Chicken Margherita - the chicken recipe you never thought you needed, until now! This dish is a sophisticated cross between two of my favourite dishes - a glorious Margherita pizza and a fresh and bright Caprese Salad. Mama Mia!
The chicken breasts are lightly seasoned, seared on both sides and finished off in the oven alongside vibrant and flavourful cherry tomatoes and garlic. Then, they are topped with slices of mozzarella cheese and vine tomatoes, before being glazed with fresh basil pesto. You can easily make your own pesto at home in just 5 minutes, using my Homemade Basil Pesto recipe, or you can simply use store-bought pesto, which also works well here!
Enjoy my Chicken Margherita recipe during the week for lunch or dinner or surprise your date, family or friends with a delicious meal! Serve it alongside your favourite pasta or a fresh garden salad and you've got yourself a meal to remember! This one pan dish comes together in under 40 minutes and couldn’t be simpler to make! So, what are you waiting for?! Grab a spoon and come and cook with me!
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 33 minutes
Total Time: 38 minutes
Serves: 4
Ingredients:
4 chicken breasts, skinless and boneless
4 Tbsp olive oil, divided
1 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp kosher salt
1/4 tsp ground pepper
2 cups cherry or grape tomatoes
2 cloves of garlic, minced
170g Mozzarella cheese, cut into 1/4 inch slices (or 4 slices)
2 vine tomatoes, cut into 1/4 inch slices
1/3 cup homemade or store-bought basil pesto
Extra basil leaves, as garnish
Instructions:
Preheat the oven to 425F and remove the chicken breasts from the refrigerator. Pat them dry, set aside and let them come to room temperature for 30 minutes.
To a medium bowl, add the cherry tomatoes, garlic and 1 Tbsp of olive oil. Give it a good mix and set aside.
Brush 1 Tbsp of olive oil over the chicken breasts and season with garlic powder, salt and pepper.
To a large stainless steel (or oven safe) skillet, set over medium heat, add 2 Tbsp of olive oil. Once the oil is hot, add the chicken breasts to the skillet, leaving space between each of the chicken breasts.
Cook the chicken breasts for a total of 5 minutes, turning them over half way through the cooking time. Then, add the cherry tomatoes and garlic mixture to the skillet.
Transfer the skillet to the oven and cook for 22 minutes. Remove the skillet from the oven and top each chicken breast with a slice of mozzarella cheese. Return the skillet to the oven and cook for an additional 5 minutes or until the chicken is cooked through and the juices run clear.
Let the chicken breasts rest for 5 minutes and then top each chicken breast with 2 tomato slices, basil and a generous dollop of basil pesto. Serve and enjoy!