Balsamic Chicken Caprese
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Turn the classic Caprese salad into a satisfying main course, with balsamic chicken breasts, creamy mozzarella, and generous spoonfuls of quick-marinated cherry tomatoes. It’s sweet, tangy, and oh-so-simple to make, especially convenient because you can prep the chicken ahead, then assemble in a flash come dinnertime.
While this easy balsamic chicken Caprese makes a wonderful dinner any time of the year, it’s especially suited to make use of summer garden tomatoes. The tender chicken is bursting with flavor from a balsamic and Dijon marinade, and it makes the perfect backdrop for a simple yet irresistible topping of fresh mozzarella and juicy tomatoes.
I’m a huge fan of how this dish can be mostly prepped in advance, so that when dinnertime rolls around you just have a few things to throw together. That’s the best kind of living, especially on summer evenings when you just want to relax!
Why You’ll Love This Balsamic Caprese Chicken
- Simple ingredients shine without anything fancy or hard to find
- Prep ahead of time and enjoy minimal work when dinnertime comes
- Two magic ingredients—balsamic vinegar + Dijon mustard—in the marinade contribute an irresistible mix of sweetness and tang
- Easy to grill or pan-fry, and equally delicious either way
- Fresh mozzarella + bright tomatoes practically scream warm-weather living
More Ways to Caprese
If you love these flavors, count on classic Caprese skewers for everyday appetizers, a Caprese wreath for a festive holiday presentation, a peach Caprese for a summertime twist, or easy Caprese flatbreads for a semi-homemade main.
Ingredient Notes
How To Make Balsamic Chicken Caprese
This recipe starts with a long marinade for the chicken in an intoxicating mix of olive oil, balsamic vinegar, Dijon, lemon juice, and spices.
This is the same marinade I perfected for my spinach blackberry chicken and balsamic Cobb salad; it never lets me down. And incidentally, either of those salads is a great way to repurpose any extra chicken you may have from this meal.
The chicken can rest in the marinade for as little as 20 minutes or as long as eight hours. I love that this creates options and lets you work ahead on your own schedule.
Once ready to cook the chicken, preheat a grill or frying pan over medium-high heat. Discard the marinade and cook chicken to a safe internal temperature of 165°F. If the chicken is sliced thin, this should take less than 5 minutes per side.
While the chicken is cooking, drain and dab excess moisture from the mozzarella and toss the tomatoes together with another drizzle of olive oil, balsamic, basil, salt, and pepper. Don’t skimp here—the tomatoes deserve to pop off the plate, as well.
Top chicken with mozzarella and tomatoes, and sprinkle with more fresh basil or other garnishes to taste.
You can do this on individual plates, but I especially love the way this dish presents on a large platter with the tomatoes scattered generously and haphazardly over and to the side of the chicken.
What To Serve with Chicken Caprese
I also love how versatile this chicken is. Serve with salad greens and Italian dressing, grilled veggie skewers, roasted broccolini, or my extra-special pesto green beans.
If you’re serving this as one option among a larger buffet, it nicely complements steak and pepper kabobs, pesto pasta with peas, or pork tenderloin with pineapple salsa.
More Easy Chicken Dinners
- Brown Sugar Chicken with Pineapple Salsa
- Balsamic Skillet Chicken Breasts
- Grilled Cilantro Lime Chicken
- Crockpot Shredded Chicken Tacos
Balsamic Chicken Caprese
Ingredients
For the Marinade:
- 1/2 cup olive oil
- 3 Tablespoons balsamic vinegar
- 1 Tablespoon lemon juice
- 1 Tablespoon Dijon mustard
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- kosher salt and black pepper
- 4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts sliced or pounded thin
For the Topping:
- 1-2 cups cherry or grape tomatoes
- olive oil
- balsamic vinegar
- fresh basil leaves
- 6-8 ounces fresh mozzarella see note
Instructions
- First, prep the chicken. In a large bowl, combine olive oil, vinegar, lemon juice, Dijon mustard, garlic powder, 1 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Whisk until smooth.1/2 cup olive oil, 3 Tablespoons balsamic vinegar, 1 Tablespoon lemon juice, 1 Tablespoon Dijon mustard, 1 teaspoon garlic powder, kosher salt and black pepper
- If needed, cut the chicken breasts lengthwise through the middle to make them fairly thin. If any pieces are really uneven, use a meat mallet or just a heavy pan to smash down the thick parts and even them out. Add chicken to the marinade and turn to coat. Cover and transfer to the fridge for at least 20 minutes and up to 8 hours.4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
- Grill or pan-fry. When ready to cook, remove chicken and discard the marinade. Grill or saute in a large skillet over medium-high heat, flipping to cook for 3-5 minutes on each side, until cooked through to 165°F. Transfer chicken to a clean plate.
- Put it together. While the chicken is cooking, drain the mozzarella and use a clean kitchen towel or paper towel to dab off some of the excess moisture.6-8 ounces fresh mozzarella
- Cut the tomatoes in half, and toss them in a bowl together with about 2 teaspoons olive oil, 1 teaspoon balsamic vinegar, a big pinch each of salt and pepper, and a handful of slivered basil leaves. Add more of anything to taste.1-2 cups cherry or grape tomatoes, olive oil, balsamic vinegar, fresh basil leaves
- To serve, top chicken with mozzarella and tomatoes. Sprinkle with extra balsamic, basil, salt, or pepper to taste. Enjoy!
Notes
- Chicken: This makes a good amount of marinade, enough for me to use with 4 large chicken breasts that I then slice into 8 thinner pieces. Extra chicken keeps very well in the fridge for at least 3-4 days and is delicious on salads and in wraps. (Spinach blackberry salad with balsamic chicken; balsamic chicken Cobb salad, etc.)
- Mozzarella: I like to use mozzarella medallions for this; they’re conveniently pre-sliced and packed in water so they stay plump and tender. It’s also great with little balls of cheese, larger balls that you slice yourself, burrata for a creamy twist, etc.
- Melted Mozzarella: If you want the mozzarella to melt a little on top of the chicken, just place it on top during the final minute or so of the chicken’s cooking time–after you’re sure you won’t need to flip it over again. If using a skillet, you can place a lid on top for a moment to help it melt quickly.
