Baked Caprese Chicken and Rice (Easy One-Pan Recipe)

This Baked Caprese Chicken and Rice recipe is a simple one-pan meal that takes less than 10 minutes to prep. Plus, it’s great as leftovers so you can enjoy low-effort meals all week!

There’s so much to love about this Caprese Chicken and Rice casserole! Once you toss it together, just pop it in the oven and enjoy some hands-free cooking time. 

You can also make it ahead (details below) then reheat quickly for easy leftovers. It’s ideal for meal prep, hosting, or sharing with friends or family.

Plus, it’s a great way to celebrate summer flavors just a little bit longer. Inspired by the classic Caprese salad, the tomatoes, basil, fresh mozzarella cheese, and balsamic glaze will have you craving these flavors year-round. 

Craving more cozy, comfort food from a casserole dish? Find this recipe plus many others in my list of Winter Casserole Recipes!

Baked Caprese Chicken and Rice Ingredients

This is one of those easy recipes that combines convenient pantry staples with a few fresh items. These are the simple ingredients you’ll need for this caprese chicken recipe:

• Long-grain white rice
• Low-sodium chicken stock or chicken broth
• Olive oil
• Boneless, skinless chicken thighs
• Herbs de Provence or Italian seasoning (or similar dried herb seasoning blend)
• Salt, black pepper, and a sprinkle of MSG (or, keep it simple and use my All-Purpose MSG Seasoning Blend)
• Fresh tomatoes, such as cherry tomatoes or grape tomatoes
• Fresh mozzarella pearls
• Fresh basil leaves
• Balsamic glaze

My top pick is herbs de Provence, which adds a ton of aroma and flavor. This herb blend uses thyme, basil, rosemary, tarragon, savory, marjoram, oregano, and bay leaf. It’s most often used in French cuisine but can complement the flavors of Mediterranean-style dishes like a Caprese salad (which originated in Italy).

Rice Nutrition

Rice is a favorite around here. And for good reason! It’s a versatile starchy carb that pairs well with just about anything.

U.S.-grown rice is nutrient-rich and contributes more than 15 vitamins and minerals, including folic acid and other B-vitamins, as well as iron and zinc. 

Rice is also naturally gluten-free and the least allergenic of all grains.

Street Smart Nutrition Tip: Cooking with long-grain white rice is my preference for baked casseroles like this because it ends up fluffy and soft. However, other varieties like medium-grain white rice or basmati rice are suitable substitutes. Avoid swapping for brown rice, or specialty varieties like arborio rice, which will have a much different texture and cooking time.

Chicken Nutrition

Chicken is an affordable source of animal protein, making it a popular choice at the grocery store. 

The chicken thighs used in this Baked Caprese Chicken and Rice recipe has slightly more fat than the leaner white meat cuts like chicken breasts. 

But dark meat chicken has higher amounts of certain key nutrients like vitamin B12, zinc, and iron. 

The higher fat content provides more rich flavor and chicken thighs are less likely to dry out during cooking. Dietary fat also provides energy for your body and helps with the absorption of fat-soluble vitamins (vitamins A, D, E, and K).

Read more in this post: Which Cut of Chicken is Best?

How to Bake Rice in the Oven

There are many different ways to cook rice. Every culture and cuisine has their own preferred method. But for this easy dinner recipe, you just need a casserole dish, baking dish, or large cast iron pan.

You’ll also need these kitchen basics:

• Aluminum foil
• Cutting board
• Sharpened knife and serrated knife (for the tomatoes)
• Measuring cups and measuring spoons

Street Smart Nutrition Tip: When handling raw proteins like chicken thighs, it’s a good practice to have a separate cutting board and knife. You’ll avoid cross-contamination (a big food safety risk) and keep your uncooked ingredients separated until the dish is ready to assemble.

The key to delicious baked rice is infusing it with flavor and sealing in moisture as it cooks. Follow these simple steps to prep this Baked Caprese Chicken and Rice recipe:

1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
2. Season the chicken by coating it with half of the olive oil (one tablespoon) the herbs de Provence, salt, MSG, and black pepper. Set aside.
3. Measure the rice and add it to an oven-safe casserole dish or baking pan. Add the cherry tomatoes (slicing larger tomatoes in half if needed), mozzarella pearls, and chopped basil. Add the seasoned chicken thighs on top, then pour the chicken broth into the casserole dish.
4. Cover with aluminum foil and seal tightly. Place on the middle rack of the preheated oven and bake for 40 minutes. After 40 minutes, remove the aluminum foil and drizzle the chicken thighs with the remaining olive oil. Bake, uncovered, for an additional 10 minutes or until the chicken is fully cooked and the rice has absorbed all of the liquid.

