I’m loving this simple weeknight one-pan caprese chicken dish!
This easy caprese chicken is a perfect weeknight dinner, and totally packed with flavor thanks to the melty cheese, fresh summer tomatoes, basil, and a drizzle of balsamic glaze.
If you’re not sure, consider this: my toddler loves this caprese chicken dish so much she calls it ‘candy chicken’. This is from the child that can go a whole 24 hour period living on four carrot sticks and a cup of milk, so the sheer fact she loves this recipe gets it a gold star in my book.
This One Pan Balsamic Caprese Chicken is drizzled with a balsamic glaze (“candy”, according to my toddler) and crazy simple to make.
The recipe here calls for chicken thighs since I find them so much more flavorful (and affordable!) than chicken breasts, but feel free to substitute breasts for thighs if you prefer.
I used sliced vine tomatoes here, but since it’s summer, you’ve got my full permission to go tomato crazy, if you want. Use cherry tomatoes, heirloom, big juicy beefsteak tomatoes; whichever looks best to you will work beautifully in this recipe. #allthetomatoes
Balsamic Caprese Chicken Dump-and-Cook Meal Prep
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 25 minutes
Love this simple, flavorful sheet pan meal with an island feel! It’s ridiculoIf you have pre-made balsamic syrup, you can use that instead and skip the first step of reducing the vinegar into syrup; Swap the plain balsamic vinegar listed in the recipe for ¼ cup prepared balsamic syrup.
Ingredients:
- 1/3 cup balsamic vinegar
- 6–7 boneless, skinless chicken thighs (about 1.5 pound)
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 6–7 fresh basil leaves (about one 2oz package)
- 4–5 vine tomatoes, sliced 1” thick
- 8 ounces fresh mozzarella, cut into 6–7 thick slices
- freshly ground pepper, to taste
Prep Ahead:
- Pound the chicken and store in a resealable bag or container.
- Reduce the balsamic vinegar and store in a resealable bag or container.
- Slice the tomatoes and cheese and store in a resealable bag or container.
Store in the freezer for up to 3 months or the fridge for 3-5 days
Prepare From Prepped:
- If frozen, thaw in the fridge overnight.
- Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil in a large saute pan over medium heat.
- Season the pounded chicken on both sides with salt and pepper, and then sear in the oil, turning the chicken with tongs so both sides brown.
- Add the balsamic vinegar to the pan, drizzling over the chicken breasts.
- Stack the chicken breasts with fresh basil leaves (about 2-3 on each breast), sliced tomatoes, then sliced mozzarella. Place a lid on the pan and turn heat to low.
- Cook a further 2-3 minutes until the cheese has melted.
- Serve chicken with basil, tomato, and cheese on top and any pan sauce left in the saute pan spooned around it.
Make From Fresh:
- Place a wide saute pan over medium-high heat and add the balsamic vinegar. Bring to a boil and allow the vinegar to reduce, stirring occasionally. Allow the vinegar to reduce until it is thick and syrupy enough to coat the back of a spoon, about 8-10 minutes. Remove from the heat, pour into a cool bowl and set aside for later. Clean the pan and return it to the stovetop.
- Place the chicken thighs between cling film. Using a kitchen mallet, pound thighs so that they are each about 1″ thick. Sprinkle evenly with the salt.
- Add the olive oil to the pan and heat on medium-high until shimmering. Add the chicken thighs in one layer and fry until golden brown on the bottom, then turn and brown the other side.
- Layer the chicken with 1-2 leaves of basil, then the tomatoes, then the slices of fresh mozzarella.
- Turn off the heat of the stovetop and place the pan in the hot oven.
- Bake for 10-12 minutes, or until the cheese has fully melted and is beginning to brown.
- Remove the pan from the oven and drizzle with the reserved balsamic vinegar glaze
- Serve hot.
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