I tried Tuscan-Style Grilled Ribeye Steak a while back, and I just loved the flavor of the balsamic vinegar marinade. This Caprese chicken recipe immediately brought that to mind when I saw the chicken breasts were brushed with a balsamic vinegar and Dijon mustard mixture, and I started wondering if chicken would be as good as the steak. And, darn it all, there’s only one way to find out. Guess I have to make this recipe!
An all-in-one power packed flavor meal, this Caprese Stuffed Chicken Breast takes it’s inspiration from the classic Italian salad and is made in 25 minutes.
The Ingredients
A quick scan of this recipe’s list of ingredients, and it’s no surprise that none were difficult to find or unusually expensive. But there was one ingredient I was particularly happy to see: fresh mozzarella. Now I love mozzarella in any form, whether it’s fresh, sliced, or shredded, but fresh has always been my favorite. It’s a combination of the moist, soft texture, that it’s not as salty as sliced, and that it gets nice and gooey when it’s melted. And this recipe will definitely melt it.
The Process
Think stuffed chicken breasts sound difficult and time-consuming? Nope! This recipe went together fast, although it did take a bit longer than the 25 minutes listed–mine took 28 minutes. I had the chicken breasts stuffed and ready to go into the oven in 10 minutes. The recipe listed a 5-minute prep, but I’m not that fast! Next was searing them in a skillet for 3 minutes total (2 minutes on the first side and 1 minute on the second side). Last was baking in the oven for 15 minutes, after which I had 2 perfectly done stuffed Caprese chicken breasts.
Cutting the pockets into the chicken breasts is the hardest part, and I use that term loosely. I’ve had plenty of mishaps doing this, and there have been more than a few times I have cut through the bottom of the piece of chicken on accident. Then I ended up with cheese and filling leaking out and making a big mess.
But there’s a secret to making perfect pockets, and that is turning the chicken breasts smooth side down. You’ll notice there is an indentation/dip in the middle of the chicken breast, and it’s easy to accidentally cut through it. This way you can see the dip and make sure your knife stays safely away from it. Start on the thicker side and use a paring knife to carefully cut the pocket about halfway up. Go slowly so you don’t slice all the way through to the other side, and keep the pocket in the thickest part of the chicken breast—there’s no need to take it all the way into the thinner, pointy part. That’s all there is to it.
I opted to brush the inside of the chicken pieces with the vinegar-mustard mix and reserve the rest for the outside. This kept things a little neater while I was stuffing it with the basil, cheese, and sun-dried tomatoes. It was also easier to close the chicken breasts with toothpicks without the sauce making them slippery.
