh basil. Serve with roasted asparagus or roasted potatoes.
Notes
- Wine: Sauvignon Blanc is the best wine to use in this recipe, followed by Chardonnay, and then Pinot Grigio. Chicken broth can be used if you don’t cook with wine.
- Pairing Suggestions: Roasted Potatoes, Roasted Asparagus, Roasted Green Beans, Roasted Broccoli, Grilled Potatoes.
- The nutritional information provided is an estimate and is per serving. This recipe makes 4 servings.
I like the sound of this but think it might need some refining. If you sear the chicken for 3 to 4 minutes then bake for 10 then broil for 3 the chicken will be overlooked. I will ponder this and figure out a way to make it without overlooking the chicken..
The recipe is pretty clear that you’re using the oven just long enough to melt the cheese 🙂 That said, searing for 3-4 minutes per side may not always cook the chicken through completely, so the additional oven time doesn’t hurt.
I tried this recipe tonight and it came out delicious…along with your roasted potatoes and asparagus.
Quick question about this recipe…my sauce didn’t thicken. How do you suggest I get it to be less liquidy?
On a side note…I just have to say I absolutely love all of your recipes and how you throughly explain everything. Not only do I have your cookbook but I also get your newsletters!
Hey Stephanie!! I’m sooooo glad that you have been enjoying my recipes and that you even have my cookbook! I LOVE that!! So this recipe is one where the sauce isn’t meant to be thick- so you did nothing wrong. It’s a balsamic sauce that I decided not to thicken with a roux for a change, to keep things on the lighter side. I created this in the summer as a way to enjoy fresh garden tomatoes and figured it would be a nice light, lower-carb option! If you wanted to make a thicker sauce, you could create a roux adding 1.5 tablespoons of flour to the skillet at the same time that you add the butter and garlic! 🙂 Thank you so much for your support, and I love your name! 😉 XOXO