Caprese Chicken with Pesto Couscous
There’s nothing like the flavors of summertime! Everything is fresh, bright and uses all of the amazing ingredients that are available straight from the garden. Pesto is one of those ingredients I can’t ever get enough of and I’m always looking for new ways to use it in various dishes. We use it on homemade pizzas in the pizza oven, in pastas, on sandwiches and as a marinade or drizzle on chicken, shrimp or steak. In this recipe for Caprese Chicken with Pesto Couscous, I combined all of my favorite flavors of summer into one bite. It’s the perfect way to make a fun summertime dish and avoid the boring chicken conundrum.
What I love about this dish is that when you cut in to take a bite, you have a juicy bite of chicken with a roasted tomato (or heirloom tomato) bite which is sweet and so delicious from being roasted and then it’s topped with a creamy fresh mozzarella, drizzled with salty and tangy balsamic and finished with a dollop of pesto on top. It really is the perfect bite. After making the couscous, I love adding in pesto to flavor it with even more freshness. Just make sure to remove it from the heat immediately, or you will lose some of the bright green appearance of the pesto. Also, if you end up with extra pesto, you can store it in the fridge for a few days, or scoop it into a ziplock bag, remove as much air as possible and freeze it to use another time. This is a quick dinner that brings excitement back to chicken and it’s the perfect summertime dinner!
Prep Time
20 minutes
Cook Time
15 minutes
Total Time
35 minutes
Course
Entree
Cuisine
Italian
Servings
4 servings
Ingredients
4 chicken breasts
Kosher Salt & Black Pepper
3-4 Tbsp. Extra Virgin Olive Oil, divided
1 large beefsteak or heirloom tomato
8 oz. fresh mozzarella, sliced
1 cup couscous
1-1/2 cup chicken stock or water
1 tsp. salt
2-3 Tbsp. balsamic vinegar
Pesto:
2 cups fresh basil leaves
½ lemon, juiced
2 garlic cloves, roughly chopped
½ cup parmesan cheese
1/3 cup pine nuts, lightly toasted in a dry skillet
½ cup Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Salt & Pepper, to taste
Instructions
1. Make the pesto- Combine the fresh basil leaves, lemon juice, garlic cloves, parmesan cheese, toasted pine nuts and extra virgin olive oil in a blender or food processor until smooth, taste and adjust salt and pepper.
2. Preheat the oven to 450F.
3. Pat the chicken completely dry and salt and pepper both sides.
4. Preheat an oven proof indoor grill pan or skillet to medium high heat, add a few Tbsp. of extra virgin olive oil.
5. Sear chicken for 3-4 minutes per side until golden brown, but not cooked through.
6. Slice tomatoes and fresh mozzarella to even slices, about ¼” thick.
7. Add a sliced tomato and mozzarella to each chicken breast and bake on the top rack for about 10 minutes until chicken is cooked through. It will vary depending upon the size of the chicken breast.
8. Meanwhile, in a large pot over medium heat, add a few Tbsp. of extra virgin olive oil and toast couscous and toast, stirring with a wooden spoon for 2-3 minutes. Add chicken stock or water and salt, bring to a boil and reduce to a simmer for about 15 minutest until the liquid is absorbed, according to package directions.
9. Increase the temp to broil for the chicken the last 3 minutes.
10. When the couscous is cooked, stir in a few Tbsp. of the pesto and remove from the heat immediately.
11. When the cheese is bubbly, plate the couscous and chicken, top with another dollop of the fresh pesto and a drizzle of balsamic vinegar.