This Baked Chicken Caprese is an easy dinner recipe that comes together in less than 30 minutes! A simple balsamic sauce, roasted cherry tomatoes, juicy chicken breasts, and Mozzarella cheese.
See the step by step recipe video down in the recipe card.
Love caprese flavors? Check out this Caprese Chicken and Potatoes, Chicken Caprese Skillet, or this One Pot Caprese Chicken and Rice!
Table of Contents
- Why we love this Baked Chicken Caprese recipe:
- What people are saying:
- Chicken Caprese ingredients:
- How to make this Caprese Chicken recipe:
- How to store leftover chicken:
- How to prep this Chicken Caprese ahead:
- What is Caprese Chicken?
- Serving suggestions:
- More Italian-inspired chicken recipes you’ll love:
- Baked Chicken Caprese Recipe
In this Chicken Caprese, the balsamic vinegar balances out the sweetness of the tomatoes, the herbiness of the basil, and the savory Mozzarella cheese — they all work together to create something really incredible!
I know that many recipes for Caprese Chicken are done on the stovetop, but I love throwing this in the oven.
Baking this Chicken Caprese means that they come out perfectly juicy with loads of flavor and minimal prep work.
Why we love this Baked Chicken Caprese recipe:
- Perfect for busy weeknights: This dish is ready in 35 minutes, making the perfect quick dinner for hectic days!
- Family-friendly: Packed with great flavor, this easy chicken dinner is one the whole family will love.
- Easy clean up: Everything is made in one casserole dish, so there’s no need to worry about a pile of dishes after eating!
What people are saying:
“Loved this ! It was so good and so easy, I can’t wait to make it again ! Definitely crave worthy!” Susan
Chicken Caprese ingredients:
- Chicken Breasts: you’ll need boneless, skinless chicken breasts for this recipe. You can swap this for boneless, skinless chicken thighs but you may want to double the amount.
- Balsamic vinegar: adds tanginess and reduces down to create a thickened sauce.
- Olive oil: adds flavor to the balsamic mixture.
- Basil pesto: this is an untraditional ingredient but one I love because it packs in so much herby flavor! You can use store-bought pesto or make your own if you have the time.
- Honey: balances out the tanginess of the vinegar. You can swap this with a bit of sugar if you prefer!
- Cherry tomatoes: these become soft and add a subtle sweetness to the dish. You can swap for one or two large tomatoes, roughly chopped.
- Mozzarella cheese: I use shredded mozzarella cheese and sprinkle it on top! Whole or part-skim mozzarella will work. If you’re feeling fancy, you can swap this with slices of fresh mozzarella.
- Fresh basil: fresh basil leaves add a final pop of herby flavor. Because fresh basil lasts about 9 seconds in the fridge (I’m kidding, but it’s almost true!), I don’t always have it on hand. You can swap for a little extra pesto or dried herbs for additional flavor. Just go light if you are using dried basil — it has a powerful flavor!
How to make this Caprese Chicken recipe:
The oven does practically all the work in this recipe! For the full list of recipe instructions, scroll down to the recipe card.
- Pound the chicken breasts to an even thickness and place them in a greased baking dish.
- Whisk together the balsamic sauce. Pour the sauce over the chicken and add cherry tomatoes to the dish.
- Add the shredded mozzarella on top of the chicken and broil until the cheese melts.
- Garnish with fresh basil and serve warm!
How to store leftover chicken:
Refrigerator:
Leftover Chicken Caprese can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
I recommend reheating gently on the stovetop in a covered skillet, adding a touch of water or chicken broth as needed.
Freezer:
Because of the fresh tomatoes, I don’t generally freeze this recipe, although it could be done. Freeze in airtight containers for up to 3 months, then thaw overnight in the refrigerator before warming.
How to prep this Chicken Caprese ahead:
This recipe only requires a few minutes of prep, so I don’t often take the time to prep it ahead. However, sometimes future you needs a little help!
- Stir together the balsamic sauce and refrigerate for up to 2 weeks.
- Trim and pound your chicken breasts so that they are roughly the same thickness throughout, then trim any fat from around the edges.
- Slice or shred your mozzarella
I don’t recommend leaving the chicken in the sauce for more than 1 hour, as the acidity can make the chicken tough after a long period of time.
What is Caprese Chicken?
