Chicken Margherita

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. The chicken breasts are then topped with slices of mozzarella 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! Tight on time?! Store-bought pesto works equally 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 an arugula salad and you've got yourself a meal to remember! This one pan dish comes together in under 40 minutes and couldn’t be easier to make! So, let me show you how it's done! Grab a spoon and come and cook with me!

For more fun and exciting chicken ideas, try my Piri Piri Chicken, Roasted Chicken with Grapes, Braised Moroccan Chicken and Cajun Chicken recipes!

Prep Time: 5 minutes

Cook Time: 33 minutes

Total Time: 38 minutes

Serves: 4

Ingredients:

• 4 chicken breasts, boneless and skinless

• 4 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil, divided

• 1 tsp garlic powder

• 1/2 tsp kosher salt

• 1/4 tsp freshly ground pepper

• 2 cups cherry or grape tomatoes

• 2 cloves of garlic, peeled and minced

• 170g Mozzarella, cut into 1/4 inch slices (or 4 slices)

• 2 vine tomatoes, cut into 1/4 inch slices

• 1/3 cup store-bought or homemade pesto

• Additional fresh basil leaves, as garnish

Instructions:

1. 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.

2. To a medium bowl, add the cherry tomatoes, garlic and 1 Tbsp of olive oil. Give it a good mix and set aside.

3. Brush 1 Tbsp of olive oil over the chicken breasts and season with garlic powder, salt and pepper.

4. Set a large stainless steel (or oven safe) skillet over medium heat. Once hot, add the remaining 2 Tbsp olive oil and the chicken breasts.

5. 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.

6. Transfer the skillet to the oven and cook uncovered for 22 minutes.

7. Carefully remove the skillet from the oven and top each chicken breast with a slice of mozzarella. 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.

8. Let the chicken breasts rest for 5 minutes and then top each with 2 tomato slices, basil and a generous dollop of pesto. Serve and enjoy!