This straightforward 5-ingredient caprese hen is all the pieces you need in a one-pan meal. It’s healthful, wholesome, scrumptious, hearty, whole consolation meals, and a household favourite. The very best half is that this gluten-free dinner recipe requires solely 5 components!
Proudly boasting juicy hen breast with daring balsamic glaze and melted mozzarella cheese, this one-pan meal will grow to be part of your common meal rotation. It’s an effective way to decorate up monotonous hen breasts and make them right into a satiating, wholesome, and scrumptious meal.
This straightforward Caprese hen recipe is successful with my household as a result of it’s an Italian consolation meals. And I like straightforward dinners that will be rapidly whipped up on busy weeknights.
A bonus perk is that this hen breast recipe tastes higher the following day, so be at liberty to double it for simple meal prep tomorrow. It’s nice for work or college lunches.
This dish is full of the basic flavors of a Caprese salad however in a hearty, satisfying type you’ll love.
Give this recipe a strive, and also you’ll know precisely why it’s one in all my go-to hen dinner recipes!
Should you’re in search of extra hen recipe inspiration, try my record of 45 Gluten Free Hen Dinners. However when you’re able to make this straightforward caprese recipe.
Why You’ll Love This Caprese Hen
- Fast and Simple: This caprese hen recipe is extremely straightforward to whip up. With just a few steps and a cooking time of about quarter-hour, you may have your meal on the desk very quickly.
- Gluten-Free: This recipe is fully gluten-free, making it an incredible selection for these with dietary restrictions. Plus, it’s so scrumptious, everybody will like it, gluten-free or not!
- Easy Elements: With simply 5 components, this recipe is as easy because it will get. Hen, tomatoes, cheese, balsamic syrup, and basil are all you must create this flavorful dish.
- Household-Pleasant: This caprese hen is fashionable with youngsters and adults alike. The mixture of juicy hen, melted cheese, and candy balsamic syrup is difficult to withstand!
- Versatile: Whereas this dish is ideal as is, it’s also straightforward to customise. Add some sliced olives or a sprinkle of purple pepper flakes for a scrumptious twist. You possibly can even serve it over pasta or with a aspect of garlic bread for a whole meal.
Elements
This straightforward hen dinner comes along with 5 easy components plus oil and salt, and pepper. It’s conveniently made in a single pan, so clean-up will likely be a breeze.
- Hen Breasts: The star of our caprese hen, hen breasts are lean, excessive in protein, and a flexible ingredient that takes on the flavors it’s cooked with. Boneless skinless hen breasts are greatest, however hen tenders will work, too; you possibly can strive hen thighs when you’re going for darkish meat taste.
- Roma Tomatoes: Roma tomatoes are agency and fewer juicy than different varieties, making them excellent for this dish. They may add a contemporary, barely tangy taste to go with the hen with out releasing an excessive amount of liquid.
- Mozzarella or Goat Cheese: Both cheese will add a creamy, melt-in-your-mouth texture to our caprese hen. Mozzarella is gentle and barely candy, whereas goat cheese presents a tangy twist.
- Balsamic Syrup: This syrup will give our dish a candy and tangy taste profile. It pairs superbly with the tomatoes and cheese, making a wealthy, daring glaze over the hen. It’s additionally known as balsamic syrup and is a discount of balsamic vinegar. You may additionally discover it labeled as balsamic discount. It has a daring taste usually utilized in recipes with tomatoes and contemporary basil.
- Basil: Recent basil leaves will add a candy, peppery taste to our caprese hen. This herb is a staple in Italian cooking and can give the dish that genuine contact.
- Salt and Pepper: These two easy seasonings will improve the pure flavors of the opposite components. Do not be shy with them!
- Olive Oil: Additional virgin olive oil is a good choice for Italian recipes like this one, and I get mine from Costco, however you need to use one other oil with a excessive smoke level, like avocado oil.
Methods to Make Caprese Hen
Yearning for a gluten-free, wholesome, and scrumptious meal? Here is learn how to make caprese hen in a couple of easy steps! For extra detailed directions and diet details, see the recipe card on the backside of this publish.