The term “Caprese” comes from the word “Capri,” as in the island of Capri in Italy. I believe the term was first used to refer to Caprese Salad, a salad made of fresh tomatoes, fresh basil, Mozzarella, and olive oil.
Modern adaptations often include a balsamic reduction, though it’s unclear whether this was included in the original. We love the tangy bite!
Serving suggestions:
This dish goes great with sides like Roasted Green Beans, Air Fryer Broccoli or Roasted Carrots or placed atop a bed of Buttered Noodles. You can also grab some crusty garlic bread for scooping up those juicy tomatoes and melty cheese!
More Italian-inspired chicken recipes you’ll love:
- Creamy Tuscan Chicken Recipe — decadent and creamy!
- Chicken Parmesan Recipe — a classic for good reason.
- Italian Chicken Tortellini Skillet — one of our favorite one pan meals.
- Chicken Tortellini Alfredo — perfect for date night!
Baked Chicken Caprese
written by Ashley Fehr
Ingredients
- 4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
- 2 tablespoons low sodium chicken broth (or sub water)
- 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 tablespoon basil pesto
- 1 tablespoon honey
- 1 teaspoon corn starch
- 2 cloves garlic (finely minced)
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- 2 cups cherry tomatoes
- 1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese (or 4 slices fresh)
- fresh basil
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 425°F. Lightly grease a 9×13″ baking dish.
- Place the chicken on a cutting board and cover with a piece of plastic wrap. Use a smooth meat mallet or small frying pan to flatten the thick ends of the chicken so that it is close to uniform in thickness. (This will ensure all the chicken is cooked at the same time.)
- Place the chicken in the prepared baking dish.
- In a small bowl, whisk together the broth, vinegar, oil, pesto, honey, cornstarch, garlic, salt, and pepper.
- Drizzle the sauce over the chicken. Place the tomatoes in the baking dish around the chicken.
- Bake for 18 to 22 minutes, until a meat thermometer inserted into the chicken reaches 165°F. (The exact time will depend on the thickness of your chicken breasts.)
- Top each piece of chicken with mozzarella.
- Increase the oven temperature to broil. Return to the oven and broil for 1 to 2 minutes, just until melted.
- Sprinkle with fresh chopped basil and serve.
Notes
Nutrition Information
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Mickey B says
Added angel hair pasta and a salad. Dinner was cooking while I made school lunches for the next day! Great for busy nights.
Ashley Fehr says
I’m so glad you enjoyed it!
Donna says
One of the best new recipes I’ve tried in a long time!! The flavors were perfect for this dish. It will be my go to recipe for my hubby…. he really liked it over rice!
Donna says
I forgot to mention… I cut the chicken in chunks and cooked it at 350 for 1 hour…perfect! Juicy and sone perfectly!
Ashley Fehr says
Thanks for sharing Donna!
Shirley Whelan says
Sauce was amazingly good (could eat it will a spoon) but chicken was extremely tough! I think it was cooked too fast at too high a temperature. I would double sauce.
Ashley Fehr says
Hi Shirley! Cooking chicken at a higher temperature ensures it is juicier, so it sounds like it was just overcooked. Feel free to adjust and check the temperature before serving to know for sure when it’s done.
C says
This was so good, my boyfriend and I had it for dinner and really enjoyed it. I’m not a huge fan of tomatoes unless they’re small, blistered, and soft so I halved the cherry tomatoes before putting them in the pan and they came out perfectly. I also drizzled the chicken with balsamic glaze on top of the mozzarella when it was finished and it really added to pull it all together.
Ashley Fehr says
I love that idea!
Phyllis says
Hi Ashley this is such an amazing recipe. So delicious.
I cooked mine with thinly sliced chicken breasts which I layered in the dish.
I cooked it in my air fryer which worked very well. Also I used shredded mozzarella.
Will definitely be doing this for my kids!
Ashley Fehr says
Thanks Phyllis!
Carrell Grigsby says
This is the first recipe I’ve tried from being hooked on the picture that actually was as good as it looked. I’m a senior and don’t call myself a cook, but this almost felt like I was. I look forward to trying another of your recipes.
Ashley Fehr says
Thank you Carrell! I’m so glad!
Valerie T says
My family loved this!
Ashley Fehr says
I’m so glad!
DEBORAH HALL says
I made this on Monday for my husband and I and it was amazing!! Right after he took a bite, he said ” WOW THIS IS DELICIOUS!”
Ashley Fehr says
Yay! Thanks Deborah!