Caprese Stuffed Chicken with Balsamic Glaze
Servings: 4
Calories: 240kcal
Caprese Stuffed Chicken is incredibly flavorful and surprisingly easy to prepare. Use toothpicks to seal the chicken breasts. It's okay if a little of the cheese oozes out during the cooking process.
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Equipment
- Large (12") cast-iron skillet Or skillet with an oven proof dish
- 12 Toothpicks
Ingredients
- 4 7 oz. chicken breasts skinless, boneless
- Olive oil for brushing and searing
- Kosher salt for seasoning the chicken
- black pepper for seasoning the chicken
- 1 tbsp oregano dried
- 1 tbsp basil dried
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- 8 slices mozzarella thinly sliced
- 4 Roma tomatoes thinly sliced
- 8 basil leaves roughly chopped
- ½ cup balsamic vinegar
- 2 tbsp brown sugar dark
- 1 tbsp chicken broth
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F.
- Use a small sharp knife to cut a pouch or cavity in the thickest part of each chicken breast. Set aside.
- Brush olive oil all over the chicken breast, including the cavity. Sprinkle the chicken all over (including inside the cavity) with salt, pepper, oregano, and basil. Sprinkle the minced garlic in the cavity of each breast.
- Sprinkle a little salt and pepper on the tomato slices. Fill each cavity with a couple of tomato slices, mozzarella slices, and a couple of chopped basil leaves. You may need to cut the slices in half in order for it all to fit.
- Use your fingers to squeeze the cavity closed and then use 4 to 5 toothpicks the close up the chicken breast.
- Heat 1 tbsp olive oil in a large cast-iron skillet or Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Carefully transfer the stuffed breasts to the skillet. Sear one side for about 4 minutes, until browned on the bottom. Again, carefully flip the breasts over and sear for another 4 minutes.
- In a small jar, mix together the balsamic, brown sugar, and chicken broth. Pour the balsamic mixture all over the chicken. Use a spoon to coat the tops of the chicken with the sauce.
- Place the skillet in the oven for 15 to 20 minutes, or until an internal temperature reaches 165°F. Serve at once with sauce poured over the tops of the chicken and extra sauce at the table.
Notes
See the video near the top of the blog post for visual guidance. If you liked the video, please subscribe to our YouTube channel.
If you can't fit all four breasts in your skillet, sear three and set them aside. Sear the remaining breast. During the searing process, they will have reduced somewhat in size. Nestle them into the skillet. If they are still too big, then you'll need to grab another oven-proof dish and place the additional breast (with balsamic sauce) in it.
Take care not to slice through the top or bottom of the chicken when creating the cavity. But if you do, don't worry. You may get a little cheese leakage, but it won't be bad.
When layering the filling, let the cheese sit on top of the tomatoes. This will reduce any spillage of the melted cheese from cuts in the top of the chicken breast.
Leftovers can be reheated on HIGH in the microwave in 30-second intervals, or in a 350°F oven for about 15 to 25 minutes, until heated through.
Nutrition
Calories: 240kcal | Carbohydrates: 17g | Protein: 14g | Fat: 13g | Saturated Fat: 7g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 4g | Cholesterol: 45mg | Sodium: 383mg | Potassium: 267mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 13g | Vitamin A: 990IU | Vitamin C: 9mg | Calcium: 332mg | Iron: 1mg