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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so often I drool over your recipes 🤤 but either I’m missing a key ingredient or I’m just too worn out to think through following a recipe.
this delectable chicken dish appeared in my feed like the perfect storm (in the best sense of the cliche). I had everything, everyone in the house was safely out of my way and I got enough sleep last night.
All that build up to say I made it. it was so easy and it came out as if a restaurant had cooked it for me. The only thing that could improve the stress would be is if someone would come here and clean it up after me pack away the eight leftovers for later to all the dishes and tuck me in for the night. totally delicious. I obeyed the recipe to the letter which you don’t know me but that is not me. in the normal scheme of things, I cannot leave a recipe alone, but today I just trusted you and cooked it. thank you so much for making my Thursday night easier.
Oh honey… I feel like you kind of described my life lately. 😉 It’s hard to self-motivate sometimes. But I AM glad you made it and that it met with approval!