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Enjoy a delicious and convenient single serving of Chicken Caprese, a meal that combines the classic flavors of a Caprese salad with a fulfilling chicken dish, ready in just 30 minutes. The recipe features a single chicken breast, seasoned and baked with juicy tomatoes, crisp red onions, and a tangy balsamic glaze, then topped with melted mozzarella cheese. This simple yet elegant dish offers a perfect balance of healthy eating and exquisite taste, all made in one dish for easy cleanup.
Enjoy this Chicken Caprese with any of our single serve side dish recipes like crispy Roasted Brussels Sprouts, a refreshing Spinach and Orzo Salad, golden Pan-Fried Okra, or a slice of moist Cornbread.
RELATED: Easy Dinner Ideas For One
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Easy to Make: Simple steps and common ingredients.
- Flavorful: The combination of balsamic, tomato, and cheese enhances the chicken.
- Healthy: A balanced meal with protein and fresh vegetables.
- One-Pan Wonder: Everything cooks in a single dish for easy cleanup.
- Perfect Portion: Ideal for a satisfying single serving.
What Is Caprese Chicken?
Chicken Caprese is a baked chicken dish inspired by the traditional Caprese salad. It features chicken breast topped with tomato, balsamic vinegar, mozzarella cheese, and often basil, embodying the refreshing flavors of the classic Italian salad.
How To Make Chicken Caprese
These step-by-step photos and instructions help you visualize how to make a single serving of Chicken Caprese. See the recipe box below for ingredient amounts and full recipe instructions.
- Season and Bake the Chicken: Start by seasoning one chicken breast with a blend of dried basil, oregano, garlic powder, salt, and pepper. Place it in a small baking dish, accompanied by slices of tomato and red onions. Drizzle balsamic vinegar over both the chicken and the vegetables. Bake in the oven for 20 to 25 minutes until the chicken is cooked through.
- Add Cheese and Finish Baking: After the initial baking, sprinkle shredded Mozzarella cheese over the chicken. Return it to the oven for an additional 5 minutes, allowing the cheese to melt perfectly over the chicken.
Recipe Variations
Exploring different variations of this easy Chicken Caprese recipe can add an exciting twist to your meal. Here are some creative options to try:
- Pesto Chicken Caprese: Spread a layer of pesto over the chicken before adding the tomatoes for a herby, flavorful twist.
- Mushroom Delight: Include sliced mushrooms with the tomatoes and onions for an earthy flavor and extra texture.
- Spicy Kick: Sprinkle chili flakes on the chicken before baking for a spicy version.
- Creamy Dream: Add a few dollops of ricotta cheese on top before the final bake for a creamy addition.
- Mediterranean Flair: Mix in olives and a sprinkle of feta cheese for a Mediterranean-inspired variation.
Expert Tips
- Before starting, it’s important to read the entire recipe. We’ve included comprehensive information to guarantee your Caprese Chicken turns out perfectly every time. Since this dish is quick to prepare, it’s essential to familiarize yourself with the recipe and have all ingredients prepped and ready to go before beginning
- Stock and Freeze Chicken Efficiently: Buy chicken breasts or thighs in bulk, particularly during sales. Divide them into individual servings, wrap each piece separately, and freeze. This makes it easy to defrost and cook single servings as needed. Keep in mind the USDA’s recommendation to freeze chicken breasts for no more than nine months for optimal quality, and always label the packages with the ‘frozen on’ date.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes, you can use a 4 to 6-ounce boneless, skinless chicken thigh instead of a breast. Bake it at 400°F for 20-25 minutes or until it reaches an internal temperature of 165°F, as measured by an instant-read thermometer.
Definitely. Chicken Caprese is low in carbohydrates and rich in flavor. Tomatoes are a key ingredient that provide lycopene, an antioxidant, and are also a great source of vitamins C, B, E, potassium, and folate. Red onions, another ingredient, are known for their health benefits, including the antioxidant quercetin, which fights inflammation and boosts the immune system.
Yes, the recipe can be doubled to use two chicken breasts. Simply double all the ingredients. The baking time remains the same as specified in the original recipe.
