Caprese Stuffed Balsamic Chicken is a twist on Caprese, filled with both fresh AND Sun Dried Tomatoes for a flavour packed chicken!
Chicken breast has never been so juicy and moist than with this Caprese Stuffed Balsamic Chicken recipe! This is where two chicken recipes merge into one to become one unforgettable delicious dish.
Caprese Chicken
Picture this: juicy fresh tomato slices along with sun dried tomato strips, fresh basil leaves and melted mozzarella cheese, are stuffed inside chicken breasts; then the chicken is seasoned with salt, pepper basil, oregano AND sun dried tomato oil.
THE SAUCE IS EVERYTHING
Like this Balsamic Glazed Caprese Chicken, you’re going to finish off your chicken in the most perfect balsamic reduction — with a hint of garlic — for added flavour. It may SOUND complicated, but it’s one of the MOST easiest chicken recipes I have on Cafe Delites.
This is when all the deliciousness begins to happen. While the chicken bakes with all of these flavours, the juice from both the fresh and sun dried tomatoes begin to mix through the balsamic reduction to create one of the best sauces you’ve EVER TASTED.
A close up, because it’s a thing of beauty.
Cutting into each piece is of course the best part.
SO.MUCH.CHEESE.
SO.MUCH.FLAVOUR.
SOME TIPS:
- Use a sharp, thin-bladed knife to cut the pockets in the chicken. Start on the thickest side of the breast and work your way in. Just be careful not to cut all the way through, or the cheese will melt through to the other side.
- I suggest cooking the chicken in sun dried tomato oil reserved from the jar of sun dried tomatoes. You don’t have to do this if you don’t want to, but it adds SO MUCH FLAVOUR to the chicken.
- You can use store bought balsamic glaze instead of making it from scratch. Just pour in the glaze and allow to warm through for about 20 seconds, then transfer pan to the oven.
WATCH US MAKE THISÂ Caprese Stuffed Balsamic Chicken RIGHT HERE!
Caprese Stuffed Balsamic Chicken
Ingredients
- 4 (200-gram | 7-ounce) chicken breasts
- Salt and pepper , to season
- 1 teaspoon each of dried oregano and dried basil
- 2 roma tomatoes , sliced thinly
- 1/4 cup sun dried tomato strips in oil
- 4 mozzarella cheese slices (or cheese of choice)
- 12 basil leaves , divided
- 4 cloves garlic , minced or finely chopped
- 1/3 cup balsamic vinegar
- 2 tablespoons brown sugar
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 180°C | 350°F. Cut a pocket about 3/4 quarter of the way through on the thickest side of each breast, being careful not to cut all the way.
- Season chicken with salt, pepper, and dried herbs. Pour 1 teaspoon of sun dried tomato oil over each breast, rubbing some of the seasoning inside the pockets.
- Fill each with 2 slices fresh tomato, 2 teaspoons sun dried tomato strips, one slice mozzarella cheese and basil leaves.
- Seal with 3-4 toothpicks diagonally to keep the filling inside while cooking.
- Heat 2 teaspoons of sun dried tomato oil (or olive oil) in a skillet or non stick pan over medium-high heat. Add the chicken and fry for 2 minutes on each side until golden.
- While the chicken is cooking, mix together the garlic, balsamic vinegar and brown sugar in a small jug. Pour the mixture into the pan around the chicken; bring to a simmer while stirring occasionally, until the glaze has slightly thickened (about 2-3 minutes).
- Transfer pan to the preheated oven and continue to cook for a further 10-15 minutes, or until the chicken is cooked through and the cheese has melted.
- Remove toothpicks and drizzle with pan juices.
Sherri B. says
This is such a great recipe and flavor combo! I have made it a few times and it is always excellent! I seem to change up the cheeses depending on what i have have on hand. I’ve used provolone & mozzarella or mozzarella & shredded Italian 5 cheese mix. If I get large breasts, I slice the cavity and season the inside and let them sit in the fridge for a couple of hours just to be sure they are seasoned well before completing the recipe. My husband & I were enjoying it so much tonight for dinner, I posted a pic on Facebook and added a link to your site and recipe. Thanks!
