Grilled Caprese Stuffed Chicken
Fire up the grill, this easy Grilled Caprese Stuffed Chicken Breast is a cheesy summer masterpiece! Fresh mozzarella, basil pesto, and sun-dried tomatoes become the best melty filling in grilled chicken breasts. Drizzled with a sweet balsamic glaze, this is one recipe you’ll have on repeat all summer long.
Grilled Caprese Chicken
Summer Days are about to get easier and nights will be spent sitting on the deck listening to the crickets chirp. I plan to spend most evenings grilling all the things because dishes have no place in my summer memories. Paper plates have already been stocked and this Grilled Caprese Stuffed Chicken recipe is making things even easier.
I don’t know why but summer makes me want to “caprese salad” everything. Last year I was totally over tomatoes so I made these Strawberry Caprese Salad Skewers to mix things up. Still my favorite “salad” recipe….ever.
What is Caprese Chicken?
If you’ve never had a caprese salad, you’re in for a real treat. Never in the history of salads has any recipe been so simple, so pure, so natural. Caprese Salad is simply fresh tomatoes, fresh mozzarella cheese, fresh basil, good olive oil, salt and pepper. That’s it. You can fancy it up if you like….but keeping it simple is really the right thing to do.
Ingredients
- Chicken – Boneless Skinless Chicken Breasts are used because they have a mild flavor and are easy to split for stuffing.
- Tomatoes – Classic caprese salad calls for fresh tomatoes which makes it so lovely for summer. To make the recipe tasty all year, we use jarred sun-dried tomatoes.
- Mozzarella – Fresh mozzarella has a mild flavor with a richness and great meltability.
- Pesto – If you make homemade basil pesto definitely use it here. Otherwise, your favorite pesto makes this a breeze to whip up.
Full ingredient list below in the detailed recipe card.
How To Make Caprese Stuffed Chicken
The process to make these Grilled Caprese Stuffed Chicken breasts is pretty simple. I took the same flavors found in the Caprese Salad and amped them up a bit so I could stuff them into my chicken.
- Cut a pocket into the side of the chicken breast without cutting through the other side.
- Spread basil pesto on the cut sides of the chicken.
- Layer a couple slices of fresh mozzarella and a couple sun-dried tomatoes.
- Secure the open side of the chicken with a toothpick to keep everything inside while grilling.
- Grill the chicken until cooked through and the cheese has melted.
How long do you cook chicken breast on the grill?
Grilling chicken breast doesn’t take that long at all depending on the thickness of the chicken and if you have decided to stuff them. A stuffed chicken breast will take longer than an unstuffed chicken breast. A chicken breast that is not stuffed will take approximately 9-10 minutes, I like to flip mine halfway through grilling time for even cooking.
These Caprese Stuffed Chicken Breasts take about 15 minutes to cook through, also with a flip halfway through grilling time. (Yes, some cheese will ooze out but it’s totally ok.)
How to Make in Advance
To make these Grilled Caprese Stuffed Chicken Breasts even faster, I like to prep them the night before and store them in an airtight container in the refrigerator. Just pop them on the grill after work and dinner is on the table in about 25 minutes (allowing 10 minutes of resting time, of course.)
What To Serve With Them
- Cauliflower Rice Tabbouleh Salad Recipe
- Zesty Italian Pasta Salad
- Grilled Asparagus in Foil
- Pesto Pasta Salad
More Easy Caprese Recipes
- Caprese Tortellini Pasta Salad
- 15 Minute Caprese Pasta
- Caprese Sandwich
- Baked Chicken Caprese Skillet
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Get the Recipe: Grilled Caprese Stuffed Chicken Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 cup balsamic vinegar
- 4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
- 1 cup basil pesto
- 8 ounces fresh mozzarella cheese, sliced
- 4 ounces oil packed sun-dried tomatoes
Equipment
- 1 grill
Instructions
- Add the vinegar to a small saucepan and bring to a boil over medium heat. Continue to boil the vinegar until reduced to approximately 1/3 of a cup. The vinegar should be syrupy at this point.
- Allow the reduction to cool to room temperature. Transfer to an airtight container and store until ready to use.
- Lay the chicken breasts on a flat surface and, using a sharp knife, cut a small pocket into the side of the breast lengthwise being sure not to cut all the way through.
- Spread 1 tablespoon basil pesto inside the pocket. Stuff two slices of mozzarella and two slices of tomato inside the chicken. Close the open side of the chicken breast with a small skewer. Repeat with the remaining chicken.
- Heat the grill. Place the chicken breast on the grill and cook for 6-7 minutes. Flip the chicken breasts over and continue cooking for an additional 7 minutes or until cooked through. (Some cheese will ooze out but that’s totally fine.)
- Transfer the chicken to a platter and allow to rest for 5 minutes.
- Drizzle the balsamic glaze over the chicken and serve immediately.
12 Comments on “Grilled Caprese Stuffed Chicken”
Grilling chicken indoors causes my smoke alarm to go off so we usually bake chicken. Do you have cooking instructions for baked?
You can bake this in the oven at 350 degrees for about 25-30 minutes or until the chicken is cooked through.
I am a sucker for pesto – and that melty cheese just wins everyone over!
Me too! Cheese…pesto….best things ever.
I am a SUCKER for caprese! Love this chicken!
Me too!
I love caprese salad but putting it in chicken? Even better!! I love grilling out when we can ’cause it always just makes everything taste that much better…
I agree!
These are beautiful! Such great, fresh flavors.
Thank you!
Such a marvelous summer recipe! I’ll be making it again soon!
Thank you!