Capture the best flavors of the summer with this Easy Chicken Caprese recipe. Succulent chicken, melty cheese, tomatoes, and basil come together in one mouthwatering meal. With only 5 ingredients and less than 35 minutes of your time, it’s a simple but elegant dinner you don’t want to miss!
Caprese salad is a summer staple in our house. We grow our own tomatoes and our own basil, and we’re always looking for ways to use them. And this easy chicken dish takes all of those wonderful flavors and turns them into a hearty, high protein meal.
It’s one of our favorite keto chicken recipes, and we make it multiple times every summer. Simple, quick, and always delicious.
Winner Winner Chicken Dinner
Fresh summer flavor: Ripe tomatoes and chopped basil, along with fresh mozzarella and juicy chicken thighs, make this recipe ultra-flavorful!
So easy to make! Only a handful of ingredients and 5 minutes of prep time. This recipe is easy enough for a weeknight and elegant enough for a special occasion.
High protein, low carb: Each delicious serving has less than 2 grams of carbs and over 35 grams of protein, so it’s perfect for low carb and keto diets.
Perfect pairings: Serve with grilled zucchini salad or some
★★★★★
Karen says: “This was SO TASTY!! it will be my often go to. It was so easy to make. You and your recipes have made a big difference in my life, from being down about having to eat low carb (diagnosed with type 2 diabetes) to being elated to find out I can eat with flavor and satisfaction!“
Ingredient Notes
- Chicken thighs: I prefer thighs over breasts, as they stay juicier and have more flavor.
- Mozzarella: You want fresh mozzarella for this recipe, rather than the block-style cheese.
- Tomatoes: Choose ripe but firm tomatoes for the best flavor.
- Basil: Fresh basil is a must for a good chicken Caprese recipe!
- Pantry staples: Olive oil, salt, pepper.
How To Make Keto Caprese Chicken
- Season the chicken: Sprinkle the chicken on both sides with salt and pepper.
- Brown the chicken: Heat the oil in a skillet and sear the chicken on both sides. Transfer to a baking dish.
- Add cheese and tomatoes: Top each thigh with a slice of mozzarella, and then a slice of tomato.
- Cook: Bake the dish until the cheese is melted and bubbling and the chicken is cooked through. Broil lightly to brown up the cheese. Sprinkle with chopped basil before serving.
Recipe Tips
- Want to use chicken breasts? I recommend choosing small ones or cutting them in half so they don’t take too long to cook through.
- Browning the chicken before baking adds better flavor, so don’t skip this step!
- Add the chopped basil just before serving so it doesn’t become brown and wilted.
More Popular Keto Chicken Recipes
Caprese Chicken Recipe
Ingredients
- 2 tbsp (28.4 g) olive oil
- 5 boneless skinless chicken thighs
- Salt and pepper
- 6 ounces (170.1 g) fresh mozzarella, sliced into 5 slices
- 1 medium tomato, sliced into 5 slices
- 1/4 cup fresh basil, chopped
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375ºF.
- In a large skillet, heat the oil until over medium heat until shimmering. Sprinkle the chicken thighs with salt and pepper and add in a single layer to the pan. Sear on the first side for 3 minutes until golden brown, then sear on the second side another 2 to 3 minutes.
- Arrange the chicken in a single layer in a medium casserole dish or glass baking pan. Top each chicken thigh with a slice of fresh mozzarella, then top each with a slice of tomato.
- Bake 20 minutes, until the cheese is melted and bubbling and chicken is cooked through. Turn on the broiler for a minute or two to brown the top of the cheese.
- Remove from the oven and sprinkle with fresh basil before serving.
Nutrition
Nutritional Disclaimer
Please note that I am not a medical or nutritional professional. I am simply recounting and sharing my own experiences on this blog. Nothing I express here should be taken as medical advice and you should consult with your doctor before starting any diet or exercise program. I provide nutritional information for my recipes simply as a courtesy to my readers. It is calculated using MacGourmet software and I remove erythritol from the final carb count and net carb count, as it does not affect my own blood glucose levels. I do my best to be as accurate as possible but you should independently calculate nutritional information on your own before relying on them. I expressly disclaim any and all liability of any kind with respect to any act or omission wholly or in part in reliance on anything contained in this website.