Cooking uncovered at the end will help the chicken develop some color without drying it out – or the rice, for that matter!

And remember to use a digital instant-read thermometer or meat thermometer to confirm the chicken is fully cooked. It should reach at least 165 degrees F. 

Caprese Chicken Bake Serving Suggestions

To serve this all-in-one meal, just add a drizzle of balsamic glaze and extra basil as garnish. This one-pan recipe is a great option if you don’t want to mess with prepping extra things.

But if you’re looking for more variety or want to pair something different with your leftovers, try these ideas:

• Easy Caesar Side Salad or 5-Ingredient Kale Caesar Salad
• Steamed or roasted green beans
• Marinated tomatoes, olives, or your favorite appetizers or antipasto munchies

Meal Prep Tips for Caprese Chicken Bake

Yes, I did mention this recipe was great for that! 

As written, this baked chicken capers recipe makes at least four servings. If you’re prepping more, I recommend doubling it and using two separate casserole dishes rather than one extra-large dish. This will help make sure the chicken is fully cooked to a safe internal temperature (165 degrees F) without drastically changing the cooking time.

Here’s another tip for meal prep: reserve a few cherry tomatoes and spare mozzarella pearls for your leftovers. You can add these before or after reheating for some fresher flavors and textures. The same goes for fresh basil if you happen to have extra.

Caprese Chicken Bake Storage Tips

You can store leftovers for up to five days in the refrigerator. You can divide single portions into their own airtight container if needed.

Cooked rice can also be frozen, but since this is a mixed dish with proteins, dairy, and produce, it works better to freeze individual ingredients separately if you plan on storing leftovers for longer than five days.

To reheat leftovers, you can turn your oven to a lower temperature (275-300 degrees F). Just cover the casserole dish again and bake for about 15 minutes or until fully heated through. 

However, I’m usually in more of a hurry than that so I use the microwave. Reheat in 30-40 second increments, stirring occasionally, until heated through (about 1 1/2 to 2 minutes total).

Baked Caprese Chicken and Rice FAQs

Can I use a different type of rice?

Yes, you can also use a medium-grain white rice or basmati rice for this recipe. 

If you switch to brown rice, increase the cooking time by 10 minutes to ensure the cooked rice is tender and soft.

Can I substitute chicken breasts for chicken thighs?

Yes, you can use boneless, skinless chicken breasts in this recipe. 

Season them as called for in the instructions, then place chicken breasts over the uncooked rice. Cover and seal tightly, and for best results do not remove the foil while cooking. This helps ensure you end up with juicy chicken breasts, not dry or chewy ones!

What is the MSG for?

MSG is monosodium glutamate, which is a pure umami flavor. It’s used much like salt in savory recipes to enhance the other flavors.

It’s an optional ingredient, so if you don’t have any or prefer to avoid it, swap for salt and adjust the amount according to your taste preferences or dietary needs for a low-sodium diet. 

What can I use instead of balsamic glaze?

Balsamic glaze is balsamic vinegar that’s been reduced to a thicker consistency with a more concentrated flavor. 

You can drizzle a small amount of balsamic vinegar instead of balsamic glaze. But the recipe with be more tangy and vinegary, so use a very small amount.

Otherwise, you can make your own version of balsamic glaze by simmering balsamic vinegar over low heat until it reduces. Once it cools, you have a homemade version to use instead of store-bought balsamic glaze.

Save this recipe for the next time you’re searching for easy dinner ideas! If you enjoyed this recipe, be sure to give it a rating or leave a comment.

And there’s plenty more where this came from! The USA Rice website has a recipe archive stacked with other amazing rice recipes, including many others I’ve developed as part of this partnership. While you’re there, you can also learn more about rice nutrition, where rice comes from, and how it’s grown.

Cheers to more fearlessly nourishing meals!

Disclosure: This recipe was created in partnership with the USA Rice Federation. I was compensated for my time. It was originally published in September 2021 and has since been updated to improve the overall quality of the information and/or images. Thanks for supporting the partners who support Street Smart Nutrition!