This quick and easy chicken margherita is perfect for weeknight dinner. It is simple, fresh and so delicious!
The chicken margherita is made with juicy pan-seared chicken, topped with basil pesto, mozzarella, roasted balsamic cherry tomatoes, and fresh basil. The cheese melts perfectly on top!
This easy chicken recipe takes 30 minutes to make, with minimal clean up involved. I think you’ll love it!
Lately, my days have been packed, so I’m all about quick and easy dinner options. This Chicken Margherita is perfect for busy weeknights! It’s loaded with fresh ingredients, and it’s beautiful.
It features tender, pan-seared chicken topped with shredded mozzarella, your favorite pesto, blistered balsamic cherry tomatoes, and freshly grated Parmesan. It’s a dish the whole family will love!
Serve the chicken margherita my family’s favorite House Salad or my simple Lemon Arugula Salad. You can also try it with lemon garlic pasta.
If you enjoy easy chicken recipes, give my Chicken Piccata Pasta, Chicken Florentine, and my favorite Creamy Lemon Chicken a try. Both are fantastic for hectic evenings!
Why I love making this skillet chicken margherita:
- Quick and easy: With minimal prep, this meal can be on your dinner table in just 30 minutes. Great for weeknights.
- Amazing flavors: The cheesy chicken tastes perfect with the sweet and tangy balsamic cherry tomatoes, pesto, and melty cheese.
- Fresh Ingredients: The seasonally fresh ingredients such as the basil and cherry tomatoes are perfect year-round.
Jump to:
Ingredient Notes
You just need a handful of ingredients to make this delicious chicken dinner. Below are a few ingredient notes from recipe testing. As always, the ingredient quantities can be found in the recipe card below.
- Chicken breasts: Make sure to pound them ½ inch thick throughout so that they cook evenly. This will also ensure that they are juicy and moist. Check out my tips and tricks to make moist pan-seared chicken.
- Cherry tomatoes: I like to use cherry tomatoes rather than slices because they are juicy and roast beautifully. But sliced tomatoes would work too.
- Balsamic vinegar: Adds a sweet and tangy flavor profile for the tomatoes.
- Mozzarella cheese: Shredded because it will melt nicely over the chicken, but you can also use sliced fresh mozzarella.
- Basil pesto: To keep things simple, I use my favorite store-bought pesto from Costco. You can use homemade basil pesto, or for a twist, try my Sundried Tomato Pesto.
- Fresh basil: Thinly sliced for garnish and extra flavor.
- Parmesan cheese: For garnish.
- Garlic powder and Italian seasoning: For seasoning the chicken.
- Olive oil
- Salt and pepper to taste
Step-by-Step Tutorial
This chicken margherita recipe is pretty straightforward. Let me show you how in these four easy steps, along with a few helpful kitchen tips!
Step 1 | Roast the tomatoes
Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F. In a small baking dish, toss the cherry tomatoes with olive oil, balsamic vinegar, salt and pepper. Roast in the oven for about 12 minutes. You want the tomatoes to be slightly blistered.
Roasting the tomatoes is quick and easy, and brings out their sweetness and juiciness. I’d highly recommend it!
Step 2 | Prep and cook chicken
Season the chicken breasts with olive oil, garlic powder, Italian seasoning, salt and pepper. Optional: Marinate for 10-15 minutes to absorb the flavors even more, or up to 24 hours ahead.
In a skillet over medium heat, cook the chicken about 6 minutes per side, or until cooked through to an internal temperature of 165 degrees F.
Step 3 | Melt the cheese
While still in the skillet, top the chicken with the shredded mozzarella cheese. Cover with a lid to melt the cheese, or place it under the broiler in the over until just melted. This should only take 1-2 minutes.
Step 4 | Top with pesto and tomatoes
Top the cheesy chicken with basil pesto, followed by the blistered balsamic cherry tomatoes. Garnish with sliced basil and grated parmesan cheese on top. And that’s it! This chicken margherita is definitely a winner.
Other Ways to Cook the Chicken
While I like pan-searing the chicken for this recipe, you can use other cooking methods too.
Grill: Preheat your grill. Cook the chicken on both sides until cooked through with nice grill marks, about 5 minutes per side. Top with mozzarella cheese, and cover until the cheese is melted. Remove from the grill and then add the toppings.
Bake: In a baking dish, arrange the seasoned chicken on a single layer. Bake at 400 degrees F for about 20 minutes. Then, add the mozzarella cheese and continue baking for another 5-7 minutes until the cheese is melted and the center registers 165 degrees F.
Pairing and Serving Ideas
For extra pop of fresh basil, you can drizzle some of my Lemon Basil Vinaigrette over the tomatoes.
