Caprese Stuffed Chicken Breasts

Caprese Stuffed Chicken Breasts filled with mozzarella cheese, basil, and balsamic tomatoes, coated in breadcrumbs then baked to perfection.

When Bob and I traveled to Europe after we graduated college, we went with a tour group. Eight countries in 3 weeks - yes, we were one of those groups in the big buses that get to zip to the front of the line at the Vatican and the Eiffel Tower - sorry 🙂

Our tour guide Rosey was amazing. I told her upfront about my aversion to any non-bird meat, so she made sure I was taken care of at every restaurant. Because of this, she called me "Miss Chicken" the entire trip, a name that caught on with the other members of our tour group.

I started thinking about how I haven't posted that many chicken recipes on this blog. Since college, I've discovered the magic that is turkey sausage, ground turkey, and Trader Joe's chicken sausage. Don't get me wrong, I still love my traditional chicken, but it now has to share it's place with these "fancier" meats (don't you just love the word "meats"?)

Anyway, I was watching Tyler Florence over Bob's spring break (ok I took off too!), and he made this recipe for the "ultimate" Chicken Cordon Bleu, and I liked his idea of how he wrapped up the chicken to avoid using toothpicks, so I came up with this Caprese Stuffed Chicken. It might come as no surprise from past posts, but I love love love tomatoes and basil. I could probably eat the combination every day. Throw in some mozzarella - even better! I've made the recipe for 2 portions, which may or may not serve more than 2 people, depending on the size of your chicken breasts. You won't see too many original recipes from me, but this is one of them.

Recipe Details

First, a quick dressing is made with balsamic vinegar and olive oil. The tomatoes marinate in this dressing while the chicken breasts are prepared.

After the chicken breasts are flattened with a meat tenderizer, they are placed on top of pieces of plastic wrap and topped with basil, mozzarella, and the tomato mixture.

The chicken is rolled up and seasoned with salt and pepper. Then, the bundles are wrapped tightly in plastic wrap and refrigerated while the breading components are prepared.

The breading station consists of toasted panko with garlic and Parmesan, buttermilk, and a seasoned flour mixture.

The chicken bundles are first rolled in flour, then buttermilk, then the panko mixture. They are baked until golden and crispy!

Gluten Free Option

Use gluten free panko breadcrumbs and a gluten free flour blend, such as Bob's Red Mill Gluten Free 1 to 1 Baking Flour to make this recipe entirely gluten free.

Looking for More Caprese Flavored Recipes?

Check out these recipes with Caprese flavors:
Caprese Salad Skewers
Double Tomato Bruschetta
Pasta with Sun Dried Tomatoes
Bruschetta Grilled Cheese Sandwiches
Oven Dried Tomatoes
Oven Dried Tomato Bruschetta

📖 Recipe

Caprese Stuffed Chicken Breasts

Meghan

Caprese Stuffed Chicken Breasts are stuffed with marinated tomatoes, basil, and mozzarella and coated in breadcrumbs before baking. The best flavors of a caprese salad inside chicken.

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Prep Time 10 minutes mins

Cook Time 50 minutes mins

Chill Time 30 minutes mins

Total Time 1 hour hr 30 minutes mins

Course Main Course

Cuisine Italian

Servings 2

Calories 488 kcal

Ingredients

  

1x2x3x

• ½ tablespoon balsamic vinegar
• 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil (divided)
• 1 Roma/plum tomato (finely chopped)
• 2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
• 4 very large basil leaves (or several more smaller ones)
• 1-2 ounces mozzarella cheese
• 1 cup panko breadcrumbs (regular or gluten free)
• ½ clove of garlic, grated or minced
• 3 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese
• ¼ cup all purpose flour (or gluten free)
• ⅛ teaspoon ground cayenne red pepper (optional)
• ½ cup lowfat buttermilk (see note)
• salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

Instructions

 

• Whisk together the balsamic vinegar and ½ tablespoon olive oil in a small bowl to make the dressing.
  ½ tablespoon balsamic vinegar
• Add chopped tomato to the dressing and season with salt and pepper. Thoroughly combine and set aside.
  1 Roma/plum tomato
• Pound chicken until very thin. Dry with paper towels and season with salt and pepper. Place each chicken breast on a large piece of plastic wrap.
  2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
• On each breast, arrange 2 basil leaves, slices of mozzarella, and top with chopped tomatoes, using a slotted spoon to transfer them as to leave behind the excess dressing.
  4 very large basil leaves, 1-2 ounces mozzarella cheese
• Roll the chicken very tightly, using the plastic wrap as a guide. When you are finished, the chicken should be very tightly rolled and completely covered in plastic wrap.
• Place chicken rolls in refrigerator for 30 minutes to set. Meanwhile preheat oven to 350°F and prepare panko.
• Heat the remaining ½ tablespoon of oil over medium-high heat in a small skillet. Toast the panko until golden, about 7 minutes.
• Transfer panko to a shallow dish to cool.
  1 cup panko breadcrumbs
• In a bowl, combine flour and cayenne (if using) with salt and pepper.
  ¼ cup all purpose flour, ⅛ teaspoon ground cayenne red pepper
• Pour buttermilk into a second bowl.
  ½ cup lowfat buttermilk
• Once panko bread crumbs have cooled, stir in the grated garlic and Parmesan cheese. Combine well. Line a baking dish with aluminum foil lightly greased with olive oil or cooking spray.
  ½ clove of garlic, grated or minced, 3 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese
• After 30 minutes has elapsed, remove chicken rolls from fridge. Unwrap and dip into flour mixture to coat. Tap off excess. Dip roll into buttermilk, then into panko, making sure to press the panko on if it's not sticking. Place roll into baking dish and repeat with second roll.
• Bake uncovered for 40 minutes, or until chicken is no longer pink.

Notes

Buttermilk substitute:  mix ½ cup milk with ½ tablespoon white vinegar, let sit 5 to 10 minutes.

Nutritional information is only an estimate and will vary based on your ingredients and substitutions. 

You're Gonna Bake It After All

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Nutrition

Calories: 488kcalCarbohydrates: 40gProtein: 37gFat: 19gSaturated Fat: 6gPolyunsaturated Fat: 2gMonounsaturated Fat: 8gTrans Fat: 0.01gCholesterol: 97mgSodium: 637mgPotassium: 685mgFiber: 2gSugar: 6gVitamin A: 646IUVitamin C: 6mgCalcium: 277mgIron: 3mg

Keyword chicken, gluten free, Italian, main dish, tomatoes

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