This Caprese Stuffed Balsamic Chicken is an easy dinner that’s impressive for dinner guests, but easy enough to make on a weeknight. The filling with sun dried tomatoes and mozzarella cheese tastes so amazing!
The filling is simple with sun-dried tomatoes, mozzarella cheese and basil – just slice a pocket into the chicken breast, add the filling ingredients and pin it close with toothpicks.
A Note from Nora
We love easy and tasty chicken recipes around here, nobody wants to eat boring chicken breast after all! For more amazing chicken recipes, see my Instant Pot Sun-dried Tomato Chicken Thighs, my Crispy Oven Fried Chicken or my Southwestern Crockpot Chicken Tacos.
This chicken recipe turns out so juicy and flavorful, but doesn’t need all that much effort – one of my go-to recipes when I have a pack of chicken breasts and don’t know what to do with them. Easy, flavorful and everybody loves it!
How to Make Caprese Stuffed Chicken:
Read on for the detailed steps to make this traditional beef stroganoff, or scroll down for more tips to make this recipe foolproof and the printable recipe card.
Ingredients for Caprese Chicken:
For the chicken:
- chicken breast
- salt & pepper
- mozzarella cheese
- fresh basil
- sundried tomatoes packed in oil drained
- olive oil
For the sauce:
- chicken broth
- balsamic vinegar
- brown sugar
- Dijon mustard
- minced garlic
- Italian seasoning
- Salt + pepper
If you don’t have any fresh basil for the filling, feel free to sprinkle the inside of the cut open chicken breast with a little Italian seasoning instead.
In place of the sun-dried tomatoes packed in oil, you can use dried tomatoes not packed in oil. However, you’ll have to rehydrate them: Place them in a small bowl and cover with boiling water. Let sit for 10 minutes, then they’re ready to use.
The brown sugar in the sauce is optional if you want to cut the acidity of the vinegar a little. A high quality balsamic vinegar probably doesn’t need it, however lower-tier vinegars are often too acidic (no snobbiness here, I only use my expensive balsamic for balsamic vinaigrette and a cheaper one for cooking).
If you don’t have any fresh or minced garlic, use about ½ teaspoon granulated garlic OR garlic powder.
The Key Steps to Caprese Stuffed Chicken:
1 – Cut open the chicken:
First, you’ll want to slice a pocket into the chicken breast.
Take a sharp knife and slice the chicken across, but don’t cut through entirely. That way you’ll end up with a pocket to add your filling to.
2 – Add filling to chicken breast:
Now you can fill your chicken breasts! Place slices of mozzarella, basil leaves and drained sun-dried tomatoes inside the pockets you just made.
3 – Seal the chicken:
Ok, you won’t be able to completely seal it.
But you’ll want to close the chicken breasts with toothpicks as well as you can, to keep the filling from oozing out too much as the chicken cooks.
4 – Brown chicken:
Next, place some olive oil in a skillet, heat and brown the chicken on both sides.
Don’t worry if your chicken is still raw in the middle, you only have to brown it in this step. It will cook through later!
Remove the chicken from the pan and set on a plate.
5 – Make sauce:
Pour chicken broth into the pan, scraping any browned bits off the bottom.
Stir in the remaining sauce ingredients and bring to a simmer.
Add the chicken breasts back into the pan, close with a lid and simmer until the chicken is cooked through.
The exact timing will depend on the size and thickness of your chicken breasts, but it will most likely take around 10-15 minutes.
Serve the chicken right away, while the mozzarella is hot and melty!
Tips for the Best Stuffed Chicken:
- if you don’t have any fresh basil, you can sprinkle a little Italian seasoning over the mozzarella – it won’t be the same, but it’s still very delicious
- make sure to seal the chicken as well as you can – otherwise all the mozzarella will ooze out during cooking
- if you’re not a big fan of a lot of tanginess from the balsamic vinegar (I love it, my husband doesn’t!), you can use more chicken broth instead and cut back to two tablespoons of vinegar
Can you make this ahead of time?
I’m a stickler when it comes to food hygiene, so I generally do not prep dishes with raw chicken in advance.
No, I would not recommend assembling this beforehand.
What do you serve with caprese chicken?
There are lots of yummy side dishes you can make with this caprese stuffed chicken breast recipe! Here are some of our favorites:
Starchy Sides
- pasta
- risotto
- mashed potatoes
- no knead bread
Vegetable Sides
Salad Sides
- simple green salad with balsamic vinaigrette
- spinach salad with avocado and berries
- the best cucumber tomato avocado salad
More Caprese Recipes:
P.S: If you tried this caprese stuffed balsamic chicken recipe, why not leave me a comment below to let me know how you liked it?
I LOVE interacting with you and hearing about your experience with my recipe. Also, by adding a comment and star rating you’re helping Savory Nothings grow and get even better for you!
Get the printable recipe for my Caprese Stuffed Chicken here:
Printable recipe
Caprese Stuffed Balsamic Chicken
Recipe details
Ingredients
For the chicken:
- 4 chicken breasts
- salt & pepper to taste
- 8 slices mozzarella
- 8 basil leaves
- 8-12 sundried tomatoes packed in oil drained
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
For the sauce:
- ½ cup chicken broth
- ½ cup balsamic vinegar
- 1-2 tablespoons brown sugar optional to cut the vinegar’s acidity
- 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
- 1 clove garlic minced
- 2 teaspoons Italian seasoning
- Salt + pepper to taste
Instructions
- Stuff chicken: Slice chicken breasts open to form a pocket (don't slice through compeletly!) and season with salt and pepper. Stuff with mozzarella, fresh basil and sundried tomatoes. Seal the chicken breast over the filling with the help of toothpicks (see post for sample photos).
- Brown chicken: Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Brown chicken on either sie, then remove to a plate.
- Make sauce: Pour chicken broth into the pan, scraping any browned bits off the bottom. Add remaining sauce ingredients and bring to a simmer.
- Cook chicken: Place chicken back into the pan with the sauce. Reduce heat to medium, cover with a lid and simmer until chicken is done (about 10-15 minutes, depends on thickness of chicken!). Serve immediately.
Nutrition
More recipe information
For more delicious things to make with chicken breast, see my Garlic Parmesan Oven Fried Chicken, my Honey Mustard Bacon Chicken or my Balsamic Bruschetta Chicken.
Or browse our collection of Easy Chicken Recipes!
Pic says
I made your recipe for chicken caprice and it was fabulous I did not like it I loved it. Last week I tried to repeat the recipe and I couldn’t find it I tried a different one and I was not happy but I found it again today and I am saving it in three different places I thank you so much because it is incredible thank you!!
Keep cooking??