Chicken Caprese Recipe

A closeup of a piece of chicken caprese on a plate with asparagus.

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If you're looking for a fresh, flavorful chicken recipe that feels a little special without much effort, this is it.

Prep Time25

Cook Time15

Marinating1

Total Time1 40

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: Italian

Keyword: caprese, chicken, dinner

Servings:

Calories: 385kcal

Author: Tricia

Ingredients

For the chicken:

½ cup prepared or homemade Italian Dressing / vinaigrette (100g or 3 1/2 oz) we love Ken’s Northern Italian with Basil and Romano
4 boneless skinless chicken breasts about 2 lbs
¼ cup basil pesto sauce (60g) store-bought or homemade
4 ounces fresh mozzarella cheese cut into 1/4-inch slices, halved and patted dry

For the bruschetta topping:

1 large whole tomato parboiled skinned and rough chopped
1 tablespoon olive oil
dash salt
fresh ground black pepper
¼ teaspoon granulated sugar optional but best for winter tomatoes
1 teaspoon balsamic vinegar
1 tablespoon basil leaves julienned
Optional: substitute ½ cup prepared bruschetta topping or 4 slices firm tomato

Optional for serving:

fresh basil leaves
balsamic reduction sauce

Instructions

Marinate the chicken:

Place the chicken in a large bowl or zipper storage bag. Coat the chicken breasts with the Italian Dressing then cover and refrigerate 1 to 4 hours.

Prepare the bruschetta topping:

Using a small paring knife, cut a small X on the bottom of the tomato. Fill a small deep saucepan with water enough to cover the tomato. Bring to a boil then add the tomato. Parboil for about 30 seconds or until the tomato peel starts to curl at the cut marks. Don’t over-cook. Remove from the saucepan and transfer to a bowl of ice water.
Once cooled, remove from the water, peel and rough chop. Transfer the tomatoes to a small bowl. Drizzle with olive oil, salt, pepper, sugar, vinegar and basil. Toss gently to combine. Lightly cover and leave at room temperature (tossing occasionally) while cooking the chicken.

To cook the chicken in the air fryer:

Preheat the air fryer to 400℉ for 5 minutes. Spritz the air fryer basket with olive oil. Remove the chicken from the marinade allowing any excess to drip back into the container. Discard the marinade. Place the chicken in a single layer in the air fryer basket making sure they don’t overlap.
Cook the chicken for 6 minutes then flip the breasts in the basket. Cook another 3 minutes then top each with 1 tablespoon pesto, two pieces of mozzarella and 2 tablespoons bruschetta.
Continue cooking in the air fryer for another 3 to 4 minutes or until the internal temperature of the chicken reaches 165℉
Remove from the air fryer to a platter. Allow the chicken to rest for a few minutes before serving. Top with additional basil leaves and a drizzle of balsamic reduction sauce if desired.

For Grilled Chicken Caprese:

Preheat gas grill to 400℉. Grill until the chicken is well browned, about 3 to 4 minutes per side. Transfer the chicken to the top shelf of the gas grill and turn the grill to low. Top each chicken breast with 1 tablespoon pesto, an even layer of mozzarella and 2 tablespoons bruschetta. Close the lid and continue cooking for 3 to 4 minutes or until the chicken reaches 165℉. Transfer to a platter and garnish as desired.

To make Sheet Pan Chicken Caprese:

Cut each chicken breast in half to create cutlets. Marinate per instructions. Preheat oven to 350℉. Arrange the chicken on a parchment paper-lined baking sheet into four, two-piece portions with two cutlets slightly overlapping. Top with the pesto, mozzarella and bruschetta. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes. Garnish and serve.

Notes

Leftover chicken will keep for a few days in the refrigerator. Rewarm gently in the microwave on 50% power

Nutritional information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered as an estimate. When multiple ingredient alternatives are given, the first listed is calculated for nutrition. Garnishes and optional ingredients are not included.

Nutrition