Strawberry & Goat Cheese Chicken – Cooked chicken breasts are layered with creamy goat cheese, sliced strawberries, and freshly sliced basil and finished with a drizzle of balsamic glaze.
Hurray for strawberry season! It’s the time of year when I pick up a quart of strawberries every time I’m in the grocery store. I just can’t help it! The berries are so plush and bright and juicy-looking. Plus, Lucy is loving strawberries right now so there’s officially one more strawberry lover in the house!
Another thing Lucy loves is my goat cheese crostini with fresh strawberries, basil, and balsamic glaze, a variation on these crostini that I made a few years ago. I made it for a couple friends that were over to visit us and Lucy decided to join in on the snacking. To our surprise, she gorged on many of the crostini. And my guests loved them too!
Making those crostini inspired me to use those same ingredients but for an entree instead of an appetizer. And so I decided to use chicken breasts in place of the baguette and created this incredible dish.
I present to you my Strawberries & Goat Cheese Chicken!
How to cook chicken perfectly
I only mastered the art of cooking chicken a few years ago. Before then, my chicken was either burned on the outside and raw on the inside or dry and bland. I struggled to find the perfect way to cook chicken at home so that it was moist, flavorful, yet simple to cook.
But then I learned a few tricks to ensure the chicken came out perfectly every time when cooking on my stovetop:
- Before cooking, even out the thickness of the chicken by slicing into fillets or pounding with a meat mallet
- Make sure the pan is super hot before adding the chicken breasts, but not above medium heat
- Use a meat thermometer to check the internal temperature of the chicken for doneness
For this recipe, I used a meat mallet to flatten out the chicken. This helped the chicken cooked evenly, while also making the chicken breast a little wider, which made it perfect for holding all the toppings.
Speaking of toppings, let’s talk about them and how they’re added to the cooked chicken!
Assembling the toppings
After the chicken is cooked completely, we add the toppings to complete this incredible dish. Let’s talk about the toppings, shall we??
First comes the goat cheese spread. To make the goat cheese easy to spread onto the chicken, I mix it with a little whipped cream cheese. Then, I use a spoon to dollop on each chicken breast and spread with the back of the spoon. I like this method better than a knife because I don’t need to touch the chicken to spread on the mixture.
Next, I layer on the strawberries. I make sure to slice the strawberries thinly so they can layer on top of the chicken easily and will stay on the chicken during the eating process.
After the strawberries come the basil. I love how basil pairs so perfect with fruit, especially watermelon and strawberries. So it really was a no-brainer for this recipe. I chiffonade the basil to make it look pretty on top of the strawberries. This just means that I slice the basil into ribbons.
Finally, I finish off the chicken with a drizzle of balsamic glaze. I used to make my own balsamic glaze at home but then I discovered you could buy the glaze in a bottle, which is sooo much easier and it tastes exactly the same. Now I always have a bottle on hand to make it much easier to enjoy the glaze any time I want to.
Tips & Tricks
Here are some final tips to make sure you get this recipe exactly right:
- This is not a great recipe for making ahead of time because the ingredients lose their pretty look the longer they’re sitting together. However, you can make the goat cheese spread ahead of time so it’s ready when it’s time to serve. Other than that, it’s best to make the rest of the recipe when serving.
- The goat cheese spreads much easier when it is room temperature
Strawberry & Goat Cheese Chicken
Ingredients
- 4 chicken breasts
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- salt & pepper to taste
- 4 ounces goat cheese softened
- 2 tablespoons whipped cream cheese
- 1 dry quart strawberries
- .25 ounces basil leaves
- 2 tablespoons balsamic glaze
Instructions
- Place chicken breast on cutting board. Flatten with a meat mallet until the entire breast is about 1/2 inch thick. Repeat with other 3 breasts. Season with salt and pepper on both sides.
- Add olive oil to skillet and heat to medium. Once the oil is hot, add chicken breasts and cook until browned, about 5-7 minutes. Flip and cook for another 5-7 minutes to brown the other side. Make sure the chicken breasts are fully cooked by using a meat thermometer. The temp should be 165 degrees or above.
- While the chicken rests. Mix softened goat cheese with whipped cream cheese. Add a little salt and pepper to taste. Set aside. Wash, hull, and thinly slice strawberries. Set aside. Stack basil leaves on top of each other and roll into a log. Starting at the top of the leaf log, thinly slice the log. You should end up with strips of sliced basil.
- Now, we're ready to assemble. Dollop 2 tablespoons of the goat cheese mixture onto a chicken breast. Spread the cheese over the breast with the back of a spoon. Layer strawberries all over the cheese spread. Sprinkle with a few slices of basil and drizzle with a little balsamic glaze. Repeat with the rest of the chicken breasts. Serve immediately.
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At first I thought you used cream cheese. I have never had goat cheese before! I need to try this out.
Easy enough to make during the week, but elegant enough for date nights in. The addition of balsamic dressing atop the finished product adds so much more flavor. Love this!
Oh wow what a flavor combo. I love strawberries and goat cheese but on chicken… that’s something new to me. I will definitely save this recipe and give it a try. Looks amazing too.
Oh my goodness! Can I just say this is the best recipe I have seen all day! Love the flavors, as I adore goat cheese and strawberries together. Thanks for an amazing share!!
I’m all in on strawberry season! This looks like such a great summer dinner!
I always get so excited for strawberry season, and this is such a fun and creative way to use up strawberries! The creamy goat cheese addition is such a nice touch. Thanks for sharing!
One of my *favorite* appetizers of all time is goat cheese and strawberries on crostinis with balsamic drizzle! I never thought to put it chicken! This is the epitome of an instant summer classic!
This chicken recipe looks like a fantastic way to celebrate summer berries! I love the goat cheese and the drizzle of balsamic glaze too!
I really need to get better about flattening my chicken. I KNOW it will cook better, but I’m also always so grossed out at the thought of all the chicken juice germs flying across my kitchen, hahaha. Maybe I should just take it outside and pound it before putting it on the grill!
That’s exactly what my husband does! I’ve also seen people put plastic wrap on top of the chicken before they pound it.
Oh my gosh! The strawberry and goat cheese combo is one of my favorites. I’ve never thought of using strawberries in a savory dish but this is happening ASAP.
I make something very similar to this, without the goat cheese, clearly I missed the best part! I’m going to be adding that the next time I make this recipe
Oh this recipe is EVERYTHING amazing! So delicious and creative! A must try for everyone!
Oh I love goat cheese and balsamic! I bet this is fantastic. And thanks for the tips on how to cook the chicken perfectly.
This looks so so good. My husband will love this dish.
This looks totally divine, and I would have never thought that they would go to gether so beautifully!
This looks really delicious! I have to try it this weekend!
i was actually looking for a new chicken recipe for later this week. i cant wait to give it a try.
This is my new favourite chicken dish! The strawberry and goat cheese work so well together – they complement the chicken so well. Delicious.
strawberries and goat cheese are one of my favorite flavor combos!
The flavors go so well together! This is exactly what I will be serving up at all of my summer parties! Love it!
I know what I will be having for dinner tomorrow! What a great recipe during strawberry season! Looks delish!
Delicious!! We’ll definitely be making this again!!
This looks like the perfect healthy summer dish! I cannot wait to serve it to my family – thank you!
This is so perfect and summery. My family are strawberry lovers too and sure to love this!
Yummy! I love how simple and fresh this is.