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Basil Pesto Tomato Mozzarella Chicken Bake - low carb and gluten-free recipe. It's easy to make, and only one pan is needed.
Just pile all the ingredients on top of the chicken breasts in a baking dish and bake everything in the oven. Once the chicken is cooked, you'll have lots of juices in the pan. Pour these delicious juices over cooked rice or cooked pasta, such as spaghetti or angel hair pasta, and serve these side dishes with this Mozzarella chicken. Because you bake everything in one pan, the cleanup is minimal.
Mozzarella Chicken Bake
This chicken bake has a similar style to Chicken Parmigiana (or Chicken Parmesan) because many ingredients are similar, and the chicken is baked in the oven. But unlike Chicken Parmigiana, my Mozzarella Chicken is gluten-free (no bread crumbs or flour is involved), I use fresh tomatoes and basil pesto, and I use Mozzarella cheese only. The resulting dish is so delicious and refreshing! Perfect for Spring and Summer season!
Ingredients you need for Pesto Tomato Mozzarella Chicken
- chicken breasts boneless, skinless
- salt
- garlic cloves
- basil pesto
- fresh tomatoes
- fresh Mozzarella cheese
- fresh basil
To make this mozzarella chicken bake, I like to use thin chicken breasts. You can buy thinly sliced chicken breasts in the store, or flatten the chicken as described below.
How do you flatten the chicken
- To flatten the chicken, first, cover your work surface with plastic wrap.
- Lay the chicken breasts on top and cover with another piece of plastic wrap.
- Pound the chicken breasts with the flat side of a meat mallet to even their thickness.
- Alternatively, you can slice each chicken breast horizontally to make two thinner and flatter chicken breasts out of each large chicken breast.
What to serve with Pesto Tomato Mozzarella Chicken
This Mozzarella chicken bake can be served with spaghetti, angel hair pasta, or rice. When the chicken is done, there will be a good amount of juices at the bottom of the pan. Since those juices are pretty tasty, toss cooked pasta or rice with those juices (which are plenty as you can see on the photos) from the pesto chicken bake, and you'll have a delicious meal!
Alternatively, you can serve your Mozzarella chicken with roasted asparagus, green beans, roasted broccoli, or roasted potatoes.
Here are some of my favorite side dishes to go with this pesto chicken bake:
How to cook Mozzarella Chicken with Basil Pesto and Tomatoes
Preheat oven to 400 F. Place chicken breasts in a casserole pan. Season the chicken with salt and top with minced garlic.
Top with basil pesto.
Add tomato slices on top.
Add thickly sliced fresh Mozzarella cheese on top.
How to bake mozzarella chicken with pesto
Bake chicken breasts, uncovered, at 400 F in the preheated oven for 20-30 minutes, depending on the thickness of your breasts.
When serving, top each chicken breast with fresh chopped basil, and a fresh slice of tomato. Pour the juices from the bottom of the casserole pan over cooked pasta (such as angel hair or spaghetti) or cooked rice (such as Jasmine rice).
Basil Pesto Tomato Mozzarella Chicken Bake
Ingredients
- 4 chicken breasts , boneless, skinless
- salt
- 4 garlic cloves , minced
- ½ cup basil pesto
- 2 tomatoes , sliced
- 8 oz fresh Mozzarella cheese , sliced
- 2 tablespoons fresh basil
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400 F.
- Place chicken breasts in a medium size casserole pan.
- Sprinkle the chicken with salt. Top with minced garlic.
- Spread basil pesto evenly over each chicken breast.
- Add tomato slices on top.
- Add thickly sliced fresh Mozzarella cheese on top.
- Bake at 400 F in the preheated oven for 20-30 minutes, depending on the thickness of your breasts.
- When serving, top each chicken breast with fresh chopped basil, and a fresh slice of tomato. Pour the juices from the bottom of the casserole pan over pasta or rice.
Notes
- Want to make basil pesto from scratch? Here is the best, the most flavorful, and the creamiest 20-Minute Homemade Basil Pesto Recipe.
Nutrition
Nutrition Disclaimer:
The nutritional information on this website is only an estimate and is provided for convenience and as a courtesy only. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed. It should not be used as a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.
I made this for a Sunday family dinner with homemade pesto and mozzarella. I added a little extra garlic and sprinkled fresh parmesan on top after baking. Very delicious!! My family is anxious to eat this again. Great recipe!
Outstanding! Easy and delicious. I horizontally sliced think breasts and it worked beautifully. Served w spaghetti mixed with the pan juices. Plan to try it with roasted potatoes and green beans or asparagus next time. Company worthy.... you don’t need to share how easy it is
This is fabulous! The cheese does not brown when placed on top! I will definitely make this again! With summer here and fresh tomatoes and basil plentiful in Indiana, this dish with make your tongue jump up and slap your eyebrows!
Turned out great - I didn’t have tomatoes but it was still delicious!
Delectable baked chicken caprese! So fresh, healthy and bonus...easy to make.
Buon appetito!
I like the idea, but it needs something else. I just need to add something to it, or the chicken needs to be breaded.
This looks delicious! Did you add the EVOO? The pictures look like what appears to be olive oil--can you clarify?
The olive oil comes from the basil pesto
Love this recipe. Absolutely delicious amd easy to make. I'd suggest adding in the cheese last 5 minutes so it doesn't brown. Otherwise, the recipe is perfect. Sides are endless, just to your preference. I'd know, I've done this recipe several times with different sides. Perfect everytime. Enjoy. Thanks for sharing Julia.
Outstanding recipe! So light, fresh and tasty for a summer meal. I did one thing different, I put the tomatoes on top instead of the cheese. Can't wait to have leftovers. Thank you for a great recipe.
Made this for company last night. Only thing I did differently was sear the chicken first, then layered it and broiled for 2 minutes to melt the cheese and blend the flavors. Delicious!
Just made this for my family! Everyone loved it! I made angel hair pasta and used the juice from the chicken as a sauce. Turned out great!
Hi Julia, I am wondering if it is normal for the mozzarella to brown? I didn't have tomatoes to put on top. If I put tomatoes on top next time will it prevent the browning of the cheese? Thanks!
I live alone so I like to cook and freeze leftovers for easy go-to meals. Does this freeze well? I’d freeze each serving/chicken breast separately for a future meal (w/o tomato). Has anyone tried that?
I found that when I put the mozzarella on it right as it goes in the oven it tends to cook (brown) the cheese too much.
As a result, I cook as normal but then add the cheese in the last 10 minutes or so...just long enough for it to melt.
Can't wait to try this fabulous recipe, Julia. I'm addicted to Burrata, hollowed Mozarella ball filled with its shreds and cream, would you advise such a replacement? Gerald, South of France
This has been a go to recipe now for a few months the whole family loves it. I tried it with sundried tomato pesto and did not enjoy it as much. I season my chicken with spices first then bake for about 20 mins then add the pesto sauce then the cheese and the tomato last 5 mins. I have tried lots of sides but my favorite is now greek orzo salad.