Sharon Hanna says
Love this recipe – will try it very soon! There is a typo in the directions – thought you might want to know – it says don’t cut through the BREAD – pretty sure you mean breast. Looks SO YUMMY. Thank you!
TURNER says
Made this last night and it was delicious. My husband complimented it several times, which is unusual for him. So this recipe is a keeper for me. The only change I made was to use white sugar instead of brown because that’s all I had on hand. Usually I tend to improvise more, but in this case I followed the recipe LOL. Will definitely make this again. Thank you.
Sandy says
Delicious! Something new and easy to prepare! It’s definitely a keeper!
Mindy says
EXCELLENT! My husband demands this! I’ve used both cast iron and ceramic, and both were great. Served with pasta and/or grilled or saute’d veggies. Hint: Saute zucchini, squash, onion, garlic and grilled corn in olive oil, salt & pepper to taste. Enjoy!
Renee says
Delicious, definitely a keeper! Recipe gave me first chance to use my fresh basil that was grown in my new hydroponic AeroGarden. My only change was to use 1 tbsp maple syrup instead of 2 tbsp of brown sugar bc the fridge was closer than digging in back of pantry for the sugar that I rarely use. It was plenty sweet for my taste and family will be fighting over the few leftovers for dinner tonight! Lol! Thanks so much for sharing. 🙂
Eve says
OMG this was awesome Love yours recipes
Eve
Pele says
Made this for my first generation Italian grandmother and she loved it. I will be making this again!
Juana Isaac says
This dished looks amazing and I tried it for my mom last night and she loved it. It is nice to surprise her with new dishes. She said “Looks better than what it is served in a restaurant”. I served it with a side of roasted antipasto vegetables.
Angel says
I would like to add bacon to mine. Should I cook the bacon before putting it in the chicken?
Alma Vorrei says
This looks amazing!!!!! The ingredients are going on my grocery list for next week!
Lisa says
Oh my, this is amazing! I can’t wait to make it again, but I want to have more of this amazingly delicious sauce.
Am I able to double the sauce by just doubling the ingredients, but keep the same amount of chicken? Please let me know. Thank you for this wonderful recipe!
Katarina Stein says
I made this last night and it turned out amazing. It was so much easier than I expected. The oil from the tomatoes was so tasty! I let the chicken rest in the pan after taking it out of the oven for a few minutes and that helped it cook the rest of the way through without getting tough. I served it with some rotini pasta and it was sooo tasty. I can’t wait to have the leftovers for lunch!!
Sonja Mohr-Denison says
Hi Karina!
This was a delicious dish and it made the entire house smell awesome! My family LOVED it and I will definitely make it again! I am wondering if you can help me, though. I doubled the ingredients for the glaze portion and thought when I put it in the oven it would thicken up some more…it stayed thin. Can you please tell me how I can thicken it up to make it more like a sauce?
Nicholette says
Add cornstarch or use honey instead of brown sugar
Tracy says
Absolutely fabulous. Made it exactly like the recipe. It was a huge hit! Making it again for a dinner party next week ?
Jessica says
Karina,
I just made this and it was GREAT! My husband loved it. We have 4 jobs between us and need fast, tasty recipes. I am SO glad I found your site. I subscribed to your newsletter and I can’t wait to try so many more recipes here! I think the creamy garlic mushrooms with bacon may be next!
Thank you for such amazing recipes,
Jessica
Penelope says
Hello! New to your site and hoping to become a loyal follower.
I was just wondering if I could prepare this the morning of and just cook them without any prep work when I get home.
Brenda says
Oh my goodness! Flavor packed is right! The Caprese Stuffed Chicken Breasts dinner was fantastic. I made it as written, including fresh basil and cooking the chicken in the oil from the sun-dried tomatoes. We shared a baked sweet potato and was really surprised how well it went together. There is just the two of us, so we are looking forward to leftovers. In fact, my husband put some leftover grilled chicken thighs & drumsticks into the bowl before putting it in the fridge so they would absorb some of the sauce. We think this would be a good dish for company. Thank you, Karina!