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Delicious!
I love so many of your recipes and have all your books! I’ve been remiss in not reviewing them one by one but will try to do better. ❤️
Cancer fighter here. Will the chicken be completely done in 30 minutes??? My immune system is a bit wacky and I have to be careful of undercooked meats. I love the simplicity of this and want to try it.
With chicken thighs that are seared first, they should be done. However, if it concerns you, give them 25 minutes in the oven instead. They won’t dry out the way breasts would!
Thanks, Carolyn. I appreciate your help and will try this this week!
Wish you the best in this journey!
I love all your recipes I made this today for myself and my partner, he’s a very fussy water and this was a hit. Such a tasty dish and so easy and quick to put together, it’s a recipe that’s definitely a keeper ???? thanks so much Carolyn ????
So glad to hear it!
This was SO TASTY!! it will be my often go to. It was so easy to make. You and your recipes have made a big difference in my life, from being down about having to eat low carb (diagnosed with type 2 diabetes) to being elated to find out I can eat with flavor and satisfaction! My
blood glucose is stable now, and I have dropped 2 sizes and will get to my goal thanks you and others in my life!❤❤❤❤❤❤❤
So glad you liked it!
My apologies, Carolyn, I found the nutritional information! Sorry to bother you!
Not your fault. There was an error in my recipe plug in and they were all gone for a bit… but they’re back!
Carolyn, where can I find the nutritional information, that is the macros for this recipe?
Omg! That shot with the cheese pull has left me drooling!
Wow this chicken looks so fresh! YUM!
Love the healthier twist on a classic! I’m craving this now!
YUM!! What a fabulous idea!
OMG this was so good!! The basil at the end really sets the dish off. Thank you for this recipe, it’s going into the rotation.
My husband and I don’t like tomato but I want to make this dinner. What other vegetables would be good on top of this caprese chicken?
Artichokes! Spinach!
Wow! This is a keeper! I loved it! My add-ons…pinch of garlic powder to the chicken and a sprinkle of balsamic vinegar just before i put into oven. I made mine in an oven proof pan for easy clean up!
Sounds like you had some great additions!
nice blog
Hi , I have the same problem and can’t find Swerve . But can get xylitol, powdered stevia and truvia. My problem is I never know how much do use. Is there a rough guide or a sugar to one of these sweetener comparison? Thanks Sonia
Hi Carolyn ! I’m a big fan of your work and I love to test some of your recipes in my home. I’m a type 1 diabetic and your wonderful ideas make my life so happy ! 🙂
However, I’ve been having a little problem : I’m from Brazil, and here I can’t find the swerve sweetener or any other erythritol to do some recipes. Are there another type that can do the same effect ?
Thanks for all !
Tell me what you can find and maybe I can help guide you from that. Can you get xylitol? Truvia?
Yes, I can get xylitol and stevia powder. Here there’s one brand that the composition is taumatina and stevia, too.
I have no idea what taumantina is. But if you tell me what recipes you want to make, I can guide you on the xylitol and stevia.
Thanks so much Carolyn ! I’d like to know :
Wich could be the best to make a syrup/sauce, like your caramel sauce ?
And to make a cake/pie filling ? A coverage ? A jelly ? And to make recipes wich the sweetener need to be used granulated outside the food ?
Sorry for this many questions and hope you can help me. Have a nice day
For caramel sauce, xylitol would be best. For the cake or pie filling, you could do xylitol or stevia or a mix of both (I would probably do a mix). By coverage, do you mean chocolate? I’d powder the xylitol as finely as I could and then do a mix of it and stevia. Jelly or jam, you could use either. By “granulated outside the food”, I assume you mean sprinkling or rolling…neither of these will work very well, the xylitol will melt into your food as it bakes. Might be best to roll or sprinkle after baking.