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+ servings
Tasty homemade caprese chicken recipe served in a clear bowl.

Caprese Chicken Recipe

April Freeman
With the rich flavors of fresh tomatoes and the creamy texture of mozzarella cheese, our recipe for Caprese Chicken is an entree recipe that is easy to create and tastes amazing. If you need a great recipe for company or just want to try something with your boneless skinless chicken breast that is a bit different, this recipe is one for you.
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Cuisine Italian
Servings 6 servings

Equipment

  • 1 Skillet
  • 1 Sharp knife
  • 1 Plastic Wrap
  • 1 Meat Mallet or rolling pin
  • 1 Pan
  • 1 stirrer

Ingredients
  

  • 1 tbsp olive oil
  • 4 to 6 pcs boneless skinless chicken breasts
  • salt
  • Freshly ground black pepper
  • 1⁄4 cup shredded mozzarella cheese

Instructions
 

  • To a large, heavy bottomed skillet over medium high heat, add the olive oil. Let the oil heat until a drop of water flicked into the pan sizzles and pops. 
  • Trim any bits of skin and fat on the edges of the chicken breasts with a sharp knife. If the chicken breasts are very thick, pound them thinner between two pieces of plastic wrap with a meat mallet or a rolling pin. You want them to be about a quarter inch thick. On a plate, set out the chicken and salt and pepper each chicken breast on each side. 
  • Tilt the pan to coat the bottom of the skillet with the hot oil. Add the chicken to the pan and cook it for about 5 to 7 minutes on each side or until they are lightly golden browned and cooked through. Remove the chicken to a clean plate. 
    Fried boneless skinless chicken.
  • As the chicken is cooking, chop the tomatoes into large, one-inch chunks.
  • Lower the heat a bit to medium. Add the garlic to the pan and cook it for about 60 seconds. Add the balsamic vinegar and simmer for a minute more. Add the tomatoes and salt and pepper them.
    Sautéed tomatoes in frying pan.
  • Cook the garlic, vinegar, and tomato mixture together for about 5 minutes to soften the tomatoes. Stir the basil into the tomato mixture. 
    Sautéed tomatoes in frying pan with fried chicken.
  • Return the chicken to the pan and spoon the tomatoes over the chicken.
  • Sprinkle the mozzarella over the chicken and top it with a lid. Turn the heat down to low and simmer it for 2 to 3 minutes to allow the cheese to melt. 
  • Serve. Store leftovers in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. .

Notes

The island of Capri is located in the Mediterranean Sea just off the western coast of Italy. Legend says that Caprese Salad was invented on this island. There are two different stories about the origins of this salad. One states that the inventor created it as an homage to the Italian flag.
The other story says that it was invented to impress visitors to the island, who were often wealthy and powerful people who came to enjoy the lovely scenery and ocean vistas of the island of Capri.
Our recipe for Caprese Chicken includes all of the classic flavors of Caprese Salad and incorporates them into a delicious chicken dish. The addition of the tomatoes helps keep the chicken tender and moist instead of drying it out during the cooking. 
The way to make this recipe really taste great is to use fresh tomatoes from the garden or the farmer’s market. Of course, you can make it with grocery store tomatoes, but the flavors will not be as rich and fresh. This means that for the highest quality, you may want to make this recipe a seasonal one. And, there’s actually nothing wrong with that. 
All over the world, many of the best chefs cook seasonally. Seasonal cooking uses mostly ingredients that are available and growing in the fields right now. So in the summer, a seasonal cook will use lots of zucchini, tomatoes, fresh herbs, corn, and cucumbers.
In the winter and fall months, seasonal chefs will use sweet potatoes, apples, potatoes, and squashes. Seasonal cooking is good for the environment because it doesn’t require vegetables that are shipped in from other far away places like South America.
Additionally, seasonal cooking provides the tastiest, most delicious foods. Vegetables that come from far away places are almost never as good as those that are grown nearby. Veggies lose quality the longer that it takes them to make the journey from the farmer’s field to your kitchen.
This is why a fresh tomato purchased in January is almost always mealy, flavorless, and pale. Fresh tomatoes bought in May, June, and July are bursting with flavor and are the perfect, juicy, tangy, sweet flavor and texture. 
If you have tomatoes that you’ve grown in the garden, this is a perfect recipe to use them. Even if you mostly just have cherry tomatoes, you can still make this recipe work for you. Just split them in half before you add them to the skillet.
Keyword caprese, Chicken

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