This Caprese Chicken Skillet comes together in about an hour, with most of that time spent letting the chicken soak up the marinade. The chicken cooks up juicy in a tangy balsamic sauce, then gets topped with creamy mozzarella, cherry tomatoes that gently soften without losing their freshness, and a handful of basil. It’s a simple way to turn basic chicken into something colorful and full of fresh flavor.
I love simple, fast meals that are mostly hands-off. This one is great because you have so many options. While the chicken is marinating, you can toss a salad or cook some pasta. This is a perfect weeknight dinner that even picky kids love.
Testing results for Caprese chicken skillet
- We tested this recipe by cooking the chicken in the skillet, but it would work just as well to cook it in the oven.
- We kept the tomatoes lightly cooked and fresh, but if you want a saucier version, you could cook the tomatoes longer, either in the oven or in the skillet, before cooking the chicken.
- Be sure your chicken breasts are even and not too thick. See more in the ingredient notes section.
- You can marinate the chicken up to 24 hours if you want this to be a make-ahead dish.
I hope you make this recipe. I think you’ll love it!
We love the flavors of caprese, whether it’s on chicken, caprese garlic bread, caprese flatbread, or simple tomato skewers. There are so many ways to use these fresh summer flavors of basil and tomato, even with a light summer tomato salad.
Ingredient notes
Here are a few things to know about the ingredients in this recipe.
➡️➡️➡️ The full ingredient amounts and instructions are listed below on the printable recipe card. Scroll below the recipe card for frequently asked questions and tips for success.
Boneless, skinless chicken breasts: If you purchase organic chicken breasts, they tend to be a smaller, more normal size. Sometimes chicken breasts are large, and if that’s what you have, slice the breast in half and/or pound it to an even thickness. All the chicken pieces should be roughly the same size and thickness.
Tomatoes: Cherry or grape tomatoes work equally well.
Fresh mozzarella: We used slices of fresh mozzarella in this recipe. You could also use burrata and spread some over the chicken.
Fresh basil leaves: I would not skip the fresh basil because the flavor is essential to this dish. However, if you don’t have any fresh basil, you can use jarred basil pesto in a pinch.
Pin this now to save it for laterHow to make Caprese chicken skillet
- Marinate the chicken for half an hour.
- Remove the chicken from the marinade to sear and cook in the skillet.
- Add balsamic sauce, tomatoes, and cheese and cover to allow the cheese to melt. Cook an additional 5-7 minutes.
- Garnish with fresh basil.
If you make this recipe, please leave a comment and ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ below!
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Caprese Chicken Skillet Recipe
Ingredients
- 4 boneless skinless chicken breasts, about 1 to 1 ½ pounds (or 2 cut half horizontally as most chicken breasts are very thick and large)
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon pepper
- 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
- 5 tablespoons olive oil, divided
- ¼ cup balsamic vinegar
- 1 clove garlic, minced
- 1 tablespoon honey
- 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
- 1 teaspoon cornstarch
- 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
- 1 pint cherry or grape tomatoes
- Fresh mozzarella (slices or pearls)
- ¼ cup chopped fresh basil leaves, sliced chiffonade
Instructions
- Season 4 boneless skinless chicken breasts, about 1 to 1 ½ pounds (or 2 cut half horizontally as most chicken breasts are very thick and large) with 1 teaspoon salt, ½ teaspoon pepper, and 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning and place it in a shallow dish or ziplock bag.
- In a small bowl, whisk together 5 tablespoons olive oil, divided, ¼ cup balsamic vinegar, 1 clove garlic, minced, 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard, 1 teaspoon cornstarch and 1 tablespoon honey.
- Add 3 tablespoons of the balsamic mixture to the chicken. Toss the chicken so it is well covered. Marinate for 30 minutes.
- In a large skillet, heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil and 1 tablespoon unsalted butter.
- Add the chicken, and allow it to sear 2-3 minutes before turning it over. If it sticks, it needs more time.
- Flip the chicken breasts over, and allow them to cook another 4-5 minutes.
- Add the remaining balsamic sauce, 1 pint cherry or grape tomatoes, and Fresh mozzarella (slices or pearls). Cover the skillet to allow the cheese to melt. Alternatively at this point, you can place the pan uncovered in a 350 degrees F oven for 5-7 minutes to melt the cheese.
- Just before serving, sprinkle ¼ cup chopped fresh basil leaves, sliced chiffonade over the top.
Notes
- If your chicken breasts are very thick and large, slice them in half horizontally so you have 2 thinner pieces. Chicken breasts should be about the same size and thickness for even cooking.
- Chicken can marinate for up to 24 hours if you want to prep this ahead of time.
Nutrition
Questions and tips
Storage
Store any leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator.
You can use chicken thighs or drumsticks for this recipe, but you’ll need to adjust the cooking time. If using thicker cuts of meat, we recommend placing the skillet in the oven after searing the meat. Cook the chicken until the internal temperature is 165 degrees F.
Balsamic vinegar fits the flavor profile of this recipe best. We don’t recommend using a different vinegar.
Balsamic glaze would be delicious drizzled over this caprese chicken skillet. However, you do need to use balsamic vinegar when cooking the chicken.