Step 1.
Put together the Hen: Begin by putting your hen breasts between two items of plastic wrap and pound them till skinny. Trim off any fats to make sure a lean piece of meat.
Step 2.
Prepare dinner the Hen: Warmth a nonstick skillet over medium-high warmth. Season the hen breasts with salt and pepper on either side and place them within the scorching skillet. Prepare dinner for about 4-6 minutes per aspect to ensure an excellent browning on all sides.
Step 3.
Add the Toppings: As soon as the hen is cooked by way of, drizzle it with balsamic syrup. High it with slices of mozzarella and tomato.
Step 4.
Soften the Cheese: Flip off the warmth, cowl the skillet with a lid, and let the cheese soften for a minute or two.
Step 5.
Serve: Serve your scrumptious caprese hen with extra balsamic syrup if desired. Remember to prime it with loads of contemporary basil for an additional burst of taste. Get pleasure from your wholesome, gluten-free meal!
Variations
- Spicy: Should you take pleasure in a bit of warmth in your meals, strive including some crushed purple pepper flakes to the hen whereas it’s cooking. This can give your caprese hen a spiciness that compliments the candy balsamic and creamy mozzarella superbly.
- Basil Pesto: For an additional layer of taste, unfold a tablespoon of basil pesto on every hen breast earlier than including the mozzarella and tomato. The pesto provides a deliciously herby observe to this already flavorful dish.
- Vegan Model: For a vegan model of this dish, swap the hen for agency tofu and use vegan mozzarella cheese. It is an effective way to benefit from the flavors of Caprese in a plant-based meal.
Useful Ideas
Making caprese hen is simple, particularly when you have got a couple of useful suggestions up your sleeve. Listed below are some insider cooking secrets and techniques that may aid you whip up this scrumptious, gluten-free dish very quickly.
- Pound the hen: When pan-frying hen breasts, I all the time trim any seen fats and flatten them with a meat mallet. That means, it can cook dinner evenly and produce probably the most tender hen.
- Season effectively: Don’t neglect to season your hen breasts on either side with salt and pepper earlier than cooking. This straightforward step can elevate the flavour of your hen considerably.
- Good the browning: For a superbly browned hen, cook dinner all sides for about 4-6 minutes relying on thickness. Wait till the hen releases simply from the pan to attain a golden crust.
- Soften the cheese correctly: After topping the hen with mozzarella and tomato, flip off the warmth and canopy the pan. This permits the cheese to soften completely with out overcooking the hen.
- Don’t overcook the hen: To keep away from dry, rubbery hen, be sure that to not overcook it. The hen is finished when it’s now not pink within the center and juices run clear.
Dietary Substitutions
This caprese hen recipe is already naturally gluten-free and keto-friendly, however with a couple of easy tweaks, it may also be tailored to go well with vegan, dairy-free, paleo, and whole30 diets. Here is how:
- To Make This Recipe Vegan and Dairy-Free: To make this recipe vegan and dairy-free, substitute the hen breasts with a plant-based protein like tofu or tempeh. As a substitute of mozzarella or goat cheese, use a vegan cheese substitute or dietary yeast for a tacky taste.
- To Make This Recipe Paleo and Whole30 Appropriate: This recipe is nearly there for paleo and whole30 diets. Simply be sure that to make use of a balsamic syrup that does not comprise any added sugars or sulfites. For the cheese, go for a dairy-free cheese substitute or omit it altogether.
Storage Directions
- To Refrigerate: When you’ve got any leftovers of this tasty caprese hen, merely retailer them in an hermetic container. They may maintain effectively within the fridge for as much as three days.
- To Freeze: Sadly, because of the delicate texture of the mozzarella and contemporary tomatoes, freezing this caprese hen dish isn’t advisable. The freezing course of could cause these components to grow to be mushy and lose their vibrant flavors.
- To Reheat: If you’re able to take pleasure in your caprese hen leftovers, reheat them gently in a microwave or on the stovetop. If utilizing the microwave, use a decrease energy setting to forestall the hen from turning into powerful. If reheating on the stovetop, achieve this over low warmth and take into account including a splash of hen broth to maintain the dish moist and flavorful.
