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Indulge in this one-pan savory meal that’s bursting with flavor from the fresh pesto, mozzarella, tomatoes, balsamic vinegar, and herbs. Pair it with toast, rice, salad, or roasted veggies for a classic dinner!
Ingredients needed
Chicken breast – An essential!
Pesto sauce – Here’s my homemade recipe.
Mozzarella cheese – Adds the perfect touch of sweetness and creaminess. I used sliced fresh mozzarella (Costco has it for such a great price!) for this recipe, but feel free to use shredded mozzarella.
Cherry tomatoes – Feel free to use colorful cherry tomatoes!
Butter or olive oil – To cook the chicken in. Feel free to use what you like.
Balsamic vinegar – To add even more flavor to the dish.
Thyme, basil, salt, pepper – To season it to perfection!
How to make it
- You’ll start by slicing the chicken breasts open (but not completely through) and stuffing them with the pesto sauce and mozzarella cheese. Then you’ll season the tops of the chicken breasts with garlic, salt, and pepper.
- Then you will preheat a skillet with butter/oil then cook the chicken for 5 minutes. You’ll add the tomatoes, balsamic vinegar, and thyme and cook for another couple minutes.
- Transfer the skillet to the oven and cook for 16-23 minutes, depending on the thickness of the chicken.
- Remove from the oven and baste the chicken in the sauce that’s at the bottom of the pan (it makes it so delicious!), and top with a fresh tomato mixture with more balsamic vinegar, thyme, basil, salt, and pepper.
- Then you get to eat it!
How to store it
Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
Delicious veggie add-ins
Feel free to add other veggies you have on hand, or for extra flavor! If adding a substantial amount of veggies, then add some butter or oil to accommodate. You can also add more garlic, salt, pepper, balsamic vinegar, and thyme during the cooking process.
- Asparagus – cut into 1/2” pieces. If the asparagus super thick, then add before the chicken, if it’s regular thickness then add with the chicken, and if it is thin, then add with the first round of tomatoes.
- Zucchini or yellow squash – cut into 1” pieces and add with the first round of tomatoes.
- Spinach or kale – Add during the last few minutes of cooking time in the oven. Place a top on the skillet so that the greens wilt from steam, rather than burn.
- Onion – Cut into 1/2-1” pieces and add with the first round of tomatoes.
- Leeks – Cut into 1/2-1” pieces and add with the first round of tomatoes.
- Broccoli – Cut into small florets and add with the first round of tomatoes.
- Fennel – Cut into 1/2-1” pieces and add with the first round of tomatoes.
Sides to pair it with
- Toast is amazing for this recipe because you can use it to soak up any extra juices/sauce from the recipe. So good!
- Serving it over a bed of rice is absolutely delicious.
- Roasted potatoes are another great recipe, and you can do the same with the sauce!
- A salad is always a great go-to.
- You can serve it with pasta, even pesto pasta if you want! Otherwise, a tomato pasta or simple buttered pasta is delicious paired with this meal.
Customize the dish to your preference
- Add more veggies – As mentioned above, you can add other veggies you have on hand, such as onion, asparagus, zucchini, etc.
- Sub a portion of the fresh tomatoes with sundried tomatoes for an even more savory dish.
- Sub the mozzarella for a sharp white cheddar. I love the subtle sweetness of mozzarella, but sharp white cheddar would be amazing because it’s such a strong, savory flavor.
- Cook it only in the oven – If you want to skip the step of cooking it on the stove, then feel free to just place it all in the oven (aside from the fresh tomato mixture) and cook until the chicken is cooked through, 23-26 minutes. Use a thermometer to make sure you don’t undercook or overcook it.
Other recipes you may like
Roasted Chicken Thighs & Veggies
Lemon Garlic Aioli Salmon Filets
Baked Cod with Spicy Red Sauce
Moroccan Chicken & Veggies w/Lemon Garlic Sauce
Quinoa & Turkey Stuffed Peppers
I hope you love this Pesto Mozzarella Stuffed Chicken! If you make it, be sure to leave a comment & a rating to let me know how you liked it!
FYI, I doubled the recipe for the sake of the photos. Feel free to double it or leave it as is. It’s great to have as leftovers!
PrintPesto Mozzarella Stuffed Chicken
Indulge in this one-pan savory meal. It’s bursting with flavor from the fresh pesto, mozzarella, tomatoes, balsamic vinegar, and herbs. Pair it with toast and roasted veggies for a classic dinner!
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 30 minutes
- Total Time: 40 minutes
- Yield: 4 servings 1x
- Category: Lunch, Dinner
- Method: Stove & Oven
- Cuisine: Italian
Ingredients
Chicken:
1 lb chicken breasts
1/3 cup pesto sauce
3–4 slices mozzarella
2–3 large garlic cloves, minced
Salt and fresh cracked black pepper
1 Tbsp butter or olive oil
1/2 cup halved cherry tomatoes
2 Tbsp balsamic vinegar
1 tsp fresh thyme leaves
Fresh Tomato Topping:
1/4 cup cherry halved cherry tomatoes
1 Tbsp balsamic vinegar
2 Tbsp thinly sliced fresh basil leaves
1/2 tsp fresh thyme leaves
Salt and fresh cracked black pepper
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400°F.
- Slice the chicken through the middle horizontally, being careful not to cut all the way through the chicken. Open the chicken and spread with pesto then add the mozzarella. Close the chicken, covering the filling.
- Drizzle the chicken with olive oil (or rub with butter) and season with salt, cracked pepper, and fresh minced garlic, rubbing it into the top of the chicken.
- Preheat an oven-safe skillet (see notes if you don’t have one) to medium heat with butter or oil. Place the chicken in the skillet and cook 5 mins. Add the tomatoes, balsamic vinegar, and fresh thyme and add a little salt and pepper if desired. Cook a couple mins on the stove then transfer to the oven.
- Bake for 16-23 mins, until the chicken is cooked through. This will depend on how large/thick the chicken is. I recommend using a meat thermometer to ensure you don’t overcook it!
- Toss together the fresh tomato topping while you wait on the chicken to cook.
- Remove chicken from the oven after it’s cooked through and baste the chicken in the sauce that’s at the bottom of the skillet.
- Serve the chicken with the tomato mixture and a spoonful of sauce from the bottom of the skillet. Pair with toast, roasted potatoes, rice or other side of choice!
- Please leave a comment and review if you made this recipe. It helps my website more than you know!
Notes
*do not transfer to another dish if using cast iron, but if using a regular skillet, then transfer to another dish before placing in the oven.
Such a fun and delicious meal to cook! I love that it is all about classic flavors put together in a unique and beautiful way. Hubs absolutely LOVED this meal!
That makes me so happy to hear!! Glad y’all loved it!! 🙂
The fragrant aroma from this dish transported me to a cozy cottage in the Italian countryside. I loved how easy this was to make and that I could do it all in my cast iron and not dirty a bunch of dishes. It was extremely flavorful and moist! I loved how colorful and fancy it looked. I have added it to my list of repeat recipes and bought the herb plants so I can grow more fresh herbs for this in the future. My husband was also a big fan of it!
Wow, you are the absolute sweetest!! I am beyond glad you and your husband enjoyed it so much. Having the herb plants on hand will be amazing! 😊
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