Catherine says
This recipe is just awesome! I had pinned it awhile back. Then your video of it popped up on my Facebook a few days ago. I shared it and my daughter made it the next night. She just raved about how good it was. I made it for hubby and me the next night. Oh, so good! We had leftovers and hubby said it was even better for lunch the next day, after soaking in that awesome sauce overnight! Will definitely make this again. Thank you!
Karina says
Thanks SO much! That is so great to hear! I am so glad that it turned out for all of you! Thank you so much for sharing and following along with me!
rebecca says
This was delicious, I truly loved the sauce and the meal as a whole. I did swap the breast for thigh just because I like thigh more 🙂
Rachel says
If you’re prepared with all your ingredients layed out before you start then this is a breeze. I didn’t bother finishing it in the oven, just did it all on the stove top & served with rice pilaf. This was just an ok dish for me & the kiddos but my husband said it was very good!
Mike says
Loved the flavor , but my chicken was tough. Any advice or tricks..I’m a fledgeling.
Karina says
It is always great to have a meat thermometer to check but with chicken you don’t want to go over too much or it does become tough. I am so sorry it didn’t turn out perfectly! I hope that you are able to try it again with the flavor and tender chicken! Thanks so much for following along with me!
Cathy S McCarty says
you could try brining the chicken for awhile, that always helps.
Troy says
Made this for my family tonight and it was my wife’s favorite meal ever! Easy to make and fantastic to eat!
Karina says
That is great to hear! I am so glad that it is a FAVORITE! Thanks so much for sharing!
LaToya D Holmes says
Can these be baked in the oven. We have a large family( 8 of us in total) and its alot easier to bake 8-12 pieces of meat then to do it on the stove top. Anyone know a decent size pan that holds more then 6-7 pieces of meat?
Pat says
I hate vinegar in any form. Is there an alternative to it in this recipe???
Tymeron Smith says
You can always try lemons and limes for an alternative.
Bryant Kelley says
My mother flew cross county to visit and showed me this recipe. I made it and wooow! Amazing.
Dawna Mantei says
May I do the preliminary work ahead of time and pop it in the oven right before it’s time to eat? this recipe looks amazing!
Lisa Brooks says
Great recipe! I made it for the first time tonight. It was fairly easy (I’m no gourmet cook!) My husband loved it. Make sure you get really thick chicken breasts otherwise they won’t close. I think next time I might add some pitted Kalamata olives. As side dishes I made steamed broccoli and brown rice. The sauce tasted great on the rice, too! My husband and I are both 62 years old and I have to tell you one large breast along with two side dishes was enough to fill us (and we aren’t light eaters). So besides being easy and delicious, it’s a low cost dinner. Bonus: If you look at the calories (under the recipe) it’s even good there, too! Win, win, win, win!
Karina says
Olives sound great Lisa! LOVE your choice of sides also! Thank you so much for sharing your feedback! WIN WIN WIN all around!
Jenice says
I made this last week for my son’s in-laws and they loved it! Making again tomorrow for an out of town friend. Great recipe that I’ve shared with friends!
Karina says
Oh I hope your friend approves! Thank you for sharing this around Jenice! Have a wonderful weekend Xx
Laura Stratton says
This was delicious! I will make it again for us and for company. Not hard to prepare. Directions are clear and easy to follow. Thanks! I will be trying another one of your recipes tomorrow.
Karina says
I’m so happy to hear that Laura!
Kathy Burns says
I made this and it was Amazing! So delicious. Followed recipe exactly. As soon as Hubby took 1 or 2 bites…..he raved about how good it was & “this is a keeper”. And so it is….
Tx so much for this recipe!!
