This easy caprese chicken skillet is a great way to take advantage of summer tomatoes and makes for a perfect weeknight meal.

a cooked caprese chicken skillet with chicken breasts, bursted cherry tomatoes, melted mozzarella cheese, and fresh basil

This recipe is…

Caprese salad is one of my all-time favorite classic dishes. Fresh mozzarella, ripe tomatoes, fresh basil, and a drizzle of high-quality olive oil and balsamic vinegar – what’s not to love? So, it’s only natural that we took this salad and turned it into a main dish – so that you can get even more caprese goodness in your life! Even better, we’ve turned this into a one pot meal, so you don’t have to dirty up a bunch of dishes or spend a ton of time making this flavorful dinner.

Recipe Ingredients

Fresh + high-quality is the name of the game when it comes to this skillet. 7 ingredients (plus salt + pepper, but do those even count?!) is all you need for this tasty caprese chicken skillet!

the ingredients for caprese chicken skillet in different sized bowls and plates on a marble surface
  • Chicken – you’ll need about 2 pounds of boneless, skinless chicken breast for the skillet. Feel free to use boneless, skinless chicken thighs if that’s what you have or prefer!
  • Extra-Virgin Olive Oil – we love using a really flavorful high-quality olive oil for this dish. The flavors really shine through!
  • Balsamic Vinegar – as with the olive oil, we opt for a thicker, high-quality balsamic also.
  • Lemon Juice – half a lemon’s worth of juice coats our chicken (along with the EVOO + balsamic) to add some brightness to the dish. We recommend freshly squeezing your lemon juice – it really makes such a big difference!
  • Cherry Tomatoes – a pint of cherry tomatoes get added to the skillet right before it goes into the oven. The tomatoes burst once roasted and are seriously drool-worthy!
  • Fresh Mozzarella – what’s better than fresh mozz?! Browned, bubbly, just-out-of-the-oven mozz! Sneak a bite of the fresh while you’re cooking, and enjoy the browned + bubbly mozz in this skillet for dinner!
  • Fresh Basil – the hallmark of caprese salad is a must in this chicken skillet!

How to Make

This caprese skillet is so easy and so incredibly tasty. Here’s how you’ll make it:

a person whisking the sauce for caprese chicken skillet in a large metal bowl
a person using tongs to pull seasoned and marinaded chicken breasts out of a metal bowl
a person using tongs to grab one seared chicken breast (that's sitting next to another seared chicken breast) from a cast iron skillet
a person sprinkling cherry tomatoes around two seared chicken breasts in a cast iron skillet
a person placing fresh sliced mozzarella over top a cast iron skillet with seared chicken breasts and cherry tomatoes
a person sprinkling fresh basil over top a cooked caprese chicken skillet with chicken breasts, bursted cherry tomatoes, and melted mozzarella cheese
  1. Season + sear the chicken. You’ll start this caprese chicken skillet by seasoning the chicken, then searing it on the stove on both sides. We decided to add this step instead of placing the chicken directly in the oven to bake because searing the chicken truly adds so much flavor!
  2. Add the tomatoes + mozzarella. Once the chicken is browned on both sides, but not fully cooked through yet, you’ll add the tomatoes to the pan and sprinkle the mozzarella cheese over top.
  3. Bake. Bake the skillet for 15 minutes, until the chicken is fully cooked, the cheese is melted, and the tomatoes have burst.
  4. Add fresh basil + enjoy! Finally, you’ll simply sprinkle fresh basil over top, garnish with balsamic vinegar, and serve!

This would be great with a big green salad (think: a simple lemon sea salt arugula salad), a side of rice, roasted potatoes (think: roasted rosemary butter potatoes or rosemary sea salt hasselback potatoes), or some simple roasted veggies to round out the meal.

How to Store and Reheat

Store any leftovers you may have in an airtight container in the refrigerator. Stored this way, it’ll last for up to 5 days. To reheat, simply pop the Caprese-style chicken in the microwave or back on the skillet (over medium heat) until warmed through.

a person pulling a mozzarella covered seared chicken breast out of a caprese chicken skillet to serve
What does Caprese mean in cooking?

