Chicken Caprese Skillet is a spin-off of a classic Italian dish. Juicy chicken breasts simmered with fresh tomatoes and a simple pesto balsamic sauce then finished with melty mozzarella cheese.
Want more easy chicken dinners? You’ll love this Italian Chicken Tortellini Skillet, White Chicken Skillet Lasagna, and One Pan Tuscan Chicken and Potato Skillet!
Table of Contents
This Chicken Caprese Skillet takes all the fresh flavors of a classic Caprese salad and turns them into a quick, hearty chicken dinner!
It’s made with juicy tomatoes, basil pesto, melty mozzarella, and a tangy balsamic glaze for a slightly different variation of my Baked Chicken Caprese.
Pair it with Buttered Noodles or Instant Pot Jasmine Rice with Roasted Green Beans for a wholesome family meal everyone will love!
Why you’ll love this caprese chicken recipe:
- One skillet: Everything is cooked in one skillet, so you won’t have a ton of cleanup!
- Quick: This recipe comes together in 25 minutes, making it perfect for busy weeknights!
- Flavorful: The juicy chicken, fresh tomatoes, gooey mozzarella, and tangy balsamic reduction give this dish a ton of fresh flavor.
What other people are saying:
“I made this for lunch yesterday and it’s easy and delicious. I will for sure make again.” Roberta
Chicken Caprese recipe ingredients:
- Oil: any neutral flavored oil works great for browning the chicken.
- Boneless skinless chicken breasts: you’ll need 2 whole boneless and skinless chicken breasts. We’re going to butterfly them so that they cook more evenly and quickly!
- Cherry Tomatoes: I recommend slicing the cherry tomatoes in half to make them into the perfect bite-size.
- Water and Balsamic Vinegar: the base for our tangy balsamic reduction. Balsamic vinegar creates the flavor base, while water helps tone the acidity down just a touch.
- Basil Pesto: I like to use basil pesto to give the Chicken Caprese Skillet some extra basil flavor, but you can also swap it out for dried basil or additional fresh basil leaves if preferred. Fresh pesto or store-bought pesto is perfect!
- Honey: adds just the right amount of sweetness to the glaze.
- Garlic: you’ll need three cloves of freshly minced garlic. In a pinch, you can substitute with garlic powder or jarred, minced garlic.
- Cornstarch: whisked into the glaze to help thicken it.
- Mozzarella cheese: sprinkle some shredded mozzarella cheese on top of the chicken so it gets all melty!
- Basil: a few leaves of fresh basil is the perfect way to finish it off.
How to Make this Chicken Caprese Skillet
This delicious Caprese Chicken-inspired recipe comes together in just 25 minutes! For the full list of recipe instructions, scroll down to the recipe card.
- Whisk together the balsamic glaze ingredients.
- Add the halved cherry tomatoes to the skillet and cook until blistered and softened.
- Pour the balsamic sauce into the skillet. Cook until thickened.
- Top each chicken breast with mozzarella and allow it to melt.
Things to note:
- Butterfly the chicken. Slicing the chicken breasts into thinner pieces allows them to cook more quickly!
- Pat it dry. I recommend patting the chicken pieces dry with a paper towel before cooking. This helps the chicken to brown instead of steam.
- Check the temp. Use a meat thermometer to double-check that the chicken is done cooking before serving. It should be 165ºF.
- Brown the cheese. The cheese will melt without broiling, but if you want to give it that yummy golden color, stick it uncovered under the broil for a couple of minutes.
How to store:
Leftover Chicken Caprese will last in an airtight container in the fridge for 3-4 days. To reheat, warm in the oven or on low in a skillet until heated through.
Can this be frozen?
Yes! To freeze, assemble, and cook as directed. Cool completely and store in the freezer for up to 3 months.
When you’re ready to serve, thaw overnight in the fridge, then warm on the stove, adding additional water to thin the sauce as needed.
Serving Suggestions:
Caprese Chicken is a delicious meal all on its own, but you can bulk it up even more and serve it with a side of crusty Garlic Bread, over a pile of pasta, or with a side of Roasted Potatoes or a simple green salad.
