Chicken Caprese: a weeknight method

Chicken caprese with sliced tomatoes, balsamic glaze, fresh mozzarella and shredded basil.

This recipe for chicken caprese is grilled seasoned chicken, topped with fresh mozzarella, ripe tomatoes, basil and balsamic reduction. A quick and straightforward dinner that’s straightforward enough for a busy weeknight but special enough to serve to company!

I love straightforward chicken recipes, and in the summer I rotate between Greek lemon chicken, bruschetta chicken and this fresh and tasty caprese chicken.

One of my go-to parts of summer is fresh tomatoes to make caprese salad and other summer time recipes. We’ve had zero luck with growing tomatoes at my house, so I buy the finest I can find at the farmer’s market and savor them. This chicken caprese just screams summer – grilled chicken, fresh mozzarella, summer’s finest tomatoes, basil and balsamic – what’s not to love?

Chicken Caprese Ingredients

To make this recipe, you will need boneless skinless chicken breasts, olive oil, salt, black pepper, Italian seasoning, tomatoes, fresh mozzarella cheese, balsamic glaze and fresh basil.

A plate of caprese chicken breasts topped with fresh mozzarella cheese, tomatoes and basil.

How do you make chicken caprese?

Heat an outdoor grill or grill pan over medium high heat. Next, season the chicken breasts with olive oil, salt, pepper and Italian seasoning. Place the chicken on the grill, and sear on both sides until the chicken is cooked through. Add a slice of cheese on top of each chicken breast, and cook for one more minute. Transfer the chicken to a serving platter. Add the tomatoes, basil, and more salt and pepper. Drizzle a little balsamic glaze over the top of the chicken, then serve and enjoy.

Grilled chicken on a serving plate topped with sliced tomato and cheese.

Tips For The Reliable Chicken

This caprese chicken recipe contains balsamic glaze, which is very different than regular old balsamic vinegar. Balsamic glaze is the vinegar that simmers to create a thick, syrupy liquid that’s more mellow than standard balsamic vinegar. I buy mine in the vinegar/salad dressing aisle. If you can’t find it at your store, it’s pretty straightforward to make it yourself.
Use chicken breasts that are all the same size and thickness so that they cook at the same rate. I often buy the thin cut chicken breasts because they cook so much faster.
Tomatoes not in season? Try making this dish with a topping of oil packed whole sun dried tomatoes instead of fresh tomatoes.
I like to finish off my caprese chicken with a sprinkling of flaky sea salt, it really accentuates the flavor of the tomatoes.

Quick Tip

This dish is finest when you serve it immediately. If you want to store leftovers, store the plain cooked chicken in an airtight container in the fridge. Add all the toppings after you reheat the chicken.

Grilled chicken breasts topped with mozzarella cheese, tomatoes and basil.

Recipe FAQs

What is caprese made of?

Caprese recipes contain tomatoes, mozzarella and basil. They also typically contain salt, pepper, olive oil and balsamic vinegar or glaze.

What tomato is finest for caprese?

I recommend using ripe, flavorful tomato varieties such as early girl, campari, cherry tomatoes or an heirloom tomato such as purple cherokee or brandywine.

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Flavor Variations

Chicken caprese is great as-is, but you can easily customize some of the ingredients to your taste.

Protein: This recipe also works will with chicken thighs, pork chops, flank steak or even salmon fillets.
Cheese: No fresh mozzarella on hand? Use regular part skim mozzarella, or try a provolone cheese, shaved parmesan or a slab of feta cheese.
Toppings: Feel free to add sliced avocado, a drizzle of chili oil for spice, or some fresh lemon zest. You can also substitute fresh green onions, parsley or dill for the basil.

This chicken recipe is destined to become your go-to summertime dinner. I’ve made it countless times this month, it’s such a fun twist on the classic caprese salad. And besides, we’ve got to use up all the ripe tomatoes while they’re still in season!

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Chicken Caprese Video

Add as Google preferred source Authorthe Makdob kitchen

This recipe for chicken caprese is grilled seasoned chicken, topped with fresh mozzarella, ripe tomatoes, basil and balsamic reduction. A quick and straightforward dinner that’s straightforward enough for a busy weeknight but special enough to serve to company! Time Prep Time10 minutes
Cook Time10 minutes
Total Time20 minutes

Course Main Course
Cuisine Italian
Serves 4 servings

Ingredients

1 lb boneless skinless chicken breasts
1 tablespoon olive oil
salt and pepper to taste
1 teaspoon dry italian seasoning (or equal parts of garlic powder dried oregano and dried basil)
4 thick slices of ripe tomato
4 1- ounce slices of fresh mozzarella cheese
2 tablespoons balsamic glaze or balsamic reduction
2 tablespoons thinly sliced basil

Instructions

Heat a grill or grill pan over medium high heat.
Drizzle 1 tablespoon of olive oil over chicken breasts and season to taste with salt and pepper. Sprinkle italian seasoning over the chicken.
Place the chicken on the grill and cook for 3-5 minutes per side, or until done. Cook time will vary depending on the thickness of your chicken breasts.
When chicken is done top with a slice of mozzarella cheese and cook for 1 more minute.
Remove from heat and place chicken breasts on a plate. Top each breast with 1 slice of tomato, thinly sliced basil and salt and pepper to taste. Drizzle with balsamic glaze and serve.

Notes

This caprese chicken recipe contains balsamic glaze, which is very different than regular old balsamic vinegar. Balsamic glaze is the vinegar that simmers to create a thick, syrupy liquid that’s more mellow than standard balsamic vinegar. I buy mine in the vinegar/salad dressing aisle. If you can’t find it at your store, it’s pretty straightforward to make it yourself.
Use chicken breasts that are all the same size and thickness so that they cook at the same rate. I often buy the thin cut chicken breasts because they cook so much faster.