Secret to the Perfect Caprese Stuffed Chicken

Caprese stuffed chicken is a baked Italian-inspired dinner where thick boneless chicken breasts are sliced into little pockets using a clever wooden spoon trick, then stuffed with fresh plum tomatoes, basil leaves, and sliced mozzarella before being finished with melted shredded cheese and a balsamic drizzle. The whole thing bakes at 375°F and is ready in just under an hour.

We make a beautiful caprese stuffed chicken breast, and it is so delicious, you are going to love it. Seriously, it is so easy and so good!

For the ingredients, you need chicken breasts, fresh oregano, fresh mozzarella, shredded mozzarella, plum tomatoes, balsamic vinegar, and fresh basil. I will tell everybody an easy way to prepare the chicken so you do not mess it up, and all that beautiful cheese and tomato stays right where it belongs.

Why You Will Love This Caprese Stuffed Chicken

Listen to me, you are going to love this dish because it is fresh, it is juicy, and it looks so beautiful when it comes out of the oven! The mozzarella melts all over the top, the tomatoes get nice and soft, and the smell of the fresh oregano is amazing. Plus, I give you my secret wooden spoon trick, so even if you are not a professional chef, you can make perfect little pockets for stuffing every single time.

If you love easy baked chicken dinners like this one, you will also want to try our Easy Apricot Glaze Chicken, another gorgeous glazed baked chicken recipe that is just as easy and just as impressive on the plate.

What You Will Need

Special Equipment

• 1 sharp chef knife
• 2 wooden spoons (the secret trick!)
• Kitchen scissors (for the basil)
• Oven-safe skillet or baking dish

The Ingredients

• 2 large thick boneless, skinless chicken breasts (about 8 oz / 225g each)
• 2 Roma plum tomatoes, sliced into thin rounds
• 1 ball (4 oz / 113g) fresh mozzarella cheese, sliced thin
• ½ cup (56g) shredded mozzarella cheese
• 10 to 12 fresh basil leaves, washed
• 1 tbsp fresh oregano (or 1 tsp dried oregano)
• 1 tbsp olive oil, plus extra for greasing
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
• Balsamic vinegar or balsamic glaze, for drizzling

Let’s Get Cooking

1. Preheat the Oven

Preheat your oven to 375°F (190°C).

2. The Secret Spoon Trick

Here is the trick so you do not cut your chicken all the way through! Take two wooden spoons. Put one on each side of the chicken, right nice and close. Now take a sharp knife and cut across the top, spacing the cuts about ½ inch apart. The wood of the spoon stops the knife so it no go all the way through! You do another cut, and it stops again. It makes perfect little pockets so you can stuff the chicken with your tomatoes, basil, and mozzarella. Repeat with the second chicken breast.

3. Prep the Fresh Basil

Before you stuff, wash your basil. But first, do a cut. Always cut the basil with scissors, you know? Because if you use a knife, you break it, you bruise it, and it is no good. Scissors keep it perfect! Carefully snip the basil leaves from the stems.

4. Let’s Get Stuffing!

Now, start to stuff the chicken! Open up one of those little pockets you just cut. Put in one slice of tomato, one leaf of basil, and one slice of fresh mozzarella. Then go to the next pocket: one slice tomato, one leaf basil, one slice mozzarella. Nice and stuffed! Finish with a little salt, black pepper, and fresh oregano in each pocket.

5. Into the Oven

You need a good pot that is safe for the oven. Put a drop of oil on the bottom so the chicken does not stick. Pick up the stuffed chicken, put it right in the pot, and drizzle a little oil on the top, in every place. This goes in the oven at 375°F for about 35 minutes.

6. The Cheese Melt!

After 35 minutes. Pull them out. But it is not done yet! Now sprinkle the shredded mozzarella all over the top so we make it nice and cheesy. Put it back in the oven for about five more minutes, until the cheese melts and the internal temperature of the chicken reaches 165°F (74°C) at the thickest part. Always check with a meat thermometer!

7. Serve and Enjoy

When it is done, carefully remove from the oven and put it right on the board. Drizzle a little balsamic vinegar on top right before eating. Salute, chin chin!

I hope somebody makes this dish tonight. Thank you very much, and we see you next recipe. Enjoy

This stuffed chicken is amazing with roasted vegetables on the side. Our Roasted Root Vegetables go in the oven at the same temperature, so you can cook both at the same time for a full dinner with almost no extra effort!

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Caprese Stuffed Chicken Breast (Easy Baked Recipe with the Spoon Trick!)

Recipe by Sana ReiCourse: Main CourseCuisine: Italian-AmericanDifficulty: Easy

Servings

2

servings

Prep time

15

minutes

Cooking time

40

minutes

Calories

480

kcal

Total time

55

minutes

Beautiful juicy chicken breasts stuffed with fresh plum tomatoes, basil, and mozzarella using an easy wooden spoon trick so you never slice all the way through! Finished with melted cheese and a balsamic drizzle.

Ingredients

• Equipment Needed:

• Sharp chef knife

• 2 wooden spoons

• Kitchen scissors

• Oven-safe skillet or baking dish

• Ingredients:

• 2 large boneless, skinless chicken breasts (about 450g total)

• 2 Roma plum tomatoes, sliced thin (about 120g)

• 4 oz fresh mozzarella cheese, sliced thin (113g)

• ½ cup shredded mozzarella cheese (56g)

• 10 to 12 fresh basil leaves

• 1 tbsp fresh oregano (or 1 tsp dried) (3g)

• 1 tbsp olive oil (15ml), plus extra for greasing

• Salt and black pepper, to taste

• 1 tbsp balsamic vinegar or glaze (15ml), for drizzling

Directions

• Preheat your oven to 375°F (190°C).
• Lay the chicken breasts flat on a cutting board. Place one wooden spoon on each side of the chicken breast. Using a sharp knife, make crosswise cuts across the chicken every ½ inch, letting the wooden spoons stop the blade from cutting all the way through.
• Wash the fresh basil and use scissors to snip the leaves from the stems to prevent bruising.
• Stuff each cut pocket with one slice of tomato, one basil leaf, and one slice of fresh mozzarella.
• Season the top of the stuffed chicken evenly with salt, black pepper, and oregano.
• Lightly oil the bottom of an oven-safe baking dish. Place the chicken inside and drizzle the remaining olive oil over the top.
• Bake uncovered for 35 minutes.
• Remove from the oven and sprinkle the shredded mozzarella evenly over the top of both chicken breasts.
• Return to the oven for 5 more minutes, until the cheese is melted and the thickest part of the chicken reads 165°F (74°C) on a meat thermometer.
• Transfer to a serving platter, drizzle with balsamic vinegar, and serve immediately.

Notes

• The Spoon Hack: Using two wooden spoons is the easiest way to get that beautiful Hasselback-style cut without ruining the chicken. The spoons act as a physical stopper so the knife cannot go all the way through.
• Fresh Herbs: Always use scissors to cut your basil! Chopping it with a knife on a board bruises the leaves and turns them black.
• Always Check the Temperature: Chicken must reach an internal temperature of 165°F (74°C) before serving. Use a meat thermometer at the thickest part of the breast.
• Storage: Keep leftover chicken in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. Do not freeze this dish! The fresh tomatoes and basil hold too much water and will turn to mush when defrosted. Eat it fresh!