Jo-Ann says
We just had this for dinner and it was amazing! Easy to follow recipe, doesn’t take too much time and feels like we had dinner at a restaurant! We had potato wedges on the side but I did miss some vegetables! Any ideas on what could also go as a side dish?
Chr15t1n3 says
Oven roasted asparagus drizzled with olive oil, salt and pepper would be my recommendation!
gregory stovall says
can’t wait to try for my wife ! I mainly grill and don’t do the kitchen
Samuel Flodén says
Made this meal today.
The persons that I’ve invited for dinner said that it was great. I can only say the same.
The thing that I was missing was to have with the chicken.
I made smashed potato and a cold sauce with turkish yoghurt, lime and runny honey.
I can realy recommend this dish.
My wife told me to do it again.
I thought about to take some pics, but it I didn’t had time to do that
Lisa says
This looks amazing! I’m making it tomorrow night for a family gathering (15 ppl) so I’m hoping I do the recipe justice. One question, though. My skillet is too small, obviously, to hold 15 breasts, so I’m planning to skillet cook in 4 batches, transferring each batch to a baking dish to then bake all at one time. Are there any modifications needed for this method?
Mia says
Hi! I want to adjust this a bit and not use brown sugar or balsamic. For the the mixture to pour into the pan while it sears can I use chicken stock?
Rachel says
I’d love to make this but am looking for suggestions on what to serve on the side? TIA!
Debbie says
My family loved this recipe! It’s a challenge to make chicken flavorful, and this did it!! Thanks so much!
elizabeth long says
Making this tonight but wanted to know if I could make it up to a certain point and finish later.
Nicole in Tucson says
I made the recipe exactly as written except I omitted the brown sugar – it turned out PERFECT!! Thank you!!
TONI says
DO YOU USE FRESH MOZZERELLA OR SLICED FROM A BLOCK ? CANNOT WAIT TO TRY THIS CHICKEN … IT’S JUST SO PRETTY !!! FROM ALL THE REVIEWS, I’D SAY IT WILL RATE HIGH ON TASTE AS WELL.
Dilara says
Hello Karina, I made this just yesterday and it turned out delicious! I wanted to try this recipe for a while, but it seemed way out of my league. I’ve made some of your other recipes however (like the easy pancakes and best fudgy chocolate cake) and they always turned out delicious, so I decided to give it a try and it was not as hard as I thought. I didn’t use the balsamic glaze or the sundried tomatoes though (only my dad likes either of those ingredients unfortunately), but I used some Italian herbs with olive oil to marinade the chicken and swapped the tomatoes out for halved cherry tomatoes and it turned out great! Served it along whith some pesto+cream+chicken+cherry tomatoes pasta and my whole family loved it. Thank you for running this site, it’s my favorite recipe site.
Helene says
I’m so making this tomorrow nite!! I LOVE your recipes-this will be my second one to try & the Lemon Herb Mediterranean Pasta Salad that I made last week was ti die for!!!! My husband wants that again this week!! LOL!!!! I want to try EVERY recipe of yours now!! Thanks Karina!! xoxo
Karina says
Helene that’s AWESOME! I’m SO HAPPY to read this! And you’re very welcome 🙂
Lisa says
This was INCREDIBLE! So flavorful and juicy. I did halve the recipe as it was just for 2, and it was perfect. Seriously delicous. Ive already shared it with 3 other people. Thank you!!
Nancy says
I made this today for the first time, but it won’t be the last. It is terrific! My sister was visiting and raved about this dish. Had to send her the recipe.
Pamela Bradley says
This Caprese Stuffed Balsamic Chicken was delicious. My family went crazy over how good it was. My only question is how many calories are in this dish & why don’t you publish that info with each receipe. I will definitely make this dish again.
Karina says
Hi Pamela. I don’t calculate nutritional information any more as I find readers were complaining too much when I did, due to different ingredients containing different nutritional counts. There are online calculators that can help you!
Julie Hanks says
Thank you for the creative chicken Caprese. At age 68, trying to create different tastes. 🙂 Your recipe was my inspiration. Other than over-heating the oven, I look forward to tonight’s dinner.
