This baked caprese chicken comes together in one pan with simple ingredients. It’s juicy, flavorful and the perfect 30-minute meal to make on busy weeknights!

Introducing your new favorite weeknight dinner recipe… baked caprese chicken!

This 30-minute meal comes together with simple ingredients and is jam-packed with flavor from the juicy chicken breast, roasted tomatoes, creamy mozzarella, balsamic glaze and fresh basil. The combo is so good! And want to know the best part? It comes together in one baking dish. Yay for minimal clean up!

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

• Simple: You only need a handful of simple ingredients to make this dish.
• Quick and Easy: From start to finish this recipe comes together in about 30 minutes and only uses one pan making it a great dinner option for busy weeknights!
• Versatile: It’s delicious served on its own or alongside pasta or veggies.

Ingredients Needed

• boneless skinless chicken breasts – the star of the show and source of protein! You’ll want about 1 ½ lbs boneless skinless chicken breasts, which should be 3-4 breasts.
• sea salt and black pepper – two cooking essentials!
• olive oil – we’re tossing the tomatoes and spices with olive oil for healthy fats and a rich flavor. I prefer to use extra virgin olive oil.
• cherry tomatoes – these add a fresh, juicy element and pair wonderfully with the cheese and chicken.
• fresh mozzarella – can’t have caprese chicken without fresh mozzarella. A fresh mozzarella cheese ball works perfectly and the slices melt beautifully over the chicken.
• garlic – you can use fresh garlic or garlic powder… whatever you prefer!
• dried oregano – provides a touch of earthiness.
• balsamic glaze – this is optional, but when drizzled on top it adds a sweet and tangy contrast. If you don’t have balsamic glaze you can easily make your own if you have balsamic vinegar at home. See how to make this below!
• fresh basil leaves – another key ingredient that adds a fresh flavor!

How to Make

Prep: Start by preheating your oven to 400°F. Pat the chicken breasts dry and season them with ½ teaspoon of both salt and pepper.

Combine: In a 9×13-inch baking dish, add the olive oil and cherry tomatoes. Sprinkle the tomatoes with garlic powder (or fresh garlic), oregano and the remaining salt and pepper. Toss everything together to ensure the tomatoes are well-coated. Place the seasoned chicken breasts in the baking dish, nestled into the seasoned tomatoes.

Bake: Place the dish in the preheated oven and bake for 20 minutes.

Add mozzarella: After 20 minutes, remove the baking dish from the oven. Top each chicken breast with the slices of fresh mozzarella cheese and fresh tomato slices (if using).

Bake: Return the dish to the oven and continue to bake for an additional 5-10 minutes, or until the internal temperature of the chicken reaches 165°F and the mozzarella has fully melted. You could also set to broil for the final 2-3 minutes if you want.

Serve: Once out of the oven, drizzle balsamic glaze over the chicken and tomatoes, and sprinkle fresh basil leaves on top.

How to Make a Simple Balsamic Glaze

If you don’t have balsamic glaze on hand you can easily make it at home with balsamic vinegar. The reduction is sweeter, thicker and tends to stick to the tomatoes and mozzarella better. Making a balsamic reduction is really easy. Here’s how:

1. In a small saucepan, add 1 cup of balsamic vinegar and bring to a boil
2. Once boiling, reduce the heat to a simmer and let the vinegar simmer for 10-15 minutes
3. Once it’s reduced down by 1/2 remove from heat and let cool

PS: If you have leftover balsamic glaze save it and drizzle it over this caprese salad!

What to Serve With Baked Caprese Chicken

• Pasta: I love serving this baked chicken caprese recipe over pasta like spaghetti, rotini or rigatoni for a more filling meal.
• Veggies: Serve this chicken alongside sautéed spinach, roasted asparagus, roasted broccoli or another vegetable of choice.
• Grains: This recipe would also be delicious served over rice, quinoa, cauliflower rice or farro.
• Bread: For a more indulgent meal, garlic bread pairs beautifully with the Italian flavors of the caprese chicken. Sourdough bread would also be a great option.
• Salad: For a lighter option serve this chicken with a side salad like this kale caesar salad.

Tips for the Best Caprese Chicken

Cooking time – Always use an instant-read meat thermometer to ensure your chicken is cooked to an internal temperature of 165°F.

Marination – For a flavor boost, consider marinating the chicken in some olive oil, garlic, and oregano for at least an hour before baking.

Slicing the mozzarella – The thinner you slice the mozzarella, the quicker it will melt. If you prefer a more gooey texture, go for thicker slices.

Fresh vs dried herbs – If you’re using fresh oregano or basil, add it just before serving to maintain its vibrant color and flavor.

Seasoning – This recipe is pretty straightforward and when it comes to seasoning. Though, if you’d like to add some more earthy flavors to this recipe you could use an Italian seasoning and if you want a hint of spice add some crushed red pepper flakes.

How to Store & Reheat

• In the fridge: Store any leftover caprese chicken in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3-4 days.
• Reheating: To reheat leftovers, place the chicken in a covered oven-safe dish and warm in a preheated 350°F oven for 15-20 minutes, or until heated through.

More Chicken Recipes

Be sure to check out all of the chicken recipes as well as the full collection of dinner recipes!