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Crispy Lemon Feta with Spiced Chickpeas and Basil Orzo.
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This simple one Skillet Cheesy Pepperoni Pizza Chicken is the perfect dinner to livin’ up any night of the week. Mozzarella stuffed and parmesan breaded chicken, seared until crispy and golden. Finish the chicken in a simple tomato Alla vodka style sauce with fresh burst cherry tomatoes, basil, and pepperoni. This dish has all the flavors of a classic pepperoni pizza, but in a skillet with cheese stuffed chicken. Simple, yet mouthwatering. Just be sure to top with plenty of fresh basil and serve with crusty bread for scooping up all of that delicious sauce.
There are times when I’m working in the kitchen and the days do not go as planned. It might be that I don’t have a recipe concept I’m excited to create. Or that something I was working on just didn’t turn out. Sometimes those days end with no new recipes created, but other times they end with a recipe I wasn’t even planning to create. Enter this cheesy, skillet chicken with all the basics of a cheesy pepperoni pizza. Well, there is no crust, so maybe I shouldn’t have called this pizza, but hear me out…
The crispy Panko breaded chicken makes up for the loss of carbs in a very delicious way. Don’t get me wrong, I love a good pizza, but it’s fun to switch things up. So pizza chicken it is. Just go with it, promise this is a delicious skillet chicken dinner no matter what you’d like to call it.
I made this at the end of the day, just as the sun was setting…and my day in the kitchen should have been ending. To be honest, I made this more because I needed something to serve for dinner and not because I ever planned to share the recipe. That all changed once I started cooking and creating and just doing what I love to do in the kitchen. It smelled so good as everything was cooking. Then I knew I’d be recreating this to share with you guys too.
I love it when recipes come together like that. It’s how I first began cooking, and how my love of cooking really grew…just having fun and being creative. That’s the long version on how this recipe was created…that you probably didn’t need, but I told you anyway.
Let’s move onto the details already.
Start with the chicken. We’re going to stuff it with mozzarella cheese and basil. This means the chicken breasts need to be halved horizontally, then add some mozzarella, a basil leaf and close the chicken like a book. It’s a little weird, but use the photos as a guide. Promise it’s not difficult.
Next, coat the chicken in a mix of yogurt, then Panko and parmesan.
And now you have parmesan breaded and mozzarella stuffed chicken. Pan sear the chicken until the crust gets crispy and golden on both sides, then remove it from the skillet. Add in some garlic, some herbs, and tomato paste.
Vodka. Yes. Vodka in your sauce…it’s the secret.
Let me explain. First, if you don’t drink, I totally understand. In this case, just swap the vodka for water. That will be totally fine and your sauce will still be great.
If you do drink, or you’re ok with using alcohol for cooking, you must add the vodka to your sauce. It’s a game-changer. The vodka adds a sharp bite that helps to balance out the sweetness of the tomatoes. When used in small amounts, the vodka will boost and intensify the aroma of the sauce. It’s not a must, must, but if you have vodka in your pantry, I would use it.
Once you add the vodka, toss in the cherry tomatoes and simmer away until the tomatoes burst. Then add the chicken back into the sauce, sprinkle on lots of mozzarella cheese, and add the pepperoni. Transfer the entire skillet to the oven and bake until the cheese melts and those pepperoni slices are crisp.
Finish with a handful of fresh cherry tomatoes and all the basil you can find.
SIMPLE, yet so delicious.
Everyone here right now loved this recipe, but then I wasn’t too shocked. I mean there’s nothing not to love about cheese-stuffed crispy chicken sitting in a simple tomato basil sauce. Classic flavors that never get old.
To serve, just add crusty bread and a simple spring salad. Great any night of the week dinner. This dish would be perfect for a dinner with friends…you know, once those are a thing again (hopefully soon!).
Also, if you’re looking for other sides to serve with this chicken, mashed cauliflower would be an equally great option.
Looking for more pizza recipes? Here are some favorites.