Regularly Requested Questions
What’s Caprese hen product of?
What’s the greatest mozzarella cheese to make use of in Caprese hen?
For decent dishes just like the caprese hen recipe, shredded mozzarella cheese is the only option because it melts simply resulting from its low moisture content material. Recent mozzarella cheese, however, is greatest loved contemporary or uncooked. You possibly can nonetheless use it on this recipe by topping the hen breasts with slices of contemporary mozzarella, however consider it will not soften as a lot as shredded mozzarella would.
How lengthy ought to I cook dinner the hen breast on the stovetop?
Hen breasts must be cooked in a big frying pan over medium-high warmth for 4-6 minutes on all sides, or till absolutely cooked by way of. Thinner hen breasts will cook dinner extra rapidly, so it’s a good suggestion to make use of a meat thermometer to ensure they’re achieved. The thermometer ought to register at 165 levels Fahrenheit when inserted into the thickest a part of the meat to make sure security and keep away from food-borne sicknesses.
Can I exploit a special sort of hen for this recipe?
Sure, you possibly can. Whereas the recipe requires hen breasts, you can too use hen thighs or drumsticks. Simply bear in mind that the cooking time could differ relying on the minimize of hen you select.
Serving Solutions
Let’s take your caprese hen to the following degree with these versatile serving solutions. This tasty dish will be paired with quite a lot of sides, salads, and mains:
- Salads: A contemporary caesar salad or a tossed backyard salad could be an ideal accompaniment to this caprese hen. Should you’re trying so as to add a little bit of crunch, strive a roasted almond and spinach salad.
- Mains: Caprese hen will be served as a fundamental dish itself, however when you’re trying to combine issues up, strive pairing it with gluten-free pasta tossed in olive oil and garlic.
- Sides: Pair this caprese hen with sides like roasted inexperienced beans or straightforward roasted broccoli for a healthful dinner. A aspect of gluten-free garlic bread may also complement the flavors of the hen.
- Good Aspect For Sandwiches: For chilly hen Caprese, strive dicing up leftovers and including them to your lunch salad served over kale or spinach for a well-rounded protein with greens meal. It additionally pairs effectively with quite a lot of wraps and paninis.
- With Grain Bowls: For a protein-packed lunch, add diced caprese hen to a grain bowl made with brown rice, quinoa, or cauliflower rice. Remember to drizzle some further balsamic syrup on prime!
Recipe Card
Caprese Hen
This 5 Ingredient Caprese Hen is tremendous quick and solely makes use of pantry staples. It is wholesome, gluten-free and kid-friendly
Servings: 3
Energy: 443kcal
Elements
- 3 hen breasts
- 2 roma tomatoes
- 1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese or goat cheese
- ½ cup balsamic syrup
- 2 tablespoon basil
- salt and pepper
- olive oil
Directions
-
Begin by pounding your hen breasts skinny between two items of plastic wrap. Trim off any fats.
-
Warmth a nonstick skillet over medium-high and drizzle with olive oil.
-
Salt and pepper hen breasts on either side and place in scorching skillet. Prepare dinner for about 4-6 minutes per aspect relying on how thick they’re. You wish to get some good browning on all sides.
-
When hen is cooked by way of drizzle with the balsamic syrup, prime with the mozzarella and tomato. Flip off warmth, put lid on and let the cheese soften for a minute of two.
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Serve with extra balsamic syrup if desired. High with basil. I like tons!
Notes
If you’re fortunate sufficient to have further Caprese Hen, retailer it in an hermetic container within the fridge for as much as three days. I usually make a double batch of this so my household can take it of their lunches, or we are able to eat it once more for dinner one other evening.
Diet
Energy: 443kcal | Carbohydrates: 20g | Protein: 56g | Fats: 14g | Saturated Fats: 6g | Ldl cholesterol: 174mg | Sodium: 498mg | Potassium: 962mg | Sugar: 9g | Vitamin A: 760IU | Vitamin C: 8.7mg | Calcium: 204mg | Iron: 1.1mg
