Caprese Chicken with Pesto

 

Caprese Chicken is a delightful dish that combines the flavors of fresh tomatoes, mozzarella cheese, basil, and homemade basil pesto with juicy chicken breasts. It's a quick and easy recipe, perfect for weeknight dinners or casual gatherings.

 

We had ours with a salad, but you could easily serve over a bed of pasta or with garlic bread.

 

Ingredients

  • 4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts cut in half
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • Salt and pepper to taste
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced
  • 8 ounces cherry tomatoes sliced in half or 2 medium tomatoes, sliced
  • 8 ounces sliced baby Bella mushrooms (optional)
  • 8 ounces fresh mozzarella cheese, sliced
  • 1/4 cup fresh basil leaves
  • 1/4 cup pesto (Click here for our homemade pesto recipe)

Instructions

Preheat the Oven to 400°F (200°C).

Prepare the Chicken

    • Season the chicken breasts with salt and pepper on both sides.
    • In a large ovenproof skillet, heat the olive oil over medium-high heat. Add the mushrooms and cook for a few minutes or until they softened up. Remove the mushrooms and add the chicken breasts. Cook for about 3–4 minutes on each side, until golden brown. Remove the skillet from heat.
    • Sprinkle the minced garlic over the chicken breasts.
    • Spread a thin layer of pesto over each chicken breast for added flavor.
    • Place slices of tomato. mushrooms and mozzarella cheese on top of each chicken breast.

 

Bake the Chicken

    • Transfer the skillet to the preheated oven and bake for 15–20 minutes, or until the chicken is cooked through and the cheese is melted and bubbly.
    • Remove the skillet from the oven. Top each chicken breast with fresh basil leaves.

 

Serve

    • Serve the Caprese Chicken hot, garnished with additional basil if desired.

 

Tips

  • Tomato Variety: Use heirloom or vine-ripened tomatoes for the best flavor.
  • Cheese Option: Consider using burrata or buffalo mozzarella for a creamier texture.
  • Pesto Choice: Use homemade or store-bought pesto; both bring a delightful herbaceous note to the dish.

 

Here’s a rough nutritional breakdown for one serving of Caprese Pesto Chicken, based on a recipe that serves 2. These values can vary based on exact ingredients and portion sizes, but this gives you a general idea: 

 

🥗 Estimated Nutrition per Serving (1/4 of recipe) 

Nutritional Information (per serving)

  • Calories: Approximately 400
  • Protein: 45g
  • Carbohydrates: 5g
  • Fat: 22g
  • Saturated Fat: 8g
  • Cholesterol: 120mg
  • Sodium: 470mg
  • Fiber: 1g
  • Sugar: 3g

 

Enjoy this delicious Caprese Chicken recipe with the added richness of pesto, bringing a taste of Italy to your table!