One-Skillet Caprese Chicken {Paleo, Whole30}

This paleo and Whole30 caprese chicken is made all in one skillet and has tons of flavor!  Crispy chicken thighs are baked with a sweet balsamic glaze and cherry tomatoes and topped with the best dairy free cheese and lots of basil.

Once I started making cashew cheese and realized that WOW – it actually tastes like cheese – I started thinking about ALL the recipe options.

From pizza, to casseroles, to dips and stuffed peppers, cashew cheese opens up so many dairy-free possibilities.  And now this one-skillet caprese chicken!

The combination of the balsamic glaze, tomatoes, crispy chicken thighs, basil and cashew cheese is absolutely delicious.  My family (who actually eats real cheese) loved this meal and went back for seconds.

What You Need to Make One-Skillet Caprese Chicken

If you’ve made cashew cheese before, you’ll see the ingredients are familiar.  Simple, fresh, and of course tons of flavor.  Here’s what you’ll need to prepare the recipe:

Chicken:

• 6 skin-on , bone-in chicken thighs
• Italian seasoning or Balanced Bites Super Garlic Pizza Seasoning 
• Sea salt and black pepper
• olive or avocado oil 
• fresh garlic 
• balsamic vinegar
• coconut sugar, optional (omit for Whole30}
• cherry or grape tomatoes
• Cheese sauce (see below)
• fresh basil leaves

Cheese:

• cashews
• garlic powder
• nutritional yeast
• sea salt
• Tbsp lemon juice
• warm water or almond milk

How to Make Paleo Caprese Chicken

Prepare the cheese sauce first.  Place all the ingredients in a high speed blender and blend until smooth and creamy, scraping the sides as needed.  Set aside until ready to use.

Preheat your oven to 425° F.  Season the chicken thighs with the Italian seasoning or Super Garlic Pizza blend, salt and pepper.

Heat the oil in a large oven-proof pan or skillet over medium-high heat. Sear the chicken on both sides until golden brown, about 4 minutes each side. Transfer chicken to a plate; drain most of the excess oil, leaving about a tablespoon worth.

Return the skillet back to the stove, cook garlic until fragrant (about 45 seconds). Add the vinegar and sugar, if using, stirring to combine while heating through. Bring to a simmer, while stirring occasionally, until glaze has thickened (about 5-6 minutes), then remove from heat.

Return the chicken to the pan, turning in the glaze to evenly coat. Add 1 1/2 cup of the tomatoes, whole, around the chicken and place the chicken into the oven. Bake until the chicken is completely cooked through (about 25 minutes) then spoon abut 2 Tbsp of cashew cheese over each piece of chicken and return to the oven for 5 minutes. 

Slice the remaining 1 cup tomatoes in half and place them on top of the cheese.  Drizzle some of the balsamic glaze from the pan and garnish with basil to serve.

How to Make Cashew Based Cheese

Cashew cheese has been the answer to all my dairy free dreams!  I use my NutriBullet typically for cashew cheese sauce and it’s fast and easy.  You can use any blender – just make sure you soak the cashews first to soften them for a silky sauce.

Blend on high speed until smooth and creamy, stopping to scrape down the sides as needed.  Depending on your blender, this make take a couple of minutes to get a nice creamy sauce.

Once blended, you can taste and season as desired.  If you have leftover cheese, you can save it for up to 5 days in the refrigerator, or freeze to keep longer.

I hope you’re ready for a delicious one-skillet caprese chicken with so many fresh flavors and no dairy, refined sugar, or gluten.  You’ll love it, I’m sure – grab everything you need and let’s go!

One-Skillet Caprese Chicken {Paleo, Whole30}

One Skillet Caprese Chicken {Paleo, Whole30}

One Skillet Caprese Chicken {Paleo, Whole30}

Author: Michele Rosen

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Cook Time: 35 minutes

Servings: 6 servings

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4.77 from 17 votes

Ingredients

Chicken:

• 6 skin-on, bone-in chicken thighs
• 2 tsp Italian seasoning or Balanced Bites Super Garlic Pizza Seasoning
• Sea salt and black pepper to taste
• 1 tbsp olive or avocado oil
• 4 cloves garlic minced
• 1/2 cup balsamic vinegar
• 1 tbsp coconut sugar optional (omit for Whole30}
• 2 1/2 cups cherry or grape tomatoes divided
• Cheese sauce see below
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh basil leaves

Cheese:

• 1 cup cashews soaked in hot water for 2 hours, then drained
• 3/4 tsp garlic powder
• 2 Tbsp nutritional yeast
• 3/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 1/2 Tbsp lemon juice
• 1/2 cup warm water or almond milk

Instructions

1. Prepare the cheese sauce first. Place all the ingredients in a high speed blender and blend until smooth and creamy, scraping the sides as needed. Set aside until ready to use.
2. Preheat your oven to 425° F. Season the chicken thighs with the Italian seasoning or Super Garlic Pizza , salt and pepper.
3. Heat the oil in a large oven-proof pan or skillet over medium-high heat. Sear the chicken on both sides until golden brown, about 4 minutes each side. Transfer chicken to a plate; drain most of the excess oil, leaving about a teaspoon worth.
4. Return the skillet back to the stove, cook garlic until fragrant (about 45 seconds). Add the vinegar and sugar, if using, stirring to combine while heating through. Bring to a simmer, while stirring occasionally, until glaze has thickened (about 5-6 minutes).
5. Return the chicken to the pan, turning in the glaze to evenly coat. Add 1 1/2 cup of the tomatoes, whole, around the chicken and place the chicken into the oven. Bake until the chicken is completely cooked through (about 25 minutes) then spoon abut 2 Tbsp of cashew cheese over each piece of chicken and return to the oven for 5 minutes.
6. Slice the remaining 1 cup tomatoes in half; place them on top of the cheese; pour over some of the balsamic sauce from the pan and garnish with basil. Serve immediately.

Recipe Notes

*You can use breasts or boneless thighs for this recipe if you prefer, but the baking time will be shorter.  Chicken is done when the internal temperature reaches 165° F.

Nutrition

Calories: 346kcal

Carbohydrates: 22g

Protein: 27g

Fat: 17g

Saturated Fat: 3g

Cholesterol: 107mg

Sodium: 419mg

Potassium: 631mg

Fiber: 2g

Sugar: 12g

Vitamin A: 395IU

Vitamin C: 16mg

Calcium: 52mg

Iron: 3mg

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