Parmesan Crusted Chicken Caprese
Posted By Savita
Parmesan crusted chicken stuffed with classic caprese ingredients - mozzarella cheese, fresh tomatoes, and basil. This skillet chicken may sound a mouthful but just needs 7 main ingredients including chicken! With just 15 minutes prep, this is one of my favorite chicken dinner when family is home in summer vacations.
Classic Caprese ingredients - mozzarella, fresh tomatoes and fresh basil are must-try combination in summers. Especially because tomatoes are so sweet in summers and basil is easily available... with fresh melted mozzarella, Caprese chicken taste delightful!
Oh, and parm crust is like cherry on top!
A dinner like this, parmesan crusted chicken stuffed with mozzarella, tomato and basil and side of pasta or salad will cost in $$ in restaurants. At home, you need one skillet and clean real 6-7 main ingredients for a family of three or four. (depending on serving size). Plus recipe is so simple, you can double it easily and freeze a few portion as well.
How good does that sound?
So, let's cook some Chicken Caprese with parmesan crust!
With this recipe, I'm continuing Italian theme this week. We started week with Caesar Salad. If you have some parmesan leftover from salad dressing that can be used perfectly for Parmesan Crust for this chicken recipe.
For me, Parmesan crust takes this humble stuffed chicken to whole new level. I love the buttery crunch of parmesan and bread crumbs. When recipe is that simple, ingredients will speak for itself. Like I always say, using good quality ingredients, such as fresh mozzarella, ripe red tomato and fresh basil. These will make all the difference in flavor of Caprese Chicken.
To prepare Caprese stuffed chicken, I start first prepping for parmesan crust. Honestly, this is the only mixing-whisking needed for this recipe. Rest is just stuffing chicken breast and cooking!
So, I start by mixing chop parsley, breadcrumbs, grated parmesan with garlic in a wide plate. This is used for creating crust of parmesan on chicken. I also prepare egg wash in another wide plate. That helps to seal parmesan crust on the chicken.
Once dredge is ready, I stuff few slices of mozzarella, basil, and fresh tomato into each fan-ed chicken breast. You can get pre-butterflied chicken breast from store or ask your butcher to do it. Or it is very easy to do that home. Just place chicken breast on cutting board, with knife slit open breast in middle lengthwise. Don't go all way through, stop leaving half-inch part attached.
Once stuffed, I coat chicken in egg wash, then press it in plate with parmesan to seal in as much parm-crumb mixture as possible. For cooking I like create a crust in hot cast iron skillet in 3-4 minutes, then finish chicken in oven for 10 minutes.
Baking the Caprese chicken for 10 minutes in oppose to cooking in skillet helps two ways:
1) Prevents buring of crust due to high stove heat.
2) Chicken is always cooked evenly. Never uncooked due to stuffing.
3) No tossing or turning or perching over stove and no messy mozzarella!
I served Caprese chicken with side of garlic-herb pasta. To keep meal lite, you can also serve with salad. I have listed a few salads below that go well with Italain-style Caprese chicken. Make some, have an mazing dinner and enjoy!
I see you soon with another delicious recipe. Don't forget to follow @savitachefdeHome on Instagram.
Cheers!
-Savita
Ingredients
- Stuffed Chicken Caprese
- 1.5 lbs Chicken (2-3 chicken breast, butterflied or fan-ed )
- 1/2 Cup Parmesan Cheese (grated)
- 1/2 Cup Breadcrumbs (panko)
- 4 tbsp Parsley
- 1/2 Cup Mozzarella Cheese (4 ounce, sliced to 6 small pieces)
- 1-2 Tomatoes (large tomato, to get 6 round slices)
- 1 Egg(s)
- 2 tbsp Canola Oil
- 1/2 tsp Garlic Powder
- 1/2 tsp Chili Flakes
- 8-10 Basil (fresh leaves, more for garnish )
Directions
- 1. In a wide plate, add fine chop parsley, breadcrumbs, grated parmesan with garlic powder, 1/2 tsp of salt and 1/4 tsp of black pepper. Set aside.
- 2. In a separate bowl, beat egg, season with pinch of salt and pepper. Set aside.
- 3. Heat two tablespoon oil in a wide cast iron skillet on medium heat. Also, set en to pre heat at 375 degrees Fahrenheit.
- 4. Stuff each chicken breast with 2 slice of mozzarella, 2 slice of tomato, few leaves of basil. Close, holding from seam-side, coat in egg wash, then place in plate with parmesan-bread mixture. Pat to coat fully, flip and coat other side.
- 5. Place parmesan coated chicken breast on skillet. Repeat step-4 for remaining chicken and place in same pan. Cook for 2-3 minutes or until parmesan-panko crust is light brown. Flip and cook other side for another 2 minutes. Transfer pan to preheat oven and cook for 10 minutes or until chicken is cooked through.
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