Italian Marinated Baked Chicken Caprese

Name: Italian Marinated Baked Chicken Caprese
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 1 h
Total time: 1 h 20 min
Ingredients: coconut oil for greasing; 4 plum tomatoes; 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, divided; garlic salt; freshly cracked pepper; 10 fresh basil leaves, divided; 4 (4 ounces) boneless chicken breasts; 16 small herb marinated mozzarella balls (about 4 ounces); 6 garlic cloves, minced; 1 tbsp Mediterranean Spice Blend; 1 tbsp Italian seasoning

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Another restaurant quality, low-carb dish that’s easy to make at home! The trick to this Italian Marinated Baked Chicken Caprese recipe is to give the tomatoes a quick jaunt in the oven to caramelize a bit before you stuff them into the chicken. This cooks off the tomatoes extra moisture, leaving flavor-packed morsels.

Servings: 4

Prep Time: 20 minutes| Cook Time: 1 hour | Total Time: 1 hour 20 minutes

Variation Tip: If you don’t have time to roast the tomatoes, you can use roasted red peppers (from a jar or pre-made) inside the chicken instead. You can also use chicken thighs instead of breasts.

Ingredients:

coconut oil for greasing
4 plum tomatoes
3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, divided
garlic salt
freshly cracked pepper
10 fresh basil leaves, divided
4 (4 ounces) boneless chicken breasts
16 small herb marinated mozzarella balls (about 4 ounces)
6 garlic cloves, minced
1 tbsp Mediterranean Spice Blend
1 tbsp Italian seasoning

Steps:

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil and grease it with oil.
Slice the plum tomatoes into ¼ inch thick slices and place them flat on the prepared baking sheet in a single layer, no overlapping. Drizzle 1 tablespoon of olive oil over the top, then sprinkle with garlic salt and pepper. Chop about 5 basil leaves and sprinkle those over the top of the tomatoes as well. Bake for 20 minutes then remove from the oven and let cool.
Pound the chicken breasts to about a 1-inch thickness, and then cut a horizontal slit into each to form a pocket.
Place the remaining fresh basil leaves inside the butterflied breasts, then top each breast with 4 mozzarella balls. Sprinkle equal amounts of garlic over each
Use a fork to lift the tomatoes and lay them on top of the mozzarella. Drizzle the remaining 2 tablespoons of oil over the breasts then sprinkle the Mediterranean spice blend, a decent dose of garlic salt, ground pepper, and Italian seasoning over the breasts.
Place the stuffed chicken breasts in a glass baking dish, or on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Bake uncovered ar 350 degrees F for 40 minutes or until the internal temperature reaches 180 degrees F. Serve right away with your favorite keto-friendly vegetables.

From the cookbook I authored with Rachel Gregory, a board-certified Nutrition Specialist, Athletic Trainer and Strength and Conditioning Coach. It’s called the 21-Day Ketogenic Diet Weight Loss Challenge: Recipes and Workouts for a Slimmer, Healthier You