Caprese Stuffed Chicken — Juicy chicken stuffed with sun-dried tomato pesto, gooey mozzarella cheese, and topped with fresh basil!! EASY, ready in 30 minutes, loaded with FLAVOR, and a family dinner favorite!!
Stuffed Caprese Chicken Recipe
I love caprese salads and caprese flavors, so this tomato, basil, and mozzarella stuffed chicken recipe is an automatic winner.
It’s hard to resist juicy chicken stuffed with sun-dried tomato pesto, fresh basil, gooey mozzarella cheese, extra tomatoes, and topped with more basil.
The chicken is easy, ready in 30 minutes, and will become a family dinner favorite in no time! It’s so juicy, packed with flavor, and is naturally gluten-free.
What’s in the Caprese Stuffed Chicken?
To make this tomato basil mozzarella chicken recipe, you’ll need:
- Chicken breasts
- Alessi Sun-Dried Tomato Pesto
- Fresh basil
- Mozzarella cheese
- Olive oil
- Salt and pepper
- Canned diced tomatoes
- Alessi Balsamic Reduction (optional)
How to Make Caprese Stuffed Chicken
Start by making a pocket in each of your chicken breasts using a sharp paring knife. Make sure not to slice the chicken breasts in half, just make an opening that goes about 80% of the way through.
Next spread a generous dollop of Alessi Sun-dried Tomato Pesto into each butterflied chicken breast. It’s so flavorful and has the right amount of garlic, salt, and spices to add plenty of flavor to the entire dish.
No need for extra garlic, poultry seasoning, much salt, or anything else. This stuff is magic in a jar.
The Alessi brand is rooted in deep tradition that started in the early 1900’s when the Alessi family emigrated from their home in Sicily to America. Soon after that Antonino Alessi opened Vigo Importing Company. From this company came the Alessi foods line, which captures the true flavors of Italian cuisine.
The Alessi family is still very involved in the brand and the quality, innovation, and value of their products are what makes them so different.
They believe that the quality and value of the food you eat enriches your life and they pride themselves on making products that do just that. It’ll make you feel good serving ingredients like these to your family and friends.
After adding the Sun-Dried Tomato Pesto, add fresh basil leaves, and mozzarella cheese. To seal the chicken breasts, use toothpicks that are inserted horizontally, almost like you are ‘sewing’ and the toothpick is your needle.
Although some cheese and tomato pesto inevitably escapes, that’s okay because it creates an awesome pan sauce that’s bursting with flavor and you can just scoop that right over the finished chicken.
Sear the chicken, transfer to the oven to bake, add petite diced tomatoes in the final minutes of cooking, and top the dish off with basil and Alessi Balsamic Reduction if you’d like.
Make sure to look for other Alessi toppings like pates, capers, pine nuts, and more.
What to Serve with Caprese Chicken
Serve this caprese stuffed chicken with a simple green salad, or one of the following side dishes:
- Oven Roasted Rainbow Carrots
- Roasted Brussels Sprouts
- Roasted Cheesy Asparagus
- Mediterranean Salad
- Parmesan Balsamic Roasted Broccoli
Tips for Making Stuffed Caprese Chicken
When you’re purchasing the chicken, select breasts that are on the thicker side rather than anything labeled ‘thin-cut’ or similar. This makes it easier to slice and stuff the chicken breasts.
When sealing the chicken breasts with the toothpicks, you don’t want them sticking straight up like fenceposts. You want them flush with the chicken and woven in which will help prevent leakage during cooking. It’s like you’re sewing the chicken together.
Make sure to use no-salt added canned tomatoes because there’s enough salt from the tomato pesto and cheese.
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Caprese Stuffed Chicken
Ingredients
- 4 chicken breasts, about 2.75 pounds total weight (select breasts on the thicker side)
- one 3.5 ounce jar Alessi Sundried Tomato Pesto, divided
- 1 handful fresh basil leaves, divided
- 8 slices mozzarella cheese, about 6 ounces
- 3 to 4 tablespoons olive oil
- kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste for seasoning
- one 14.5 ounce can petite diced tomatoes, no salt added (I used these with basil added; don't drain
- Alessi Balsamic Reduction, optional for drizzling
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400F. Using a sharp paring knife, make a pocket in each of the chicken breasts, going about 80% of the way through, taking care not to slice all the way through.
- Open each chicken breast and spread about 2 to 3 tablespoons tomato pesto to each breast, spreading it on both the top and bottom interior surfaces.
- Fold each slice of cheese in half and add 2 slices of cheese to each breast.
- Add about 4 basil leaves to each and seal using toothpicks that are inserted horizontally, almost like you are 'sewing' and the toothpick is your needle. You don't want the toothpicks sticking straight up like fenceposts. You want them flush with the chicken and woven in which will help prevent leakage during cooking.
- To a large, oven-proof skillet, add the olive oil, add the chicken breasts, season with salt and pepper, and sear for about 3 minutes per side, or until chicken is lightly golden browned.
- Transfer skillet to the oven (keep the toothpicks in) and bake for about 20 to 25 minutes, or until chicken is nearly cooked through.
- In the last 5 minutes of cooking evenly add the diced tomatoes around the skillet, return to oven, and continue cooking until chicken is cooked through (internal temp of 165F). All ovens, skillets, and thickness of chicken breasts vary so cooking times will vary; cook as necessary until done given your variables.
- Spoon some of the pan juices over the chicken and garnish with fresh basil, to taste.
- Optionally, drizzle with balsamic reduction to taste and serve immediately. Remember to take the toothpicks out or remind those eating it that there are toothpicks present.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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Post is brought to you by Alessi. The recipe, images, text, and opinions expressed are my own.