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One dish, two cheeses, and a lot of flavor! Chicken Capri is so easy to make and should only take about half an hour to put together.
Baked chicken recipes can be genuinely heartwarming. Theyโre awesome comfort food for many people who grew up enjoying stuffed chicken dinners.
Chicken Capri
Chicken Capri is actually not that different from a more famous Italian dish, the Caprese salad. Caprese salad is a simple dish of basil, mozzarella, and tomato. Typically Caprese salad, like chicken Capri, can be seasoned with pepper, olive oil, balsamic vinegar, or olive oil. This combo of green, white, and red, like the Margherita pizza, recalls the iconic Italian flag.
Chicken Capri is not unlike the sort of stuffed chicken you might find in a restaurant. Many Italian oven dishes feature a stuffed or rolled piece of meat slowly cooked in a decadent sauce, often made of tomatoes. There are even Italian variants of the famous French coq au vin! This chicken Capri dish is similar to those. You could even compare it to chicken parmigiana, which is a similar meal of chicken in tomato sauce topped with cheese.
Chicken capri dish works best if you use fresh ingredients, although some substitutions may be necessary. Crushed tomatoes from a tin will work fine, but if you have the chance to make your tomato sauce from scratch or use tomato passata go right ahead! Roasting fresh tomatoes for 20-30 minutes and pureed the roasted tomatoes will produce a delicious, watery tomato sauce that you can reduce on a stovetop before adding to your Capri pan.
What is Chicken Capri?
This dish is named for the Italian island of Capri, just off the coast of the Campania region. Many foods that we consider classic Italian cuisine are native to the Campania region, including pizza! Although goat is rarely consumed in Campanian cuisine, Capri is actually named for the goats who once lived on the island during Roman times. In fact, you can still visit the Roman ruins on the island of Capri, including Imperial villas. Today, Capri is more associated with wild basil, fresh seafood, and the salads and chicken dishes that bear the islandโs name.
With its rich tomato flavor, juicy chicken breast, and delicious melted cheese, this is a great celebration of the Campania region. All the flavors in this recipe highlight and complement a great piece of chicken. Letโs take a look!
Ingredients
For delicious homemade chicken Capri, youโll need:
- Extra Virgin Olive Oil
- Chicken Breasts
- All-purpose flour, optional
- Ricotta Cheese
- Dried Oregano
- Salt
- Black Pepper
- Garlic Powder
- Onion Powder
- Tomato passata or crushed tomatoes
- Mozzarella Cheese
How To Make Chicken Capri At Home
- Mix your ricotta with dried oregano. You can add olive oil if it seems too dry or chalky. You can either do this by hand or use a handheld mixer.
- Dredge the chicken in the flour mixture, saute your breasts. Four minutes per side, just enough to turn the chickenโs flesh golden brown, should be enough. Use olive oil in the skillet for this.
- Like many Italian-style baked dishes, this is all about the layering.
- Your first layer will be tomato sauce on top of the chicken. You can either prepare a nice tomato sauce, use passata, or crushed tomatoes for this.
- Then you add the ricotta cheese.
- The final layer, on top, is mozzarella cheese.
- Bake for no more than 10 minutes. Any longer may dry your chicken out!
- Serve with freshly chopped parsley or basil.
Tips and Tricks
- Itโs easy to overcook the chicken in the oven. The breasts should be tender and slightly cooked from sauteeing, so take care not to let them dry out during the baking process.
- You can top chicken Capri with more mozzarella.
- As you mix up your ricotta, you can season it! Popular seasonings include sea salt, oregano, and rosemary.
- Skip the flour for gluten free recipe!
- In Italy, dishes like this are served as just one part of a larger meal. You can have pasta on the side, some crusty bread, and maybe even a Caprese salad. Italians love having a lot of variety on the dinner table.
- Prep saves time! As your chicken breasts are sauteeing, you can line up your ricotta mix, tomato passata tomatoes, and mozzarella ready to go.
- If youโre feeling fancy, you can use buffalo mozzarella rather than the usual store-bought mozzarella. This will intensify the flavor. Buffalo mozzarella actually comes from the Italian water buffalo, and is the original mozzarella on which modern variants are based.
How to Serve Chicken Capri
Chicken capri can be served as a meal by itself, an entree, or alongside bread and pasta. Food is central to Italian life and culture, and this chicken Capri recipe is imbued with this passion for cuisine.
Cheesy garlic roasted Brussels sprouts
If you make this recipe be sure to leave a comment or give this recipe a rating โญโญโญโญโญ! I will be happy to hear from you!
Chicken Capri
Equipment
Ingredients
For The Chicken:
- 3 large chicken breasts, halved horizontally to make 6 fillets
- 1 cup all purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon salt or as needed
- 1/2 cup oil for frying
For The Sauce:
- 14 ounces 400 g tomato passata (sauce)
- 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
- Salt to taste
For The Topping:
- 1 1/2 cup part-skim ricotta cheese
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 8 ounces 250 g mozzarella cheese sliced or shredded
- 2 tablespoons fresh chopped parsley or basil
Instructions
For The Chicken
- Preheat your oven to 430ยฐF |220ยฐC. Lightly grease a baking sheet/ tray with a cooking spray. Keep aside.
- In a shallow dish combine the flour, onion powder, garlic powder, black pepper and salt. Dredge each chicken fillet in the flour mixture to coat evenly.
- Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. When it is hot, add the chicken and cook until golden and crispy on both sides, about 4 minutes per side. Cook the chicken in batches not to overcrowd the skillet. Transfer on the prepared tray.
- Top each fillet with about 1/3 cup of tomato sauce and 1/4 cup of ricotta cheese, and with 2-3 slices of mozzarella cheese.
- Bake in the preheated oven for 10 minutesย or until the cheese is melted.ย
- Sprinkle with parsley or basil. Enjoy!
For The Sauce
- In a small bowl combine tomato passata, salt, pepper, onion and garlic powder.
For The Ricotta Cheese
- Mix together the ricotta cheeseย and dried oregano. You can also season it with salt and pepper if desired.
Video
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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This recipe sounds amazing. I am loving the idea of different cheeses and how it is simply baked to perfection and comes out so moist and cheesy! Definately will be on my dinner list
Thanks you Amanda!