According to the Merrium-Webster dictionary, “caprese” means: a salad consisting of slices of mozzarella and tomatoes, basil, and olive oil or Italian dressing.

What tomatoes are best for Caprese?

Traditional Caprese salad calls for sliced tomatoes — a ripe Roma tomato is perfect. This recipe, though, is a skillet spin on Caprese salad and calls for cherry tomatoes.

Easy Chicken Caprese Recipe (One Skillet)

4.70 — Votes 13 votes
By Cassy Joy Garcia
Prep: 5 minutes
Cook: 25 minutes
Total: 30 minutes
Servings: 6 servings
An easy spin on our favorite classic dish, this one pan dinner is the perfect complete meal!

Ingredients  

  • 2 pounds boneless skinless chicken breast
  • 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil divided
  • 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
  • 1 tablespoon lemon juice
  • 3/4 teaspoon coarse sea salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
  • 1 pint cherry tomatoes
  • 4 ounces fresh mozzarella cheese sliced
  • 1/4 cup thinly sliced fresh basil

Instructions 

  • Preheat the oven to 400 F.
  • In a large bowl, whisk together the lemon juice, vinegar, and 1 tablespoon olive oil, then add the chicken, salt, and pepper and toss to coat.
  • Add the remaining tablespoon olive oil to a skillet over medium high heat. Once hot, add the chicken and sear for 3-4 minutes, until browned, then flip the chicken and sear for an additional 2-3 minutes, until browned, then turn off the heat.
  • Add the tomatoes to the pan, then top the chicken with the mozzarella cheese, and bake for 15 minutes, until the cheese is browned and bubbly and the chicken is fully cooked.
  • Garnish with fresh basil and serve!

Nutrition

Calories: 288kcal | Carbohydrates: 4g | Protein: 37g | Fat: 13g | Saturated Fat: 4g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 6g | Trans Fat: 0.02g | Cholesterol: 112mg | Sodium: 594mg | Potassium: 755mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 3g | Vitamin A: 612IU | Vitamin C: 21mg | Calcium: 115mg | Iron: 1mg

Additional Info

Course: Dinner
Cuisine: Italian
Servings: 6 servings
Calories: 288
Keyword: chicken caprese, one pot meal

Like this recipe?

Leave a comment


About the Author

Cassy Joy Garcia, NC

Cassy Joy Garcia, a New York Times best-selling author, of Cook Once Dinner Fix, Cook Once Eat All Week, and Fed and Fit as well as the creative force behind the popular food blog Fed & Fit.


More Like This

Leave a comment

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Recipe Rating




20 Comments

  1. I just loved this recipe! My husband accidentally added the fresh basil before it was put in the oven. Actually was really good that way. Thanks for a great, fresh, and healthy recipe.

    1. We are so glad to hear that, Elise! Thank you for taking the time to share with us. -Melissa

  2. 5 stars
    Delicious dinner. The whole family loved it (including my two year old). I didn’t have sliced mozzarella so used shredded instead. Turned out great—thank you for a simple supper.

  3. This dish was easy to make AND packed full of delicious flavor. It made for great leftovers the next day. I paired mine with lemon pasta. Thank you for a keeper!

    1. So yummy, right?! I love this one! Thank you for sharing this with us, Laurie!

  4. 5 stars
    The entire family loved it! After I grilled it I pulled the chicken off, chopped it in large bite sized pieces for kids, and took it out a little early so the chicken wouldn’t dry out due to copping. Thanks another family favorite!

  5. 5 stars
    Well, that looks delicious! I think I’ll try this for dinner tonight!

  6. I made this last night, and it was really yummy! I left it in the oven an extra
    10 minutes and my tomatoes never did burst and the mozzarella was just beginning to show some color. But the flavors were still great. This was super easy to throw together and requires very little actual attention. I recommend!

  7. Thanks for sharing! Unfortunately I am getting an error message when I try to PIN the recipe 🙁

  8. Looks delish! Do you pound the breasts thin beforehand? How thick should the breasts be? I have an awful time cooking chicken breasts to where they’re cooked enough but not overdone. Thanks!