Chicken Cutlet Caprese Salad takes advantage of end-of-summer heirloom tomatoes with lightly pan-fried chicken cutlets, fresh mozzarella, and basil.
Chicken Cutlet Caprese Salad
This Chicken Cutlet Caprese Salad is the perfect salad for dinner. It’s hearty and flavorful, and I know you’ll crave it again and again! I love a classic caprese salad, so I’m always coming up with new variations using the same flavors. Plus, it’s an excellent way to use up the last of my tomatoes in my garden. For some of my other favorite caprese recipes, try my Caprese Chicken Skillet and Air Fryer Burst Tomato Burrata Caprese Salad. You may also love this Air Fryer Chicken Milanese!
I made this into an Instagram Reels Video a few weeks ago and lots of you asked that I post it here, so here it is. Click here if you want to see the video!
Caprese Salad Ingredients
A traditional caprese salad always has tomatoes and mozzarella drizzled with olive oil, salt, and pepper. For this recipe, I serve everything over baby greens and top it with fresh basil and a simple balsamic vinaigrette. I added the chicken cutlets, coated in breadcrumbs and Parmesan, for extra protein.
How to Make Chicken Cutlets
To keep the breaded chicken cutlets light, I use minimal oil and butter to pan-fry them. I let them brown on one side, and then I spray the top of the cutlets and flip them. One side of the chicken will get crispier than the other, but that’s ok because you can’t tell when you eat it. If you want to make them in the air fryer, follow the temp and time for my air fryer chicken cutlets.
How to Make Ahead
This chicken caprese salad is great to make ahead and can be eaten hot or cold. We love to take it with us on our boat; it’d also be perfect for a picnic or party. To make the salad ahead, put all the caprese ingredients on a big platter and cover tightly with plastic wrap. Bring along plates, utensils, and serving spoons.
Variations:
- Add extra veggies like avocado, cucumber, or red onion.
- Swap baby greens for arugula.
- Make it in the air fryer following the same cook method as these air fryer chicken cutlets.
- If you’re a vegetarian, omit the chicken and use tofu sliced into cutlets.
- Instead of serving with a balsamic vinaigrette, use balsamic glaze, which you can purchase or make at home.
More Caprese Recipes You’ll Love:
- Cheesy Eggplant Gnocchi Caprese
- French Bread Pizza Caprese
- Chicken and Zucchini Noodle Caprese
- White Bean Caprese
- Watermelon Caprese Salad
Chicken Cutlet Caprese Salad
Ingredients
For the Pan Fried Chicken Cutlets
- 2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (16 oz)
- 2 large eggs or egg whites, beaten
- 1/2 cup + 2 TBSP seasoned breadcrumbs*, or gluten free crumbs
- 3 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese
- kosher salt and fresh pepper
- 1 tablespoon butter
- 1 teaspoon olive oil
For the Platter
- 1 pint heirloom cherry tomatoes, halved
- 8 ounces fresh Bocconcini mozzarella halved
- 1/4 cup fresh basil leaves
- 6 cups mixed baby greens
- Balsamic Glaze or Simple Balsamic dressing, combine equal parts balsamic and extra virgin olive oil with salt to taste. (extra)
Instructions
For the chicken:
- Cut chicken breasts in half horizontally so you end up with 4 thin pieces of chicken.
- Working with 1 piece of chicken at a time, pound chicken until 1/4-inch thick. Set aside and repeat with the remaining 3 pieces.
- Season with 3/4 teaspoon salt and black pepper, to taste.
- Combine breadcrumbs and Parmesan cheese in a medium bowl. In another bowl beat eggs.
- Dip cutlets in egg, then breadcrumbs.
- Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. If cooking in two batches, add half of the butter and olive oil.
- When butter melts, add the cutlets and cook about 4 to 6 minutes on each side, until golden brown and cooked through. Repeat.
For the Platter (2 servings picture in photos above):
- Slice the chicken cutlets. Arrange the baby greens in the center of the platter. Place the chicken, tomatoes, mozzarella, basil all round.
- If making ahead, cover tight with plastic and keep chilled until ready to eat.
- Or plate them individually if not making a platter, 1 piece chicken, 2 oz cheese and divide the salad.
- Serve with 1 tablespoon vinaigrette (not included in n.i.).
Last Step:
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- Add extra veggies like avocado, cucumber, or red onion.
- Make it in the air fryer following the same cook method as this Air Fryer Chicken Milanese.
- If you’re a vegetarian, use tofu and slice into thin cutlets.
- Instead of serving with a balsamic vinaigrette, use balsamic glaze, which you can purchase or make at home.
Very good and beautiful presentation – definitely company worthy.
I see a lot of chicken recipes saying to cut the chicken breasts in half. Wouldn’t it be the same as buying chicken cutlets? What’s the difference?
Totally fine!
Another 5 star recipe from Skinnytaste, this is easy and quick to make, this would be wonderful to serve at a dinner party
Thanks Tamara!
Everyone loved the flavor of the chicken, so delicious, it will be thrown in to our dinner rotations
Delicious!! I used tomatoes from our garden, perfect summer meal.
This was sooo good!
Made this last night! So good!
We marinated in Italian dressing, grilled, and used balsamic drizzle though. Will definitely make again!
Love this! We are getting a new outdoor kitchen so I marinated in Italian dressing and my husband grilled it. So good!
We make this monthly and always love the leftovers for cold lunches.
Pretty delicious! Added avocado and that was extra good. Somehow my salad felt not super well composed, so I’m not 100% sure I’d make it again. I did wind up dipping my greens in my vinaigrette and that helped a lot!
I’m going to make this this week! I appreciate that your variations printed along with the recipe. Saves me from writing them in 🙂
Thank you for all the wonderful ideas!
16oz of chicken cooked or raw?
This is a do over and over and over again. So delicious and easy.
Great!
Loved this recipe. We love Caprese salads and look for new versions
I made this tonight and it was delicious! I used fresh basil from my garden and the best quality balsamic glaze I could find at the store. I actually waited too long to make this and my salad greens got mushy, so I had to skip, but honestly I didn’t miss them! I think the glaze really makes this dish. Will definitely make again.
This was everything I wanted it to be. SO good!
This is spectacular. The flavors work together beautifully, and the chicken was perfect. Crispy, tender, just perfect. My whole family raved about it.
I made a balsamic glaze to accompany it by simmering 1/2 cup balsamic and 1 Tb honey until reduced by half
This looks delicious! My son has an allergy to eggs – is there anything I can use in it’s place?
For his, you can use melted butter or heavy cream.
I made this salad at it was amazing a great summer meal.
I am loving this salad and can’t wait to make it !