Pesto Caprese Chicken Skillet
This pesto caprese chicken skillet is fast, flavorful, and just plain pretty to look at. Juicy chicken breasts get seared to golden brown, then simmered in a sweet and tangy balsamic pesto sauce with cherry tomatoes and melty mozzarella. It’s got all the vibes of a fancy Italian dinner, but it comes together in one skillet and under 30 minutes.
If you’re someone who likes simple dinners that still look and taste impressive, this one is gonna be on repeat. Serve it solo for a lighter meal or pair it with pasta to soak up all that saucy goodness.
Before you get started
Start by butterflying your chicken for even cooking—it helps the meat cook faster and stay juicy. You’ll want to pre-mix the sauce ingredients so everything goes into the pan quickly. And don’t skip the fresh basil at the end. It makes everything pop.
Also, keep the heat around medium so you don’t burn the garlic or overreduce the sauce before the chicken finishes cooking. A lid helps trap moisture and cook the tomatoes perfectly.
What You Need To Make Pesto Caprese Chicken Skillet
You can find the full list of ingredient amounts in the recipe card, but here’s what you’ll need:
- Chicken breasts, butterflied
- Olive oil for pan-frying
- Salt, pepper, and seasoning blends like Badia Complete and Magic Poultry
- Cherry tomatoes
- Water, balsamic vinegar, and honey
- Basil pesto and minced garlic
- Corn starch or arrowroot for thickening
- Fresh mozzarella slices
- Chopped fresh basil
How To Make Pesto Caprese Chicken Skillet
1
Wash and pat dry your chicken breasts, then butterfly them by slicing lengthwise. Heat olive oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add the chicken and season one side with Badia Complete, Magic Poultry, salt, and pepper. Cook for about 6 minutes, then flip and season the other side.
2
While the chicken cooks, mix up your sauce in a small bowl: combine water, balsamic vinegar, honey, pesto, garlic, and corn starch. Stir until smooth.
3
Once the chicken is flipped and nearly cooked through, toss in the cherry tomatoes and pour the sauce right over everything. Cover the skillet and let it simmer for 5 to 10 minutes, until the tomatoes blister and the sauce thickens.
4
Top each piece of chicken with a slice of mozzarella. Cover again for a minute or two until the cheese melts. Finish with a sprinkle of fresh chopped basil and serve hot.
Pesto Caprese Chicken Skillet
Ingredients
- 2 chicken breast butterflied
- 3 tbsp Olive oil for pan frying
- Salt & Pepper to taste
- 2 tbsp Badia Complete Seasoning
- 2 tbsp Magic Poultry Seasoning
- 1 pint cherry tomatoes
- 2/4 cup water
- 3 tbsp balsamic vinegar
- 2 tbsp honey
- 2 tbsp minced garlic
- 2 tbsp basil pesto
- 2 tsp arrow starch or corn starch to thicken
- Mozzarella slices for each piece of chicken
- Fresh basil chopped
Instructions
- Wash and pat dry your chicken, then butterfly by cutting lengthwise
- Add oil to skillet and heat. Place chicken in skillet to cook, season one side with Badia, magic, and S&P to taste. Let cook for 6 minutes, flip and season that side and let cook.
- In a bowl, mix together water, balsamic vinegar, honey, pesto, minced garlic, and corn starch.
- In the skillet did in the tomatoes and pour on the sauce and cover.
- Let it cook 5-10 minutes until tomatoes are blistered and the sauce has thickened.
- Top each chicken with cheese, let it melt and sprinkle with fresh basil!
- Enjoy by itself or with a side of pasta!
