This chicken caprese is a one pan meal with fresh veggies and chicken breasts topped with melty mozzarella, roasted tomatoes, a drizzle of balsamic and fresh basil. It’s fresh, flavorful and easy to make!
Inspired by my favorite Caprese Salad, this chicken caprese recipe has all of the delicious caprese flavors you love, transformed into an easy sheet pan dinner. I had originally planned to make a basic caprese chicken recipe, but then thought why not throw some veggies on a sheet pan along with the chicken and call it dinner? It worked out wonderfully – from my very first bite I knew we had a new favorite to add to our dinner rotation.
This sheet pan chicken caprese is my ideal spring and summer meal. It’s simple, fresh and beautiful on our plates. If you enjoy caprese flavors as much as I do, I think you’ll also love my Caprese Sandwich and Caprese Pasta recipes.
Why You’ll Love this Sheet Pan Chicken Caprese
- One pan meal. Sheet pan dinners are my favorites for busy days! Everything cooks on one pan, and clean up is so easy.
- Quick and easy dinner. The prep work is minimal for this chicken caprese recipe. The most time-consuming part is chopping the veggies!
- Easy to customize. I tested this recipe during asparagus season, so it was a no-brainer to add asparagus to the veggie mix. This recipe works with a variety of fresh veggies, and I’ve given you some ideas for how to change up the recipe below.
Ingredients You’ll Need
We start with a simple seasoning that I use to season both the chicken and vegetables:
- Olive Oil: We’re making a simple vinaigrette (a seasoned oil and vinegar mixture) to toss with the veggies and brush on the chicken before baking.
- Balsamic Vinegar: I recommend a good-quality balsamic vinegar that tastes great on its own, so you can use it for drizzling on the chicken after baking. My favorite is Whole Foods Aged Balsamic Vinegar of Modena, which is imported from Italy and aged at least 3 years. (Not sponsored, I just love it!) It’s thick and slightly sweet, not overly vinegary at all!
- Italian Seasoning: Adds flavor to the chicken and veggies.
- Salt and Pepper: Flavor essentials!
The remaining ingredients:
- Chicken Breast: It’s best to use small, similarly-sized chicken breasts so that they finish cooking at the same time.
- Vegetables: Here I used yellow bell pepper, zucchini and asparagus. See the recipe variations below for more ideas.
- Cherry Tomatoes: They soften and burst as they roast in the oven, then I spoon them over the cheesy chicken before serving.
- Mozzarella: I used fresh mozzarella, which is used in a classic caprese salad. You could use low moisture mozzarella if you prefer.
- Fresh Basil: For garnish, to complete the caprese flavors!
Find the printable recipe with ingredient amounts below.
How to Make Chicken Caprese
Plus, my best tips for making chicken caprese on a sheet pan!
Make seasoning. Whisk together the olive oil, balsamic vinegar, Italian seasoning, salt and pepper.
Season vegetables. Put the bell pepper, zucchini, asparagus and tomatoes in a large bowl. Spoon half of the seasoning mixture over and toss to coat.
Assemble on sheet pan. Place the chicken breasts on the baking sheet. Season both sides with salt and pepper. Then spoon or brush the remaining seasoning mixture over the top of the chicken. Add the vegetables to the pan around the chicken.
Kristine’s Tip for the most tender chicken
Before seasoning the chicken breasts, I pound them with a meat mallet to tenderize them and even out their thickness so that they cook evenly. It makes such a difference! To do this, place chicken in a zip-top plastic bag (or between two slices of plastic wrap) and pound with a meat mallet or rolling pin until they are an even thickness.
Bake and finish. Bake at 425°F for 15-20 minutes, or until chicken is cooked through to 165°F and vegetables are tender. Then top each chicken breast with a slice of fresh mozzarella. Bake for 2-3 more minutes, until the cheese starts to melt. Spoon some of the roasted tomatoes from the pan over the chicken. Then drizzle with a little balsamic vinegar, garnish with fresh basil and enjoy!
Recipe Variations
This recipe can be adapted to use seasonal veggies year-round. Here are some ideas:
- Try other veggies: Try broccoli, green beans, eggplant, mushrooms, baby potatoes, carrots or red onion.
- Add beans: Add white beans (cannellini would work well) or chickpeas to the veggie mix.
- Boost the seasonings: Add two cloves of minced garlic or a teaspoon of Dijon mustard to the olive oil and vinegar mixture.
- Use a balsamic glaze: Drizzle the finished dish with Balsamic Glaze.
What to Serve with Caprese Chicken
As is, this caprese chicken sheet pan can be a complete meal that’s high protein, low carb and gluten-free. If you want to add in a side dish, I recommend:
- A salad, like my Italian Chopped Salad, everyday Green Salad or Caesar Salad.
- Serve it over rice or orzo pasta. (See my post on How to Cook Rice.)
- Slices of crusty bread.
- Air Fryer Potatoes. Crispy and delicious!
More Easy Sheet Pan Dinners
These easy recipes make dinner a breeze!
- Sheet Pan Chicken Fajitas – A family favorite!
- Sausage and Peppers – So simple, so good.
- Roasted Chicken and Vegetables – Perfect for Sunday dinner.
- Honey Garlic Salmon – Salmon, green beans and potatoes with the best honey garlic flavors.
Made this recipe? I’d truly appreciate if you leave a comment and star rating below! Your review will help others who want to try this recipe. Thank you! 💛
Chicken Caprese Sheet Pan Dinner
Ingredients
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 tablespoon good quality balsamic vinegar, plus more for drizzling
- 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
- ½ teaspoon fine sea salt, plus more more seasoning the chicken
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper, plus more more seasoning the chicken
- 1 yellow bell pepper, chopped into 1-inch pieces
- 1 medium zucchini, sliced into ½-inch thick half rounds
- 1 small bunch asparagus, tough ends trimmed off and cut into 2-inch long pieces
- 8 ounces whole cherry tomatoes, 1 ½ cups
- 4 small boneless, skinless chicken breasts, about 6 ounces each
- 4 slices (¼-inch thick) fresh mozzarella cheese, about 4 ounces
- thinly sliced fresh basil, for serving
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 425°F. Line a large rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper.
- In a small bowl, whisk together the olive oil, balsamic vinegar, Italian seasoning, salt and pepper.
- Put the veggies in a large mixing bowl: yellow bell pepper, zucchini, asparagus and cherry tomatoes. Spoon half of the olive oil/seasoning mixture over the veggies and toss to coat.
- Optional: Pound the chicken breasts to tenderize them and even out their thickness. To do this, place chicken in a zip-top plastic bag (or between two slices of plastic wrap) and pound with a meat mallet or rolling pin until they are an even thickness.
- Place the chicken breasts on the baking sheet. Season both sides with salt and pepper. Spoon or brush the remaining olive oil/balsamic seasoning mixture over the top of the chicken. Add the vegetables to the pan around the chicken.
- Bake for 15-20 minutes, or until chicken is cooked through to 165°F and vegetables are tender.
- Top each chicken breast with a slice of fresh mozzarella. Bake for 2-3 more minutes, until the cheese starts to melt. Remove from the oven.
- Spoon some of the roasted tomatoes from the pan over the chicken. Then drizzle chicken with a little balsamic vinegar if desired. Garnish with fresh basil and enjoy!
Behind the Scenes
I put this meal together on a weeknight in between helping kids with homework and driving my daughter to soccer practice. It was the perfect dinner for a busy day – quick to prep and super tasty!