There are so many great sides to pair with this chicken margherita, which I keep on our regular dinner rotation. Here are some of my favorites:
- Your favorite pasta, tossed with pesto or your favorite sauce.
- Our family’s House Salad or this easy Lemon Arugula Salad.
- My all-time favorite Cheesy Garlic Bread is a must try!
- If grilling, try my easy grilled vegetables recipe, which I love to brush with my Chimichurri Sauce.
- Lemon Green Beans and Parmesan Roasted Broccoli to pack in extra veggies.
More Weeknight Chicken Dinners
Weeknight meals don’t have to be complicated. These easy one pan chicken recipes have minimal clean-up, ready in just 30 minutes.
- Easy Chicken Parmesan
- Chicken Bruschetta Pasta
- Chicken Pomodoro
- Chicken Florentine
- Lemon Chicken Orzo
- Spinach Stuffed Chicken
Recipe FAQs
No, but I really like the flavors and texture. If you prefer not to, you can use fresh tomatoes tossed with balsamic, olive oil, and seasoning. Or sliced tomatoes.
You can substitute mozzarella for shredded Swiss or white cheddar. You can also use fresh mozzarella slices.
Parts of this chicken recipe can be prepped ahead of time. Season the chicken and keep refrigerated overnight – this will actually make it extra tender and flavorful. You can also roast the cherry tomatoes the day before.
Tips for Success
- Pound the chicken breasts evenly to about ½ inch thick or thinner. This will ensure even cooking while keeping it moist and juicy.
- For more flavor and tenderness, let the seasoned chicken sit for 10-15 minutes before cooking. You can also let the flavors marinate overnight in the fridge.
- Pesto: I use store-bought pesto for convenience. My favorite is the one from Costco. But if you have an abundance of basil in your garden, or if you prefer homemade, that’s totally fine too.
- Roasting the cherry tomatoes adds extra flavor and dimension, and only takes 12 minutes. However, you can also just do fresh tomatoes, either cherry or sliced large tomatoes.
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Chicken Margherita
Equipment
- 12-inch skillet preferably with a lid
Ingredients
- 2 cups cherry tomatoes
- Olive oil
- 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
- Salt and pepper
- 4 medium chicken breasts - pounded to ½ inch thick evenly
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
- 1 ½ cups shredded mozzarella cheese
- ½ cup basil pesto - plus more to taste
- ¼ cup fresh basil leaves - thinly sliced
- Grated parmesan cheese for garnish
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.
- In a small baking dish, toss the cherry tomatoes with 2 tablespoons olive oil, 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar, and salt and pepper to taste. Roast in the oven for 12 minutes until the tomatoes are a bit blistered. Set aside.
- Meanwhile, season chicken with a few drizzles of olive oil, garlic powder, Italian seasoning, salt (about ½ teaspoon per chicken breast) and pepper.
- In a large skillet, heat a few drizzles of olive oil over medium heat. Cook the chicken on both sides until fully cooked through, about 6 minutes per side.
- Then, on the same skillet, top the chicken with shredded mozzarella cheese. Cover with the lid to melt the cheese. Alternatively, broil in the oven for 1-2 minutes until the cheese is melted.
- Top the cheesy chicken with basil pesto (about 2 tablespoons each), a few spoonfuls of the and roasted cherry tomatoes, and fresh sliced basil.
- Garnish with freshly grated parmesan cheese. Enjoy!
Notes
- Seasoning chicken: Letting the seasoned chicken sit for 10-15 minutes before cooking to maximize flavors and help tenderize. You can also do this 24 hours ahead.
- Mozzarella cheese: I’d recommend using whole milk shredded mozzarella, which melts better than part-skim.
- Roasting tomatoes brings out their sweetness and flavor. If you prefer not to roast, you can also just use fresh tomatoes tossed with olive oil, balsamic, salt and pepper.
- Storage: Place any leftovers in an airtight container and refrigerate for up to 3 days.
- Reheating: Reheat in the microwave oven for about 1 minute until the cheese is melted and warm in the center.
- Mozzarella cheese: Can also use sliced fresh mozzarella.
- Tomatoes: Large tomatoes or roma tomatoes.
- For extra pop, drizzle some Lemon Basil Vinaigrette over the tomatoes.
Brenda Jean Blossom says
I made this for my husband and myself last night. One word!!!! AMAZING!!!!
It was very good. My granddaughter comes over for cooking lessons, and we are making this next week for her and her boyfriend. It has good flavors. I marinated my chicken for most of the day. I also used butter and olive oil in the pan. Other than that difference, I stuck to the recipe. The chicken was very tender, and my husband went back for seconds.
Thank you
Tania says
Thank you so much, Brenda!
DG says
Made this tonight for the lady. It was delicious with the balsamic reduction. Thank you for the recipe!