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This Caprese Stuffed Chicken recipe is weeknight dinner friendly and offers a fun spin on the classic Caprese combination. Chicken breasts are marinated then stuffed hasselback style with fresh mozzarella, tomato slices, and fresh basil. This recipe has an impressive presentation but comes together fast!
Loving this idea of stuffed chicken? Try my Sausage Stuffed Chicken Breasts and Jalapeno Popper Stuffed Chicken next!
Why I Love This Recipe
- Caprese Inspired – It’s hard to beat the combination of fresh mozzarella, tomatoes, and fresh basil.
- Easy Marinade – The marinade helps keep the chicken moist while baking and enhances the overall flavor.
- Prep in Advance – The chicken can be marinated up to 24 hours in advance making it prep ahead friendly!
Visual walkthrough of the recipe
Ingredients You’ll Need
- Marinade – Olive oil, balsamic vinegar, dijon mustard, Italian seasoning, and minced garlic.
- Boneless, Skinless Chicken Breasts
- Roma Tomatoes – They’ll be halved lengthwise, then thinly sliced to make half-moon shaped slices.
- Fresh Mozzarella – Thinly sliced and cut in half to make half moon shapes. Regular sliced mozzarella or shredded mozzarella can be used instead of fresh mozzarella. Provolone cheese can also work instead of mozzarella.
- Fresh Basil Leaves
How To Make Caprese Stuffed Chicken
See the recipe card below for full, detailed instructions
Marinate Chicken – Add the chicken breasts and the marinade to a resealable plastic bag. Marinate for at least an hour or up to 24 hours in the fridge.
Slice Chicken – Cut slits into each chicken breast, hasselback style. Don’t cut all the way through. Make sure to discard any leftover marinade.
Stuff Chicken – Fill each cut with a tomato slice, mozzarella slice, and basil leaf.
Bake – Arrange the stuffed chicken breasts in a pan and bake at 400℉ for 25-30 minutes. Chicken needs to reach 165℉ so I highly recommend having an instant read meat thermometer on hand.
Serve – Rest for 5-10 minutes then drizzle with balsamic glaze if using, and garnish with extra chopped basil. Serve and enjoy!
Serving Suggestions
To round out the meal, try serving this recipe with a vegetable on the side such as sauteed broccoli, garlic green beans, or oven roasted asparagus. It’s also great served with lemon butter pasta or garlic parmesan pasta. For a no-cook side dish option, pair it with a simple arugula salad.
Storage Tips
The Best Way to Store Leftovers
Storage: Store any leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
Freezing: Wrap each chicken breast in plastic wrap and place in a ziploc bag or airtight container in the freezer for up to 3 months. Thaw in the refrigerator overnight and reheat in the microwave or oven until the internal temperature reaches 165℉.
Make Ahead: Marinate the chicken and prepare it with tomato, cheese, and basil slices. Refrigerate for up to 24 hours until ready to bake.
Recipe Tips
- Make Ahead Friendly – To prep in advance, you can marinate the chicken and prepare it with tomato, cheese, and basil slices. Refrigerate for up to 24 hours until ready to bake.
- Marinade Shortcut – If you want to make this recipe even easier, you can use your favorite balsamic or Italian dressing instead of the homemade marinade.
- Balsamic Glaze – You can find balsamic glaze in the vinegar and oils section of any well stocked market. You can also make your own by putting balsamic vinegar in a small pan over medium high heat and reducing until it becomes thick and syrupy. Set aside to cool before using.
- Use Chopsticks When Slicing Chicken – When cutting the slits in the chicken, try placing chopsticks down on the cutting board on either side of the chicken. This is a good trick to make sure your knife doesn’t accidentally cut all the way through.
- Number of Slices in Chicken Breast – The more slices you make into your chicken the more slices of tomatoes, mozzarella and basil you will need to stuff in between the slices. The size of your chicken breasts will dictate how many slices you can make into the chicken, so feel free to do more or less.
More Chicken Recipes
- Mozzarella Stuffed Chicken Breast
- Spinach Stuffed Chicken
- Crispy Fried Chicken Tenders
- Oven Baked BBQ Chicken Breast
- Buffalo Chicken Wrap
Caprese Stuffed Chicken
Ingredients
Balsamic & Garlic Marinade
- 1/3 cup Olive oil
- 1/4 cup Balsamic vinegar plus more for drizzle after baking
- 2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
- 2 teaspoons Italian seasoning
- 2 cloves Garlic minced
- 1/2 teaspoon Salt
- 1/2 teaspoon Pepper
Caprese Chicken
- 4 Boneless, skinless chicken breasts trimmed, approx. 6-8 ounces each
- 2 Medium Roma tomatoes halved lengthwise then thinly sliced to make half-moon shape slices
- 8 ounces Fresh mozzarella sliced thin, then cut in half to make half-moon shape slices
- 1 cup Large basil leaves cut in half, plus more for garnish if desired
- Balsamic glaze for garnish optional
Instructions
- In a small bowl, whisk together the marinade ingredients. Place the chicken in a resealable plastic bag or shallow dish and pour the marinade over it, ensuring all pieces are coated. Refrigerate for at least 1 hour or up to 24 hours before assembly. Before baking, remove the chicken from the marinade and discard it.
- Preheat oven to 400℉. Spray a rimmed baking sheet lined with foil with non-stick cooking spray.
- Place each chicken breast flat on a cutting board. Using a sharp knife, make 4 deep cuts, about ½ inch apart, crossways into the top of each chicken breast, being careful not to cut all the way through. Tip: Placing chopsticks down on the cutting board on either side of the chicken is a good trick to make sure your knife doesn't accidentally cut all the way through.
- Fill each cut with a tomato slice, mozzarella slice, and basil leaf.
- Place the chicken on the prepared pan and bake for 25-30 minutes or until an instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the breast reaches 165℉.
- Remove the chicken from the oven and allow it to rest for 5 minutes. Drizzle with balsamic glaze if using, and garnish with extra chopped basil. Serve and enjoy!
Notes
Nutrition
Nutritional Disclaimer Kristin Maxwell of “Yellow Bliss Road” is not a dietician or nutritionist, and any nutritional information shared is an estimate. For accurate calorie counts and other nutritional values, we recommend running the ingredients through your preferred online nutritional calculator. Calories and other nutritional values can vary depending on which brands were used.
