Caprese Chicken and Zucchini

Caprese Chicken and Zucchini cooked in fresh tomato sauce, with melted buffalo mozzarella cheese on top and garnished with basil. Serve on its own for easy low carb dinner or with spaghetti for a family meal.

In our house, everyone loves this Italian Ukrainian summer dinner. 🙂

Combining chicken and zucchini is one of my favorite summer dinners! If you are new here, you absolutely have to try the most popular Pinterest recipe of mine – Tex Mex chicken and zucchini.

Every year I come up with a different flavor profile. And this year we have Italian Ukrainian inspired low carb dinner.

First we make easy fresh tomato sauce with garlic, basil and balsamic vinegar. Then we simmer cubed chicken and zucchini in it. And then lay around slices of fresh mozzarella cheese, wait until it melts and top with more fresh basil and freshly cracked pepper. To die for!

Kids and husband gobbled it up with spaghetti. And I enjoyed probably 1.5 servings on its own.

Ingredients You Will Need

• Chicken breasts or thighs: Boneless and skinless meat’s cook time is a perfect match for delicate zucchini. 
• Zucchini or squash: Advice for summer – feel free to use dark green, light green or yellow zucchini or squash. Doesn’t matter.
• Fresh or canned tomatoes: Fresh tomatoes are the best as we cook them down into sauce. But you can also use 28 oz of canned diced tomatoes – please drain them.
• 
• Fresh mozzarella cheese: Buffalo or fresh mozzarella cheese is soft log shaped white cheese in brine. It is traditional cheese used to make anything Caprese.
• Basil: Fresh basil adds incredible flavor to this dish and dried wouldn’t be the same. Use fresh parsley, if you wish.

How to Make Caprese Chicken and Zucchini

• Pick large 12″ – 14″ skillet to cook this dish comfortably. I am using this skillet in 14″ size I got from Costco but can’t seem to find it online.
• Cook chicken for about 10 minutes and push to the side – that’s why large skillet is handy. 🙂
• On empty side, cook tomatoes with garlic and spices – they will cook down into fresh and quick homemade sauce. Make sure this part is over the burner.

• Add zucchini, stir with chicken and sauce, cover and cook for 12 minutes. Do not peek in.
• Add cheese and cover to melt for 5 minutes. Again, do not peek in – let heat do its job.

Tips for Best Chicken and Zucchini Skillet

• Zucchini is ready when firm to the touch with a fork.
• Do not overcook zucchini as veggies will become soggy and dish watery.
• If you don’t have fresh mozzarella, use shredded regular mozzarella cheese.
• No fresh basil? Use fresh parsley but not dried basil.
• Tomato paste adds a depth of flavor. You can skip it – still tasty but a bit less. 🙂

How to Store, Serve and Reheat

Serve chicken and zucchini on its own for a light fare. As a mom, I eat less carbs for dinner than my husband and boys. For them, I cook spaghetti and it becomes a true Italian dinner. With Ukrainian twist. 🙂

Refrigerate leftovers in a glass airtight container for up to 3-4 days.

Do not freeze. Once thawed, zucchini will “leak” all liquid and become a mushy mess. If this recipe is too many servings for you, cut recipe in half and leftovers will keep well for lunch/dinner next few days.

Reheat in a covered ceramic non-stick skillet on low-medium heat, for about 5-7 minutes. I wouldn’t add any liquid or oil to it at first and then “play it by ear”.

More Low Carb Zucchini Recipes

• Tex Mex chicken and zucchini
• Chicken, zucchini and corn
• Pesto turkey and zucchini
• Zucchini lasagna
• Chicken zucchini casserole

Caprese Chicken and Zucchini

Print Recipe

★★★★★

5 from 8 reviews

Caprese Chicken and Zucchini cooked in fresh tomato sauce, with melted buffalo mozzarella cheese on top and garnished with basil. Serve on its own for easy low carb dinner or with spaghetti for a family meal.

• Author: Olena of ifoodreal.com
• Prep Time: 15 minutes
• Cook Time: 30 minutes
• Total Time: 50 minutes
• Yield: 6 servings 1x
• Category: Dinner
• Method: Stove
• Cuisine: Italian Ukrainian

Scale 1x2x3x

Ingredients

• 1.5 lbs boneless & skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1” cubes
• 2 lbs zucchini, cut in to 1″ cubes
• 9 oz fresh mozzarella cheese, thinly sliced
• 7 garlic cloves, minced
• 1.5 lb tomatoes, sliced
• 6 oz can tomato paste, low sodium
• 2 tbsp oil, divided
• 1 tbsp balsamic vinegar
• 1 tsp dried oregano
• 1/2 tsp salt, divided
• Ground black pepper, to taste
• Handful fresh basil, thinly sliced

Instructions

1. Preheat large deep skillet on medium heat and swirl 1 tbsp oil to coat. Add chicken, 1/4 tsp salt and pepper. Cook for 5 minutes, stirring once.
2. Move chicken to the side of the skillet and keep empty part over the burner. Add 1 tbsp oil, garlic and saute for 30 seconds, stirring frequently.
3. Add tomatoes, tomato paste, balsamic vinegar, oregano, 1/4 tsp salt and a handful of basil. Cook this “tomato pile” for about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.
4. Add zucchini, stir everything together, cover and cook on low-medium for 12 minutes.
5. Lay mozzarella slices on top, reduce heat to low, cover and simmer for 5 minutes.
6. Sprinkle more basil and ground black pepper on top. Serve hot, on its own or with spaghetti, brown rice or quinoa.

Store: Refrigerate covered for up to 3 – 4 days. Do not freeze.

To reheat: Simmer on low heat in a skillet for 5 minutes covered. If you use non-stick skillet you should not need any water or oil to reheat the dish as zucchini will release water.

Notes

• Zucchini is ready when firm to the touch with a fork.
• Do not overcook zucchini as veggies will become soggy and entire dish watery.
• If you don’t have fresh mozzarella, use shredded regular mozzarella cheese.
• No fresh basil? Use fresh parsley but not dried basil.
• Tomato paste adds a depth of flavor. You can skip it – still tasty but a bit less. 🙂

★ Did you make this recipe? Please give it a star rating in the comments.

2 cups2756 g574.7 mg7.9 g1.3 g0 g9.5 g3.2 g40.6 g90.4 mg

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