Chicken Caprese {Air Fryer, Oven or Stove Stop}

Say hello to my favorite summer chicken dish – Chicken Caprese. Tender breaded chicken (cooked in the air fryer, oven or on the stove), creamy fresh mozzarella and sweet blistered tomatoes are served over pasta for a meal I could eat again and again. 

Look at that! Three weeks in a row I bring you new posts! Am I back? I sure hope so! It’s been a busy year and my little corner of the blogosphere has suffered for it. But I’ve been back in the kitchen, managed a couple of blog-worthy recipes without being sidelined, and even stole time on the computer to get the posts up. I don’t want to jinx anything, but I hope my funk is over and I’m back. 

Today’s post has been on my mind for a while. This was actually attempt number two to get it to you. The dog screwed up the first attempt. I stepped outside to photograph another recipe and she snuck back in…. and ate the pound of raw chicken prepped and ready to go into the air fryer for some blog-worthy photos. I was SOOOO angry, for days. That very much felt like my luck lately. Whenever I got ready to make something for the blog, something went wrong. The dog ate the ingredients. The sauce didn’t pan out. The kids interrupted so much that I lost track of time and didn’t get things gone. That’s life lately, I tell ya. 

So yeah, this is a recipe I’ve been trying to share for a while now. It’s been on my mind since last summer. You see, I love, love, love blistered tomatoes. Sweet little cherry or grape tomatoes sautéed up in olive oil with just a little bit of garlic, salt and pepper. I eat it over everything – grilled steak, breaded chicken in lieu of marinara sauce, and with buffalo chicken nuggets on a baked potato. Those are the tomatoes I use here, in this chicken dish. 

Recipe Notes:

Cooking Instructions: The directions below are for an air fryer (specifically, made in a Pampered Chef Air Fryer with the small stone bar pan), but this could easily be made on the stovetop or in the oven. 

• Stovetop: Bread chicken as directed. Heat a large skillet over medium-low heat. Add olive oil (maybe 4 Tbs.? I always eyeball it) and heat. Add chicken, frying for 3-5 minutes on each side until cooked throughout. Top with mozzarella cheese and cover, cooking for another 2-3 minutes until cheese is melted.
• Oven: Preheat oven to 400F. Bread chicken as directed. Spray a baking sheet with cooking spray. Arrange chicken in a single layer on the baking sheet. Spray tops with more cooking spray. Bake for 10 minutes. Flip, and bake for another 10-15 minutes, until cooked throughout. Top with mozzarella cheese and return to oven for another 2-3 minutes until cheese is melted.

Balsamic Glaze: I used store bought balsamic glaze because had some on hand. But no need to buy it when you can make your own with just two pantry staples. 

Serving Suggestions: Serve over cooked pasta of your choice, tossed with extra tomatoes or a little olive oil. 

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Air Fryer Chicken Caprese

Say hello to my favorite summer chicken dish - Chicken Caprese. Tender breaded chicken (cooked in the air fryer, oven or on the stove), creamy fresh mozzarella and sweet blistered tomatoes are served over pasta for a meal I could eat again and again. 

Course Main Course

Cuisine American

Prep Time 15 minutes

Cook Time 20 minutes

Total Time 35 minutes

Servings 4

Author Liz

Ingredients

Ingredients for the Chicken:

• 1 c. Italian seasoned breadcrumbs
• 1/4 c. milk
• 1 egg
• 2-3 chicken breasts (about 1 lb. chicken)
• cooking spray (for air fryer or oven; olive oil for stovetop)
• 2 oz. mozzarella cheese sliced into 1/4 inch thick slices

Ingredients for the Blistered Tomatoes:

• 1 Tbs. olive oil
• 16 oz. cherry or grape tomatoes halved lengthwise
• 1 tsp. minced garlic from 1-2 cloves
• kosher salt
• freshly ground black pepper

Other:

• balsamic glaze

Instructions

Prepare the Chicken:

1. Trim fat from chicken breasts. Slice in half or into thirds, lengthwise. The thinner the chicken, the quicker it'll cook.

2. Add breadcrumbs to a shallow bowl or plate. In another shallow bowl, gently whisk together milk and egg to combine. Dredge chicken first in milk-egg mixture and then in breadcrumbs, coating on each side. Repeat until all chicken slices are breaded.

3. Spray both sides of chicken with cooking spray. Set prepared chicken in a single layer on the tray for air fryer, or directly onto rack(s) (or basket, if you have basket-style air fryer). If you cannot fit all of the chicken, cook in

4. Cook in an air fryer at 400F for 15 minutes, flipping at the halfway mark. If chicken is not cooked throughout, cook for another few minutes. Top with a slice of mozzarella cheese and return to air fryer for 2-3 minutes, until cheese is melted.

Prepare the Blistered Tomatoes:

1. While chicken is cooking, heat olive oil in a small non-stick skillet over medium heat. When hot, add halved tomatoes and garlic. Sprinkle liberally with kosher salt and pepper. Cover and cook for about 10 minutes, until tomatoes are burst and juicy, stirring halfway through.

Assemble and Serve:

1. Serve chicken topped with blistered tomatoes, and, if desired, a drizzle of balsamic glaze.

A Books n’ Cooks original recipe.