Artichoke Pesto and Burrata Pizza with Lemony Arugula
Or how about more skillet recipes? Enjoy!
One Skillet Cheesy Cuban Chicken Rice Bake
One Skillet Greek Meatballs and Lemon Butter Orzo
Lastly, if you make this skillet cheesy pepperoni pizza chicken, be sure to leave a comment and/or give this recipe a rating! Above all, I love to hear from you guys and always do my best to respond to each and every comment. And of course, if you do make this recipe, don’t forget to tag me on Instagram! Looking through the photos of recipes you all have made is my favorite!
Nutritional information is only an estimate. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.
We made this tonight and my family scarfed the whole pan!! Will def make again. Thank you!!
That is so amazing! Thank you Jillian! xTieghan
This dish was so delicious that my family asked me to make it again the very next night, which I did. We love it. I did increase it by 50 percent to feed all of us (easy to adjust) and I baked it for longer as the chicken breasts I had were very large. It’s nice to have a recipe that is so forgiving in terms of adjustments. This is a keeper for us!
Thank you so much Leslie! That is amazing to hear! I hope you continue to enjoy my recipes! xTieghan
Hi – I’m excited to try this recipe for Sunday dinner. Unfortunately, Whole Foods is out of basil, is there another herb I can use for this recipe?
Hi Dominique,
Parsley would be great! I hope you love the recipe, please let me know if you have any other questions! xTieghan
I might have missed something but greek yogurt was not a good binding agent… I did as directed and when I went to go flip the chicken over half of the panko mixture came off… What am I missing here?
Hi Sam,
So sorry you had issues here. It is important to let the yogurt drip off of the chicken and bit and then your really need to press the panko onto the chicken. I hope this helps. xTieghan
So delicious! I just wish I had used sliced mozzarella. And maybe added some extra veggies! I might add some sautéed mushrooms next time.
Also, my breasts were pretty thick, so they did take longer than 10 min to finish baking.
Thank you so much Emily! That is really great! xTieghan
Delicious! Definitely could have used 1/3 of the Panko mix but the flavor is superb!
Thank you so much Shelby! That is so great to hear! xTieghan
What kind of pepperoni is that? Can you tell us what brand you used?
Hi!
I like to get my pepperoni from Whole Foods! I hope you love the recipe, please let me know if you have any other questions! xTieghan
What makes you call it a pizza? ??
This recipe is wrong on so many levels… disappointing , love from Italy
Hi Marco! I am calling it “pizza chicken”. Almost like pizza on chicken instead of pizza crust. Thanks! xTieghan
Looks awesome!! What size skillet do you use for this? 10” or 12”?
Hi Serena! I use an 11in skillet, but either should work great for you! I hope you love this recipe! Please let me know if you have any other questions! xTieghan
This looks epic. Going to try it this weekend instead of getting take away pizza!
Love that! I hope this turns out well for you Ashley!! (Hopefully better than take out!) xTieghan
looks so good!!
Thank you so much Ruth! xTieghan
Looks so GOOD! I’m developing this problem where I can’t ever decide what to make for dinner because my “recipe wishlist” is getting too long from browsing your site. Ha!
And first sentence of the post should read “liven” up, is what I believe you meant.
Thank you for the recipe!!
Haha well that is a good thing! I hope you love all of the recipes you try! Thank you so much Angela! xTieghan
Can’t wait to make this! The recipe says 2 chicken breasts but serves 4 people, is that correct?
Hi Alyse,
Yes, you are using 2 large chicken breasts, butterflying them, and stuffing them so it is perfect for 4 people! I hope you love the recipe, please let me know if you have any other questions! xTieghan
Dry Mozzarella??? I’m thinking mozzarella in a ball, not fresh? Probably what you would use for shredding. Looks mazing! Can’t wait to try this! Made your Tator Tot Casserole this week, it was awesome.
Hi Lisa,
Yes, exactly that! I hope you love the recipe, please let me know if you have any other questions! xTieghan
Awesome. Looking forward to making soon.
Thank you so much Joyce! xTieghan