Ally
Summer on a plate! Sheet pan caprese chicken is a simple, fresh dinner: gooey mozzarella chicken, roasted tomatoes and zucchini, and a thick, sweet balsamic vinegar glaze.
This, my friends, is the definition of summer. Do you have more zucchini, tomatoes, and basil than you know what to do with? Same.
Caprese salads are pretty good all year round, but in the SUMMER? In season? Fresh from your garden? Holy moly. On a bed of crispy, cheesy chicken and fluffy mashed potatoes? OH MY GOSH STOP. It’s good. Make this before summer is over, please.
^^ Added bonus: ONE PAN MEAL, PEOPLE!! ^^
Just in case you were wondering, zucchini were invited to this party too because they fit the whole Italian flag color scheme, (oh, and they’re healthy and bountiful right now).
OK. Can we talk about this balsamic glaze for a second? In case regular old balsamic vinegar wasn’t enough for you, we just simmer it down in a sauce pan for like 15-20 minutes until it’s extra sweet and syrupy. It coats every single bite and transforms the ingredients into pure summer bliss. Please, for the love of God, serve this over mashed potatoes so the balsamic glaze/ chicken drippings/ cheesiness forms the most perfect gravy known to man. ♥
From start to finish this perfect summer meal isn’t going to take you more than 35 minutes, and 25 of them are in the oven! That means even when you’re exhausted at night and just want to sit on the screened in porch with a glass of wine and do absolutely nothing, you can still have the most beautiful sheet pan caprese chicken you’ve ever seen for dinner with minimal effort.
Side note: I just upped my summer wine sipping game so hard with these new wine glasses
Ugh, I’m in love. Ok, rant over.
- 2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
- 1 cup flour, almond flour, or breadcrumbs for coating
- Salt & pepper
- ½ tsp. garlic powder
- 2 Tbsp. olive oil, divided
- 1 pint cherry tomatoes
- 1 zucchini, diced
- ½ cup shredded mozzarella cheese
- ½ cup balsamic vinegar
- Fresh basil, for topping
- Preheat your oven to 425.
- In a small bowl, combine flour/breadcrumbs, a generous pinch of salt and pepper, and garlic powder.
- Press each chicken breast into the bowl, coating each side completely and evenly with the mixture.
- Using a couple drops of olive oil, coat the sheet pan with a thin, even nonstick surface.
- Place the chicken breasts in the center of the sheet pan and drizzle with a Tbsp. of olive oil over the top.
- Spread the cherry tomatoes and zucchini out on the sheet pan on either side of the chicken in a single, even layer. Drizzle with another Tbsp. of olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper.
- Bake the chicken & veggies in the oven for 20 minutes.
- Meanwhile, pour balsamic vinegar in the smallest saucepan you have and let simmer over medium-low heat for 15-20 minutes, swirling occasionally, until it becomes a thicker, reduced glaze.
- Remove the sheet pan from the oven, top each chicken breast with ¼ cup of shredded mozzarella cheese, and return to the oven for 5 more minutes until melty.
- Serve the chicken and veggies with a drizzle of the balsamic glaze and lots of fresh basil. This is delicious with a side of mashed potatoes!
Chicken is frustrating me! This looks great but the quality of the chicken breasts varies. How thick are these breasts in this recepe? And how does the crumbs stick to the chicken breasts? I love this receipe but see where I might have problems making it in reality. I am known for my good cooking and my family has a sophisticated pallette that would like this dish. HELP!
Hi Patricia! The chicken is around an inch thick, about 6-8 ounces per portion. You could always cut a chicken breast in half horizontally to make it thinner. You can get the crumbs to stick by dipping the chicken breasts in flour first, then dipping it in a bowl with whisked egg to make it sticky, and then finally in the bread crumbs. Put the crumbs in a shallow dish or bowl and press the chicken into the crumbs firmly to get them to stick.
This recipe was absolutely amazing! We will be making it again. My bread crumbs stuck to the chicken breast really well and I made mashed potatoes to go with it. Simply delicious !