Caprese Stuffed Chicken
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If you are a busy person during the week, you are likely searching for quick dinner recipes. This 30 minute caprese stuffed chicken with balsamic glaze is a great choice. Restaurant quality taste but homemade in your own kitchen, this is a wonderful chicken breast dinner.
Keeping dinner uncomplicated
I think it can get overwhelming making dinner decisions at the end of the day. I know personally I get stressed if 5:30 pm is coming around and I haven’t so much as taken chicken out to defrost. Its like my worst nightmare. But this recipe is (at least I hope) a great way to uncomplicate your evening and still look forward to a great meal.
Stuffed chicken is easily made in one pan, keeping the dishes down and the mozzarella, balsamic, and garlic do all the heavy lifting as far as taste. Paired with a great side dish like parmesan potatoes and a crusty bread, you will have yourself a complete hearty dinner.
Ingredients
You need defrosted boneless, skinless chicken breasts. This recipe is specifically for two people, so I just use 2 breasts, but you can increase the amount easily. The chicken breasts should all be as close to the same size as possible.
A jar of sun-dried tomatoes in oil, freshly sliced mozzarella cheese, balsamic vinegar (not the same as glaze) and all of the seasonings. While dried basil and oregano are fine for the outside of the chicken, the center really needs fresh basil leaves. And lastly, nothing is complete without minced garlic and salt and pepper.
How to make Caprese Stuffed Chicken
To get started, preheat the oven to 350.
The biggest tip here about making stuffed chicken (or cooking with chicken at all) is to make sure all pieces are relatively the same in thickness. If one is super large and one is really thin, you will have over or undercooked chicken. If necessary, slightly pound down chicken in places that look really thick.
Cut into the center of breast without going through it, and slice from end to end, cutting a pocket in the center.
Tuck 1/4 of the sundried tomatoes jar, two mozzarella cheese rounds and fresh basil leaves inside the middle. Close the pocket and tuck the chicken breast shut with toothpicks inserted at an angle. Repeat the entire process with the other chicken breast.
Season chicken with half of the dried oregano, salt, black pepper, and dried basil over the top. Place chicken into an ovenproof skillet (I like to use cast iron) and heat on medium-high heat, cooking for about 3-5 minutes on each side, until both sides are golden brown.
Combine minced garlic and balsamic vinegar and pour over the tops of boneless chicken breasts. Place cast iron pan into the preheated oven for 10 – 15 minutes or until chicken is cooked through at recommended temperature.
Do not forget: Make sure to remove the toothpicks before serving!
A slice of fresh mozzarella is the classic go to for caprese but feel free to experiment with other types of cheeses. Try smoked gouda, white cheddar, asiago, or Havarti cheese.
Sun-dried tomatoes are a particular flavor for many people, and some prefer fresh tomatoes. Sun-dried tomatoes have a beautiful tart flavor and are delicious with chicken, so give it a shot!
When cooking more than one chicken breast (as most do), ensure that each piece you choose is as even as possible with the other piece. If one chicken is super thick, it’s OK to pound it down slightly to be even. Just be careful not to over-flatten it, or it won’t cut properly to stuff.
According to Food safety practices, the chicken should be cooked to an internal temperature of 165 degrees.
What to serve with Caprese Stuffed Chicken?
We like to serve our chicken with crusty Italian or French bread and a light salad. If you want to keep a Caprese-themed dinner and cannot get enough of tomatoes and mozzarella (i mean, who does??), add a classic Caprese Salad to the side.
More No Stress Dinner Recipes
Caprese Stuffed Chicken
Equipment
- cast iron pan
Ingredients
- 2 chicken breasts boneless, skinless
- 3.5 oz. sundried tomatoes in oil
- 4 fresh mozzarella slices
- 6 fresh basil leaves
- 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1/2 teaspoon dried basil
- 1 tablespoon minced garlic
- 1/3 cup balsamic vinegar
- Salt and Pepper
Instructions
- Start by preheating your oven to 350°F (175°C). While the oven is warming up, cut a pocket into each chicken breast. Stuff each pocket with 1/4 of the sun-dried tomatoes, 2 slices of fresh mozzarella, and 3 fresh basil leaves. For extra flavor, tuck some additional sun-dried tomatoes on top before you close it (optional), and use toothpicks to close the pocket by inserting them at an angle. Repeat with all chicken breasts.
- Next, sprinkle the top of each chicken breast with dried oregano, dried basil, and a bit of salt and pepper. Heat an ovenproof skillet over medium heat (cast iron works great for this). Brown the chicken on both sides, about 3-5 minutes per side.
- While the chicken is searing, mix the minced garlic and balsamic vinegar together in a small bowl. Once the chicken is browned, pour the garlic-balsamic mixture over the chicken in the skillet.
- Place the skillet in the oven and bake for 10-15 minutes, or until the chicken is cooked through and reaches an internal temperature of 165°F (75°C).
- Optional: When the chicken is ready, top it with freshly chopped basil and, if you like, drizzle a bit of balsamic glaze before serving.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutritional Disclaimer: The nutritional data provided here is auto-calculated and intended for your convenience only. As it’s generated via automation, its accuracy may be compromised. For precise nutritional insight, please compute the values utilizing the actual ingredients in your recipe through your chosen nutrition calculator or application.
Did You Make This Recipe?
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This is delicious! We eat it over salad with balsamic glaze drizzled over. I use pesto instead of basil because I always have a big jar of pesto on hand. 🙂
We absolutely loved this and I will be adding this recipe in my rotation. I followed instruction exactly as printed.
Thanks for your feedback, Susan!
Hi Trisha, this recipe looks so good, going to make it tomorrow for my wife and I! Question, when I brown the chicken in my Cast Iron skillet, do I heat a little oil first? Like maybe a little olive oil? Thank you!
HI Alex, this is a great question. You dont HAVE to heat your oil first but I find when browning chicken like this, it helps to heat it – less likely to stick to the pan! Just be careful not to burn it. 🙂
Let me know what you think!
Awesome dish and paired with wild rice and French green beans from my garden
Just curious about the ingredients vs the cooking instructions. Seems very impossible to cook boneless skinless chicken breast until the skin is golden brown.
I don’t think I have ever seen boneless skin on breasts.
omgosh, I just cracked up! You are correct that in the article itself, I said cook until skins are browned, it should have said SIDES are browned. I didnt appear to have made that typing error in the recipe card though, so all is well. Thanks for pointing it out. I run my articles all through a grammar and spellcheck and it may have gotten caught in that. Thankfully it wouldn’t have altered the instructions since it really was just browning the sides. Fixed. Appreciate you pointing it out~
Trisha