Get excited for dinner with this hasselback caprese chicken recipe! Tender chicken is stuffed with mozzarella cheese, tomatoes and basil pesto sauce. It's then baked to perfection.
Serve over a bed of creamy mashed potatoes or on top of a bed of fresh spinach for a complete meal that will have everyone coming back for seconds.
Craving more chicken cutlet inspiration? Explore all the other mouthwatering recipes to find your perfect dinner tonight!
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Who doesn't love caprese chicken? This recipe for hasselback caprese chicken is sure to become a family favorite. This dish is easy to make but looks like you spent hours in the kitchen.
This easy recipe combines the classic flavors of chicken, tomatoes, and mozzarella cheese with a few unexpected ingredients, like the basil pesto, resulting in a dish that is both flavorful and visually stunning.
It's the perfect meal for a special occasion or a busy weeknight. Your family will beg for seconds!
Looking for more family favorite chicken recipes to add to your Weekly Meal Plan? Check out a few of my family's favorites that I love having in my "arsenal," so to speak because they cook fast. Baked Chicken Cutlet Recipes or my Chicken Cutlets with Gravy.
Table of Contents
How long to bake hasselback chicken?
To ensure that your chicken is cooked through, use a meat thermometer to check for an internal temperature of 165°F. Be sure to let your chicken rest for at least 5 minutes before slicing and serving.
How to make fresh pesto sauce?
This recipe uses a jar of basil pesto sauce but you can use homemade pesto sauce as well! Traditional pesto sauce is made with fresh basil leaves, pine nuts, garlic, Parmesan cheese, and olive oil. The key to making a delicious pesto sauce is to experiment until you find a combination of ingredients that you like.
- To make pesto sauce, start by chopping the garlic and Parmesan cheese.
- Then, add the chopped basil leaves and pulse in a food processor until everything is finely chopped.
- Next, add the olive oil and continue pulsing until the mixture becomes a smooth paste. If the pesto is too thick, you can thin it out by adding a little bit of water.
- Season the pesto to taste with salt and pepper and serve immediately or store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to two days.
Cucina & Amore Genovese Pesto Sauce, Basil, 7.9 OunceMore Information
Helpful Kitchen Tools
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Main Ingredients Needed
Here's a quick overview of the ingredients for this recipe. Find the exact amounts and click the Instacart button to easily add them to your cart – all in the printable recipe card below!
Recipe Variations and Substitutions
- There are quite a few ways you can change this recipe. You can use tomato pesto sauce in place of the basil pesto.
- Use a different cheese instead of mozzarella. Maybe try white cheddar cheese.
- Check out my other recipes for Chicken with Mozzarella that's a slightly different version of my Hasselback Chicken Recipe.
Step-by-Step Instructions
This section includes step-by-step photos and instructions to guide you through the recipe. For the complete printable version, scroll down to the recipe card below.
Step 1: Begin by heating your oven to 400°F. Lightly coat a baking dish with non-stick spray. Season your chicken breasts with salt and pepper, then carefully make 4-5 shallow slits in each breast, being careful not to cut all the way through.
Top Tip
When slicing the chicken, do not slice all the way through. You want the chicken still connected at the bottom.
Step 2: Generously coat the chicken breasts with pesto sauce, ensuring to get the sauce into the slits you created.
Step 3: Tuck alternating slices of cheese and tomato into the slits you've created in each chicken breast. Finish by sprinkling with a generous dusting of Parmesan cheese.
Step 4: Bake for 20-25 minutes, or until the chicken reaches an internal temperature of 165°F. Garnish with basil and Parmesan cheese before serving.
Before You Begin!
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Side Dish Options
- Garlic bread goes great with any meal. Try my new recipe of Air Fryer Garlic Bread.
- Check out a few of my family's favorites with my Side Dishes for Chicken Cutlets post.
Storage, Freezing and Reheating Tips
Refrigerator: Storing leftover chicken in an airtight container and store it in the refrigerator for up to four days.
Reheating: When you are ready to eat the leftovers, simply thaw them in the refrigerator overnight. Reheat in the oven or microwave and add fresh sliced tomatoes.
Freezer: You can freeze the chicken for up to two months. If you plan on freezing the leftovers, it is best to first remove and discard any tomato slices since they will not freeze properly. Wrap the chicken in foil or plastic wrap. This will help to prevent freezer burn.
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📖 Recipe Card
Hasselback Caprese Chicken
Ingredients
- 4 boneless skinless chicken breasts
- 8 ounces mozzarella cheese sliced
- 2 plum tomatoes
- 1 small jar pesto sauce
- 2 tablespoons Parmesan cheese grated
- fresh basil leaves for garnish
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon pepper
Method
- Preheat oven to 400°F.
- Spray a baking dish with non-stick baking spray.
- Sprinkle the chicken breasts with salt and pepper.
- Make 4 or 5 slits into each chicken breast careful not to go all the way through.
- Brush the pesto sauce over the top of the chicken breasts. Make sure you get the sauce in between the slits in the chicken.
- Alternate a slice of cheese and a slice of tomato between each cut in the chicken breasts.
- Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese.
- Bake for 20-25 minutes or until the chicken reaches an internal temperature of 165°f.
- Garnish with the basil and a little more Parmesan cheese before serving.
Gloria Hart says
Just prepared chicken and it looks awesome! Baking it in few minutes. Hope it is as delicious as it looks thank you for recipe
Lois says
Thank you for leaving a comment!
Debbie Duncan says
This is such a delicious recipe! There's a small amount of prep work but so easy to assemble! My family enjoyed it immensely last night!
Lois says
Thank you so much Debbie!