Simple Chicken Caprese recipe
I always love cooking with chicken because it’s so fast and versatile. My pepperoni pizza chicken always goes down well with N, and even the OH mopped up the sauce with no moans when I make queso chicken. So I knew this Chicken Caprese recipe would become a favourite too.
Calling it Chicken Caprese is just trying to make it more exotic than it is, given it’s just chicken with mozzarella and tomato, plus basil. It’s inspired by one of my favourite salads which is so simple.
Caprese salad is slices of mozzarella, tomato and basil, and I drizzle it with balsamic glaze. Or if you do it the pizza restaurants way, add pesto rather than balsamic. Delicious anyway, and I thought I’d give chicken the caprese treatment.
Rather than using sliced tomatoes, I add a sauce when cooking the chicken to avoid it getting too dry. For this recipe, a simple basil and tomato sauce works well. I just sat the chicken breasts in a shop bought chilled sauce.
With less than 10 minutes prep time, and around 25 minutes cooking, it’s an easy and fast meal to get on the dinner table.
Chicken Caprese recipe
Serves 3
Prep time 10 mins
Cooking time 25 mins
Ingredients
- 3 chicken breasts (1 per person)
- 2 mozzarella balls
- Fresh basil
- Tomato and basil sauce (I use chilled pasta sauce, but you can use plain passata and then season with salt and pepper, adding chopped or dry basil.
Instructions to make Chicken Caprese
Preheat the oven to 180C.
To prep the chicken breasts, cut slits vertically through the chicken breasts, from the top to ¾ of the way through. Put in a shallow ovenproof dish with the slits facing upwards.
Slice the mozzarella (you can use mozzarella balls or the pizza cheese block version. Both work fine). And slice the tomatoes.
In each of the slits in the chicken, add a piece of mozzarella, slice of tomato and a fresh basil leaf.
Spoon the tomato and basil sauce around the chicken. I used just over half a chilled tomato and basil pasta sauce tub, but you can use as much or little as you want.
Bake in the oven for around 25 minutes, until the chicken is cooked through, and the cheese is melted and lightly browning.
Good accompaniments are green beans, broccoli and new potatoes, but just add whatever veg works for your family.
You can easily make this for more or fewer people by increasing or reducing the ingredient volumes.
Let me know if you make this Chicken Caprese recipe.
Why not try these other chicken dishes:
We love it!