Bridget says
I made this, it was awesome! It was a bit sweeter than I was expecting, so I’ll back off the brown sugar next time.
Sarah says
Looking forward to trying this one. We are spending Memorial Day weekend with low-carb people. Would you recommend this recipe for them? Personally, I LOVE everything about this! THANKS! 🙂
Karina says
Hi Sarah! To make this low carb, you can skip the brown sugar OR use a brown sugar substitute. Personally, I’m not a huge fan of brown sugar substitutes, so I’d probably just leave it out to keep it low sugar and low carb. Also, check the carb counts not he balsamic vinegar you’ll be using. Most of them are pretty high 🙂 Having said that, this recipe is just as delicious leaving out the sauce all together if that’s what it comes too! Enjoy your weekend!
Darlene K Bentley says
New to this site but the pictures are so delightful that I am eager to try all the recipes that are offered. Most of the ingredients should be easy to find. My hubby is Type I diabetic and I also look forward to altering and making some substitutions so he also can partake. They look and sound so delicious! Thank you!
Laila Rashdan says
I love you and your delicious recipes ( all ) thank you for ( all of them) , and I hope the best for your health and your Family , please accept my good wishes.
Bye
Laila
Dee says
Hi Karina,
Looks delicious. I will try this for my meal prep. Can I add fresh spinach in addition to basil? About how many calories does this dish contain?
Chris says
I made this for some friends tonight and everyone was raving! I just learned about your site and this was the first recipe I made, but won’t be the last. Thank you from Milwaukee, WI USA
Dave says
any nutrition info on this dish such a calories?
Shannon Hecht says
It sounds delicious! I am getting ingredients together so we can have it for dinner tomorrow night.
Anna says
Thank you for wonderful minutes of dinner. Caprese chicken, pasta al dente, fresh parsley and basil, true feeling of italian taste!
Ampbell says
Going to try this for Friday’s dinner meal, but what would you serve it with? Rice> Pasta or?
Jen says
This looks so good…is this recipe suitable to make ahead and freeze for quick meals?
Sally Massey says
Thank you for the recipe, I am always looking for new ways to prepare chicken.
It was delicious. Pretty easy to make.
Had enough for leftovers, so as always, dishes like this taste even better the next day.
Matt says
Wow! Just, wow! My taste buds are still singing the next morning. This was an absolutely amazing dish and I’m​ not a huge fan of caprese, but this combination of flavors goes together so perfectly. There is a little bit of prep involved but totally worth it. Stuffed chicken is a favorite of mine so I’ll always take the time to do it. And I definitely agree about using the sun dried oil to cook the chicken in. That may be what made it so juicy. Thanks so much for a wonderfully ​delicious recipe!
Rada says
Great recipe – will try it this weekend. Just a quick question – if I want to use store bought balsamic glaze – would I need the same amount of it – 1/3 cup or would it differ?
Karina says
Hi Rada. I’d use the same amount and taste test as it comes comes out of the oven. It should be okay!
Greg Steffen says
I made the balsamic caprese chicken tonight. Holy Cow!! That was great. My wife and mother-in-law are both meat and potato girls. But this recipe paired with roasted garlic polenta was perfect.
Thanks Karina.
Jill says
WOW… this looks amazing!! I have tried two of your chicken recipes this week (creamy lemon chicken scallopini and the sun dried parm creamy chicken) and they were outstanding! (These heavy cream sauced dishes will require extra Zumba classes on my end now, but worth every single calorie!) I love your site!!!! Thank you..
Karina says
Lol Jill!!! Yay for Zumba! Haha. Use half and half or evaporated milk to substitute the heavy cream is my tip of the day 😉 But extra Zumba is an excuse to party anyway, right?!! Thank you for making me laugh! Your message made my day! And you’re very welcome!
Liz says
Today is the birthday of a loved one and I think I just found their gift! YUM!!
Thanks so much for this delicious sounding recipe!