Chicken Pizzaiola

I discovered this Chicken Pizzaiola recipe at cooking school in Positano Italy. I was bowled over by the flavors of this incredibly simple dish: chicken cutlets are topped with fresh tomatoes, herbs and two cheeses and baked. Chicken dinner doesn't get any easier or tastier than this. Ready in 25 minutes.

We all need a little treasure chest of recipes like this, for when we want a scrumptious meal with minimal time in the kitchen. I picked up this chicken pizzaiola recipe on my My Italian cooking vacation. It's a rare gem of a recipe that will allow you to enjoy your day away from the kitchen and still get a delicious dinner on the table in less than thirty minutes.

What is Chicken Pizzaiola?

Pizzaiola is an Italian word meaning "in the style of pizza."  Chicken Pizzaiola is, in essence, 'pizza' constructed atop boneless chicken breast cutlets.

How to make chicken pizzaiola

This is just a recipe overview; you will find the full ingredients and directions in the recipe card towards the bottom of this post.

Chicken breast cutlets should be about ⅓ of an inch thick for this recipe. You can save time by buying thin chicken cutlets at the grocery store. But if you're starting with whole boneless chicken breasts, use a meat mallet or rolling pin to pound them to the desired thinness. Alternatively, use a sharp knife to carefully slice them in half horizontally.

• Set the chicken cutlets on a lightly oiled rimmed baking sheet
• In a small saucepan, heat the gorgonzola cheese with a little water to make it spreadable. 
• Coat each chicken cutlet with a layer of gorgonzola. Add shredded mozzarella, chopped fresh tomatoes, oregano, salt, and a drizzle of olive oil.
• Bake the chicken in a 375ºF oven for ten minutes. Turn the heat up to 'broil' and cook for 3-4 minutes longer, until the chicken is cooked through and the cheese is melty with some browned spots.

Chicken pizzaiola comes out of the oven hot with cheeses melted and flavors melded and utterly irresistible.

What to serve with chicken pizzaiola

Once you put the chicken pizzaiola in the oven, dinner will be ready in 15 minutes. So be sure to have your side dishes prepared in advance because chicken pizzaiola is best served hot and fresh from the oven.

I love serving this dish withy salad or a green vegetable. For a heartier meal, I will add angel hair pasta with butter, parmesan and chopped parsley.
Here are some of my favorite sides to serve with chicken pizzaiola.

• Butter Lettuce Salad with Citrus Honey Vinaigrette
• Italian Insalata tricolore
• Chimichurri Broccoli Salad
• Sautéed Spinach and Garlic

If you try this Chicken Pizzaiola Recipe, I hope you'll come back to leave a comment and a star rating. I'd love to know what you think!

Recipe

Chicken Pizzaiola

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5 Stars 4 Stars 3 Stars 2 Stars 1 Star

5 from 2 reviews

• Author: Lisa
• Total Time: 25 mins
• Yield: 4-6 servings 1x

Print Recipe

Description

Quick and delicious Italian baked chicken with two cheeses, fresh tomatoes and herbs. Dinner in 25 minutes!

Adapted from a Slow Cooking Positano recipe

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Ingredients

Units USM Scale 1x2x3x

• Cooking oil or spray, to coat the baking pan
• 6 4-ounce chicken breast cutlets. Cutlets should be about ⅓-inch thick.
• ¾ cup gorgonzola crumbles (3 ounces)
• ¾ cup shredded mozzarella cheese (3 ounces)
• 5-6 ripe plum tomatoes, cut into ¼-inch dice. (about 2 cups)
• 1 ½ teaspoons dried oregano
• ½ teaspoon salt
• Fresh ground pepper, to taste
• 2 tablespoons olive oil

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Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 375ºF and set a rack in the center  position. Lightly oil a rimmed baking sheet or roasting pan. Arrange the chicken cutlets in the pan, spaced evenly apart.
2. Heat the gorgonzola with 2 teaspoons of water in a small saucepan over medium heat, stirring constantly, until the cheese is melted and creamy. Remove from heat and let it cool for 5 minutes or so. If necessary, whisk a teaspoon or two of water into the gorgonzola mixture. It should be thin enough to spread over the chicken but thick enough that it won't drip off. Divide the melted  cheese among the chicken cutlets, spreading it with the back of the spoon. Sprinkle the mozzarella evenly over the top of each breast, next add the chopped tomatoes, then the oregano and salt. Drizzle the 2 tablespoons of olive oil over the chicken.
3. Bake the chicken for 10 minutes at 375º and then turn the heat up to broil and continue cooking for 4-5 minutes longer, checking every minute, until the cheese is brown and bubbly in spots and the chicken is cooked through. Sprinkle with pepper, to taste. Serve immediately.

• Prep Time: 12 mins
• Cook Time: 13 mins
• Category: Main dish
• Method: Bake
• Cuisine: Italian

This is an update of a recipe I first posted on August 2015. After reviewing this post and recooking this dish, I determined the recipe is excellent as is. The written post has been revised with more helpful details added. I hope you enjoy this authentic Italian recipe!