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Baked Caprese chicken is nothing less than delicious and delightful! It’s fancy enough for company but simple enough for a quick and easy weeknight dinner that your family will go crazy for!
Tender and juicy seasoned chicken that is baked in a balsamic reduction with fresh mozzarella, basil, and tomato not only sounds divine but it tastes heavenly! If you are looking for some super easy, kid-friendly recipes, be sure to try this Parmesan Chicken or Herb Chicken.
What is Baked Caprese Chicken?
There’s something about “Caprese” dishes that sound fancy. Commonly made with fresh tomato, basil, and mozzarella, you have some superstar flavors that pair with almost anything! Caprese chicken (or chicken Caprese) is an Italian-inspired chicken dish made with the following ingredients: tomatoes, fresh mozzarella, herbs, olive oil, and vinegar. It’s an easy Italian dish that can be cooked in a variety of ways but one of the simplest ways is to bake it! This Caprese chicken recipe is sure to become a new family favorite!
Having new and easy recipes in my back pocket to whip out on busy nights is my secret weapon. They keep our dinner menu constantly changing and never boring! This is definitely one of those recipes that I love to have everything on hand on the regular. I can throw it together quickly but it looks like I’ve spent all day in the kitchen! It’s an impressive dish that even the most beginner of cooks can make. Try it on its own or add in some pasta and vegetables and you will have yourself a meal to remember!
Ingredients for Chicken Caprese
Easy and fresh are exactly what I love about this dish! You can even use a few of the ingredients from your garden if you have those on hand making this a complete labor of love! See the recipe card below for exact measurements.
- Chicken breasts: Boneless, skinless chicken breast work the best for this dish.
- Balsamic vinegar: Used as a delicious glaze on top!
- Honey: Adds a touch of natural sweeteness to counter the vinegar.
- Garlic: Mince up your garlic clove. If you don’t have any that are fresh, use the minced garlic from your fridge. ½ tsp equals about 1 clove of garlic.
- Olive oil: I like olive oil because of the taste but if you only have vegetable oil, you can use that instead!
- Italian seasoning: Try making this homemade italian seasoning. It will definitely elevate this recipe to the next level!
- Salt: Brings out all of the natural flavors of the ingredients.
- Pepper: Just use a dash of pepper, this recipe doesn’t need any heat.
- Cherry tomatoes: This part is easy, you will just be using these whole! No chopping or slicing needed!
- Large tomatoes: Slice up the tomatoes so they can go on top of the chicken.
- Mozerella cheese: Most fresh mozerella comes pre-sliced. if it doesn’t, slice up into thin pieces.
- Basil: Garnish with fresh basil on top! It brings on a fresh flavor!
How to Make Caprese Chicken
From start to finish, this recipe takes only about 10 minutes to prepare. After that, all you have to do is bake it for 35 minutes and you will be done! Simple AND easy!
- Preheat and prepare: Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Add the chicken to a 9×13 inch pan.
- Whisk: In a small bowl whisk the balsamic vinegar, honey, garlic, olive oil, Italian seasoning, salt and pepper.
- Pour: Pour over the chicken and add cherry tomatoes to the side of the chicken. Place the tomato slices on the top.
- Bake: Bake for about 20-25 minutes or internal temperature is 165 degrees. Add cheese the last 5 minutes to melt.
- Garnish: Sprinkle with fresh chopped basil if desired.
Tips for Getting Your Chicken Just Right
Making sure that you know the basics of cooking chicken is essential to having your recipes turn out as best as they can! Here are a few tips on how to make the most amazing baked Caprese chicken possible!
- Dry chicken: When people bake chicken, the number one compaint I hear is that it came out dry. To avoid this, you want to cook chicken at a higher temperature. This recipe calls for an oven temperature of 400 degrees. Make sure to follow that exactly and it will allow your chicken to sweat and create natural juices that give you that juicy, baked Caprese chicken!
- Let it rest: If you want your meat to retain that juice that you worked so hard for while baking, you need to let your meat rest after you take it out of the oven. Don’t cut into it for about 10 minutes after cooking. Resting allows the chicken to soak in all of the juices and not dry out!
- How do I know when the chicken is done? You definitely don’t want to be eating undercooked chicken. You can use an internal meat thermometer to check if your chicken is cooked all the way through. Chicken that is done when it reaches 165 degrees.
Variation Ideas
If you are looking for a way to add a little bit more to this Caprese chicken, go ahead and try a couple of these ways to make this meal your own! Get creative, your family will love it!
- Pasta: Add this dish to some pasta. It will really envelope that Italian culture and you will love how it fills you right up!
- Make it a meal: I especially love to have some sides with this chicken that really complement this as the main dish. I think that these potatoes and this salad are fantastic is doing just tha!
- Open faced sandwich: Try toasting some french bread and putting this on top! An open faced sandwich is a delicious way to make this meal an informal lunch option!
How to Store Baked Caprese Chicken
This dish is so mouthwatering and amazing, I’m not sure that you will have anything leftover! But if you do, here are some ways that you can store it until next time!
- Refrigerate: Store this in an airtight container (glass with a lid or a ziplock). You can store it in your fridge for up to 4 days.
- Freezer: Wait until your chicken has completely cooled. Take off the fresh cheese and tomatoes (these won’t freeze well with the chicken) Place the chicken in a ziplock bag and seal it tight! The chicken can stay frozen in the freezer for up to 3 months. Make sure to write the date on your bag so you know how long its good for!
- Reheat: To reheat your chicken, let it thaw in the fridge overnight. Once thawed, you can then place it in a casserole dish and add the fresh mozerella cheese, tomato and basil. Bake at 375 degrees for about 30 minutes or until the internal temperature reaches 165 degrees.
