Our easy Chicken Caprese recipe has juicy chicken breasts baked in a simple balsamic reduction with melted mozzarella, fresh tomato, and basil. It’s healthy, flavorful, and made all in one pan.

Do you love one pot meals as much as I do? I recommend this Tuscan Chicken Pasta, Mongolian Beef, Cottage Pie, or Meatballs Arrabbiata!

A baked chicken caprese recipe with melted mozzarella cheese and topped with a slice of fresh tomato and chopped basil.

One Pan Chicken Caprese worthy of your busiest night

This Chicken Caprese recipe is proof you can have a beautifully impressive looking dinner on the table in just about 30 minutes. I love that it pulls from the fresh flavors of a traditional caprese salad to create a flavorful chicken dish that will steal the show on any table. The key is to use fresh tomatoes from a local famers market, or grown from your garden if you’re that lucky!

How to make Chicken Caprese:

Sear Chicken and Make Sauce: Season chicken on both sides with oil, basil, oregano, salt, and pepper then sear in a hot pan with oil, until golden brown on each side. In a bowl, combine diced red onion, garlic, balsamic vinegar, and brown sugar. Pour mixture into the pan and simmer.

Two images showing seared chicken breasts in a pan, then a balsamic vinegar glaze to make an easy chicken caprese recipe.

Bake: Return chicken to the pan and spoon sauce on top. Place pan in oven and bake until chicken is cooked through. Top each chicken breast with a slice of fresh mozzarella cheese. Broil until the cheese has melted completely.

Two images showing the best chicken caprese recipe with chicken balsamic glaze over the chicken, then after mozzarella cheese is melted on top.

Serve: Add a fresh sliced tomato and basil on top. I love to serve chicken caprese with a green salad and fresh artisan bread.

Three chicken breasts in a pan with a balsamic sauce, topped with melted cheese, a fresh tomato slice, and chopped basil.

Storing and Freezing Instructions:

Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. I enjoy the cold chicken chopped over salad greens, for lunch.

To Freeze: You may freeze the chicken before adding the cheese and tomatoes in an airtight container for up to 2 months. Thaw overnight in the fridge, then rewarm and add caprese toppings.

Recipe Variations:

  • Grilled Chicken Caprese: Season the raw chicken as directed, but grill on a well greased grill, until cooked through. Add mozzarella cheese and close grill lid until cheese has melted. Add tomato and basil and serve.
  • Chicken Caprese Pasta: Double the balsamic sauce then serve the chicken caprese over hot cooked pasta, drizzling the pasta in the extra sauce.
  • Chicken Caprese Sandwich: Cook chicken in oven as directed. Serve each cooked breast inside your favorite kind of toasted bread or crusty roll, with a slice of mozzarella, tomato, and handful of arugula. Garnish with salt and pepper and a small drizzle of balsamic sauce.

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Recipe

Chicken Caprese chicken breast with mozzarella, tomato and basil on top, served on a plate with a green salad.
4.95 from 17 votes

Chicken Caprese

This easy Chicken Caprese recipe has juicy chicken breasts baked in a simple balsamic reduction with melted mozzarella, a slice of a fresh tomato, and chopped basil. It's healthy, flavorful, and made all in one pan!
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Author Lauren Allen
Course Main Course
Cuisine Italian
Servings 4
Calories 360
Cost 6
Prep 5 minutes
Cook 30 minutes
Total 35 minutes
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Ingredients
 
 

  • 3-4 boneless skinless chicken breasts*
  • 2 Tablespoons olive oil
  • 3/4 teaspoon dried basil
  • 3/4 teaspoon dried oregano leaves
  • salt and pepper
  • 1/3 cup red onion , diced
  • 1/3 cup balsamic vinegar
  • 2 Tablespoons light brown sugar
  • 1 clove garlic
  • 2 Roma tomatoes , sliced
  • 8 ounces fresh mozzarella cheese , sliced
  • fresh basil leaves , chiffonade cut

Instructions
 

  • Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
  • Season chicken on both sides with 1 Tablespoon oil, basil, oregano, salt and pepper. 
  • Brown chicken: Heat a large oven-proof skillet over medium-high heat. Once hot, add remaining oil, then chicken, and sear chicken quickly, flipping once, just until golden on both sides. Remove to plate.
  • Glaze: Mix together the diced red onion, garlic, balsamic vinegar and brown sugar. Pour the mixture into the skillet and simmer, stirring, for 3 minutes.
  • Bake: Return chicken to pan and spoon sauce over it. Place pan in oven and roast until the chicken is cooked through (165 degrees), about 10-20 minutes depending on how thick the breasts are. Remove from oven. 
  • Turn oven to broil.
  • Top each chicken with a slice of fresh mozzarella cheese. Broil just until the cheese has melted.
  • Serve immediately, topped with fresh sliced tomatoes and fresh-cut basil and spoon the pan sauce over the top. 
  • Make it a meal and serve chicken caprese with a green salad and fresh artisan bread.

Notes

Chicken: If your chicken breasts are overly thick, you can butterfly them by cutting them in half, horizontally, to make two thinner chicken breast halves that will cook faster.
Storing Instructions: Keep leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. I enjoy the cold chicken chopped over salad greens for lunch!
Freezing Instructions: You may freeze the chicken before adding the cheese and tomatoes in an airtight container for up to 2 months. Thaw overnight in the fridge, then re-warm and add caprese toppings.
Grilled Chicken Caprese: Season the raw chicken as directed, but grill on a well greased grill, until cooked through. Add mozzarella cheese and close grill lid until cheese has melted. Add tomato and basil and serve.
Chicken Caprese Pasta: Double the balsamic sauce and serve the chicken caprese over hot cooked pasta, drizzling the pasta in the extra sauce.
Chicken Caprese Sandwich: Cook chicken in oven as directed. Serve each cooked breast inside your favorite kind of toasted bread or crusty roll, with a slice of mozzarella, tomato, and handful of arugula. Garnish with salt, pepper, and a small drizzle of balsamic sauce.

Nutrition

Calories: 360kcalCarbohydrates: 13gProtein: 29gFat: 21gSaturated Fat: 5gCholesterol: 74mgSodium: 149mgPotassium: 502mgFiber: 1gSugar: 11gVitamin A: 540IUVitamin C: 10.6mgCalcium: 237mgIron: 0.9mg

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I originally shared this recipe May 2019. Updated August 2021 and April 2024.

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Lauren Allen

Welcome! I’m Lauren, a mom of four and lover of good food. Here you’ll find easy recipes and weeknight meal ideas made with real ingredients, with step-by-step photos and videos.

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4.95 from 17 votes (10 ratings without comment)

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Comments

  1. 5 stars
    Made this and it is OUTSTANDING!! Tastes like something you would order in an expensive restaurant. Yum. We even saved the leftover balsamic glaze and used it as a dipping sauce for fresh bread with another meal

    Reply

  2. 5 stars
    Thank goodness I found you I’ve just made 6 Cornish Pasties they are delicious Best Regards ELAINE 😊

    Reply

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