One Pan Caprese Chicken for Date Night

If you’re like me, the best date nights happen at home in comfy clothes, with one good pan and a bottle of something you like.

This one pan caprese chicken has everything you love about a caprese salad, with warm melted mozzarella, juicy tomatoes, fresh basil, and a sweet drizzle of balsamic.

It looks like you tried a lot harder than you did, which is my favorite kind of date night dinner.

It serves two and takes about 30 minutes.

Why You’ll Love It

• Five ingredients plus oil, salt, and pepper.
• One oven-safe skillet, about 30 minutes.
• Written for two servings.
• Thin cutlets finish in the oven in 8 to 10 minutes.
• Naturally gluten-free and low-carb.

Ingredients

2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, 6 to 8 oz each

1 1/2 cups cherry or grape tomatoes, halved

4 oz fresh mozzarella from a ball, cut into 4 slices about 1/4 inch thick

6 to 8 fresh basil leaves

1 to 1 1/2 tablespoons store-bought balsamic glaze

1 tablespoon olive oil

3/4 teaspoon kosher salt, divided

1/4 teaspoon black pepper

Steps

1. Preheat the oven to 400°F (200°C) with a rack in the center.

2. Lay each chicken breast flat and slice it horizontally into 2 thin cutlets about 1/2 inch thick. If the pieces come out uneven, cover them with plastic wrap and pound the thick end with a rolling pin or the bottom of a pan. Pat them dry and season with 1/2 teaspoon of the salt and the pepper.

3. Pat the mozzarella slices dry with paper towels. Fresh mozzarella is packed in water, and wet slices make the pan watery instead of melting into a layer.

4. Heat the oil in a 12-inch oven-safe skillet over medium-high heat until it shimmers. Lay in the cutlets and leave them for 3 to 4 minutes, until they’re golden underneath and release from the pan without sticking. Flip them.

5. Scatter the tomatoes cut side down around the chicken and sprinkle them with the remaining 1/4 teaspoon of salt. Lay a slice of mozzarella on each cutlet.

6. Move the skillet to the oven for 8 to 10 minutes, and start checking at 7. The chicken is done when it reads 165°F in the thickest part, and the cheese should be melted. For browned spots on the cheese, switch to the broiler for the last 1 to 2 minutes and watch it the whole time.

7. Take the skillet out with an oven mitt, and keep the mitt on the handle from here on. It stays hot long after it leaves the oven. Let the chicken rest in the pan for 5 minutes.

8. Tear the basil over the top, drizzle with the balsamic glaze, and serve from the skillet with the tomatoes and pan juices spooned around the chicken.

Helpful Tips and Substitutions

Slicing the breasts into cutlets is what keeps this to 30 minutes. A whole breast that’s 1 to 1 1/2 inches thick needs 15 to 25 minutes in the oven, and the outside dries out before the center is done.

Use a ball of fresh mozzarella and slice it yourself. Mozzarella pearls roll off the chicken, and shredded low-moisture mozzarella melts well but has none of the milky flavor that makes this taste like caprese.

If your skillet isn’t oven-safe, finish it on the stove. After flipping the chicken, add the tomatoes and cheese, cover the pan, and cook over medium for 3 to 4 minutes, until the chicken reaches 165°F and the cheese melts.

In a 10-inch skillet, four cutlets will be crowded and steam instead of sear. Pound the two whole breasts to 3/4 inch instead of halving them, and add 3 to 5 minutes to the oven time.

Cherry and grape tomatoes are the most reliable tomatoes year-round. Quartered Campari tomatoes work too.

Tear the basil instead of chopping it. A knife bruises the leaves and they turn dark faster.

Balsamic glaze thickens as it cools. If it’s too stiff to drizzle, stand the bottle in a mug of hot water for a minute.

Serving Ideas

Over angel hair or spaghetti tossed with olive oil and Parmesan, with the tomato juices from the pan spooned on top.

For a date night plate, slice each cutlet on the diagonal and fan it over the pasta.

Crusty bread for the pan juices, and a green salad with a lemon vinaigrette.

Make-Ahead and Storage

Leftovers keep in an airtight container in the fridge for 3 to 4 days.

Keep leftover basil and the glaze out of the container and add them after reheating. Basil turns black in the fridge.

Reheat in a covered skillet over low heat with a splash of water for about 5 minutes, or covered in a 350°F oven for 15 minutes.

Don’t freeze it with the cheese and tomatoes on. Fresh mozzarella turns grainy and the tomatoes go mushy. If you want to freeze something, freeze plain cooked chicken and add fresh toppings later.