More Skillet Meals You’ll Love
Chicken Caprese Skillet
written by Ashley Fehr
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons oil
- 2 boneless skinless chicken breasts (about 1 lb)
- salt and pepper
- 1 cup cherry tomatoes (halved)
- ¼ cup water
- 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
- 1 tablespoon basil pesto*
- 1 tablespoon honey
- 1 tablespoon freshly minced garlic (about 3 cloves)
- 1 teaspoon corn starch
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ⅛ teaspoon black pepper
- 1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
- fresh basil leaves
Instructions
- Heat oil in a large skillet over medium high heat.
- Split chicken breasts (butterflying them) to make two thinner pieces (four pieces total). Simply place your chicken breasts on a cutting board and place one hand flat on top. Use a sharp knife to cut the chicken breast in the middle all the way through. Pat dry with paper towel.
- Season with salt and pepper and light golden brown on each side in the skillet, about 5-6 minutes.
- Add the tomatoes and cook until slightly blistered and softened, just a couple minutes.
- Whisk together the sauce: water, balsamic vinegar, pesto, honey, garlic, corn starch, salt and pepper. Pour into the skillet with the chicken and tomatoes and cook until thickened (just a couple minutes). Add additional water to thin the sauce if desired.
- Top each chicken breasts with ¼ cup mozzarella. Place the lid on the skillet, remove from the heat and allow to melt (if desired, you can place under the broiler for 1-2 minutes to brown.
- Top with sliced fresh basil leaves if desired and serve.
Notes
Nutrition Information
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Judy says
My daughter pointed out this recipe of yours. I had an abundance of grape tomatoes this season and my neighbors shared their home grown basil. I wanted a special meal to share with that neighbor after surgery. I served it with linguine.
Ashley Fehr says
Thanks for sharing Judy!
Wendy says
Great flavor! Easy to make, sauce was delicious. I served with spaghetti and some balsamic glaze on the side!!!!
The Recipe Rebel says
Great to hear, thank you Wendy!
Alice says
LoVe this recipe!!!!! It’s my “go to”!!!! I had some beautiful grilled chicken breast leftover & used this instead of cooking in the sauce & it was also super good & easy!!! Thank you for sharing ALL your great recipes with all of us:)!!
The Recipe Rebel says
Hi Alice! So glad you enjoyed the recipe! Thank you for this kind review!
Rebecca Driscoll says
Can I put this over pasta?
The Recipe Rebel says
Sure! You can serve it however you’d like Rebecca. Enjoy!
Diane says
Delish!!! Super easy & packed with glavor!!!
The Recipe Rebel says
Hi Diane! So glad you enjoyed the recipe! Thank you for this kind review!
Heather says
Made this for dinner last week, and it was delicious! Will make again.
The Recipe Rebel says
Hi Heather! So glad you enjoyed the recipe! Thank you for tis review!
thefotog@me.com says
Simply fabulous!
The Recipe Rebel says
Hi! So glad you enjoyed the recipe! Thank you for this kind review!
Andy says
I made this tonight. I have been forced into the chief cook and bottle washer role due to my wife of 61 years having Alzheimer’s. I am always looking for quick and easy recipes. This was very tasty and easy for an amateur like me. Wife loved it.
The Recipe Rebel says
Hi Andy! I’m so happy you both enjoyed it! Thank you!
Roberta Taghavi says
Great recipe my family loved it 😊
Roberta Taghavi says
I made this for lunch yesterday and it’s easy and delicious. I will for sure make again
Carolann says
Hi Ashley all your recipes sounds so good I’m going to try them all. Ha wish me luck. Carolann thank you.
The Recipe Rebel says
Hi Roberta! So glad you enjoyed the recipe! Thank you for this review!
Penny Lund says
I’ve never commented on a recipe, but this was so good, even making for just myself. I used my garden cherry tomatoes and bought pesto because I didn’t have any made. It went together so fast and the balsamic glaze was so good. I definitely will make this for company. I made fresh green beans with bacon and onion. And a cucumber from my garden. Love using all my garden produce for such a yummy meal. Thank you!! I have saved other recipes of yours: now I need to try another!
The Recipe Rebel says
Hi Penny! So glad you enjoyed the recipe! Thank you for this review!
amesschrank@gmail.com says
A fabulous recipe
I will make often
Thank you
The Recipe Rebel says
So glad you enjoyed the recipe! Thank you for this review!