Hasselback Chicken Caprese (Air Fryer)

Tempo

30 min

Picante

Dificuldade

Fácil

Rende

2porções

Ingredientes

Tray base

250g cherry tomatoes (tomate cereja)

2 tbsp

balsamic vinegar

1 tbsp

olive oil

Salt and pepper

Handful of fresh basil leaves (manjericão)

Chicken

chicken breasts (filé de peito de frango), about 200g each

1 tsp

paprika doce OR Cajun seasoning

Salt, pepper

small tomatoes, sliced thin then halved

100g mozzarella cheese, sliced thin (mozzarella de búfala or regular)

Fresh basil leaves

Modo de preparo

01**Preheat AFO** to **180°C convection mode** (3 min).
02**Prepare the tray base.** In a baking dish that fits the AFO, combine cherry tomatoes + balsamic + olive oil + salt + pepper + basil leaves. Toss to coat. Spread in a single layer.
03**Hasselback the chicken.** Place a chicken breast on a board. Using a sharp knife, make slits **about 1cm apart** going across the breast, **cutting almost through but not quite** (chopstick-or-spoon-handle trick if you're nervous: place two chopsticks parallel to either side of the breast as cutting guards). Each slit should be about 5mm deep, leaving the bottom intact so the breast holds together.
04**Season.** Rub the breasts with paprika or Cajun seasoning, salt, and pepper, getting some into the slits.
05**Stuff.** Into each slit, push: a half-slice of tomato + a thin slice of mozzarella + a basil leaf (folded if too big). Fill every slit. The chicken will look like a hedgehog with cheese sticking out.
06**Place chicken on top of cherry tomatoes.** Nestle each stuffed chicken breast on top of the tomato base.
07**Cook.** 180°C convection, **20 minutes**. Cheese will melt, chicken should be at 74°C internal, cherry tomatoes burst.
08**Plate.** Serve a chicken breast per plate (or slice for sharing) with spoonfuls of the tomato-balsamic juice from the tray.

Hasselback Chicken Caprese

Hasselback chicken breast — slits cut almost-but-not-quite through, stuffed with sliced tomato + mozzarella + basil, sat on a tray of cherry tomatoes with balsamic and olive oil. The cheese melts into the slits, the tomatoes burst, and dinner is on the table in 30 minutes.

Heat: 0/5. No chile, just savory caprese flavors.

Serving

A green salad with sharp lemon-olive-oil dressing. Crusty bread to mop the tomato juice. Cold rosé or a soft red.

Notes

The hasselback technique. Don't slice all the way through — the breast must hold together. Practice on the first one.
Mozzarella choice. Fresh mozzarella di bufala has the best texture but releases more water. Low-moisture mozzarella (the rectangular block at supermercado) gives a more contained melt. Either works.
Cajun vs paprika. Cajun is more aggressive (cayenne, garlic, onion, oregano, thyme, peppers); paprika doce is straightforward sweet. Both are good — pick your mood.
Variation — for more for the family: scale to 4-6 breasts and use a larger tray; cook same time, add 5 min if crowded.
Conventional oven: 180°C, 30-35 minutes.
Why not freezer-friendly: stuffed cheese doesn't refreeze well; do this fresh.