Yes, assemble earlier and bake when ready to eat.
Ways To Use Leftover Ingredients
If you have any ingredients leftover from this recipe, check out our Leftover Ingredients Recipe Finder or you might like to consider using them in any of these single serving and small batch recipes:
Other Single Serving Chicken Recipes
If you like this baked Chicken Caprese recipe, you might also like to try these easy chicken recipes:
For information on the cooking and baking dishes I use in our “recipes for one”, please visit our FAQ page.
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If you’ve tried this Chicken Caprese or any recipe on One Dish Kitchen please let me know how you liked it by rating the recipe and telling me about it in the comment section below.
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Chicken Caprese For One
Watch How To Make This
Equipment
- 5×7 inch baking dish or similar sized baking dish
Ingredients
- 1 (4 to 6-ounce) boneless skinless chicken breast
- ½ tablespoon olive oil
- ¼ teaspoon dried basil
- ¼ teaspoon dried oregano
- ⅛ teaspoon garlic powder
- ⅛ teaspoon kosher salt
- ⅛ teaspoon coarsely ground black pepper
- 1 Roma tomato , quartered
- ⅓ cup chopped red onions
- 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
- ½ cup shredded Mozzarella cheese
Instructions
- Heat oven to 400°F (200°C).
- Place the chicken breast in a small baking dish. Sprinkle with olive oil, basil, oregano, garlic powder, salt, and pepper.
- Place the quartered tomatoes and diced onions around the chicken.
- Drizzle the balsamic vinegar over the top of the chicken and vegetables.
- Bake for 20-25 minutes depending on the thickness of your chicken, or until an instant read thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the chicken registers 165°F.
- After the chicken is cooked through, sprinkle Mozzarella cheese over the top.
- Place the baking dish back into the oven and bake for an additional 5 minutes, until cheese has melted.
Notes
- Before starting, it’s important to read the entire recipe. We’ve included comprehensive information to guarantee your Caprese Chicken turns out perfectly every time. Since this dish is quick to prepare, it’s essential to familiarize yourself with the recipe and have all ingredients prepped and ready to go before beginning
- Stock and Freeze Chicken Efficiently: Buy chicken breasts or thighs in bulk, particularly during sales. Divide them into individual servings, wrap each piece separately, and freeze. This makes it easy to defrost and cook single servings as needed. Keep in mind the USDA’s recommendation to freeze chicken breasts for no more than nine months for optimal quality, and always label the packages with the ‘frozen on’ date.
Nutrition
The information shown is an estimate provided by an online nutrition calculator. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.
Another J.Z. home run. This was amazingly good. And so simple also. It took me 10 minutes to put everything together in my baking dish the night before so all I had to do was pop it in the oven for my new meal. I was all out of mozzarella from making my lasagna but I had some ricotta left over and use that. It was good but I think the mozzarella would be better. I will definitely make this again and again especially since it’s so easy.
I made this last night for my son and myself. I used a tin of drained cherry tomatoes and added some sliced black olives. We both loved it. Thank you for this recipe, now to try some of your others. ๐
Very good. Just right with fresh home grown tomatoes!
I wasn’t sure what to expect from this recipe and admittedly only made it because I had all of the ingredients on hand, including a tomato that needed to be used. Wow, I was blown away by the end result! This was delicious and I was glad that I had doubled the recipe so I had leftovers for lunch the next day. Even reheated the chicken was flavorful and moist. This will be going into my dinner rotation!
Delicious! The chicken was tender and moist. In addition to the tomato and onion, I added mushrooms and zucchini, which made it a little juicy. I need a low sodium diet. Most recipes come out bland and tasteless without sodium, but the cheese made this perfect. Loved it!
Made this today for my 7 year old daughter and she absolutely ADORED it! I didnโt have any balsamic vinegar and chose not to add any acid to the dish but it was still DIVINE. Thank you! I love how I ended up with no wastage.
Can this be doubled or even tripledโฆthanks
Yes. This recipe doubles and triples successfully.