This Air Fryer Caprese Chicken recipe is chicken breast sliced in the Hasselback style and stuffed with Pesto, fresh tomato, and cheese. Each bite has a burst of savory flavor that’ll have you forgetting all about boring old chicken dinners. Made in the air fryer in under 15 minutes, I love how it turns tender juicy inside with a beautifully caramelized exterior.
Ingredients
- 2 chicken breasts boneless skinless chicken breasts, about 1-inch thick
- ½ cup pesto
- ½ cup Tomatoes About 10 slices of fresh tomato, sliced in half
- 8 oz Fresh Mozzarella 5 slices of mozzarella cheese, cut in half, for a total of 10 slices
- ½ teaspoon salt salt and pepper to taste
- ½ teaspoon Italian seasoning
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
Instructions
- Prep the Chicken Breast: You’ll need boneless and skinless chicken breasts. Approximately 1 inch thick. To make a pocket in the chicken, use a sharp knife and carefully cut through the thickest part of the chicken breast. Make about 5 slits in each piece of chicken. Do not cut all the way through.
- Season. In a small bowl combine oil, Pesto, Italian seasoning, salt and pepper to taste, and garlic powder. Using your hands or food-basting brush, rub the seasoning mix all over the chicken, including the inside of the slits.
Add the Tomato and Cheese: Cut fresh tomatoes into thin slices (approx 3 mm thick) and cheese sliced into ¼ inch slices. Fill the chicken pockets with tomato slices, and cheese: place a piece of cheese into each slit, followed by a piece of tomato (cut in half to fit, if needed)
- Cook: Preheat the air fryer to 375°F (190°C). Place the chicken in the basket and cook for 12-15 minutes or until the chicken is cooked through and the cheese is melted and bubbly. You don’t need to flip halfway through. If you have a meat thermometer, use it to check the chicken’s internal temperature. Once it reaches 165°F, it’s ready to be taken out of the air fryer.
Using a large spatula, remove each stuffed chicken breast from the air fryer and let rest for 5 minutes. Serve hot by itself or with your favorite side dish and enjoy!
Notes
Use a meat thermometer to check the internal temperature of the chicken breast. It should reach 165°F before you take it out of the air fryer.
You can use any type of cheese that you like instead of mozzarella to customize this recipe as per your preference.