This super easy quick meal is perfect for any weeknight meal and everyone always loves the flavors!
Just a few ingredients and you will make a perfect dinner that everyone will rave about and if you want to use chicken we have you covered either way.
Using steak or chicken cutlets our Caprese is sure to please the pickiest eaters with these fresh flavors!
The best part is you can use just about any boneless meat including pork, chicken, veal, and even venison.
Prep can all be done even the night before, cook the meat, top with mozzarella and tomatoes, and pop it in the oven when you get home then garnish with fresh basil.
This meal is perfect on a hot summer's day since it's a light meal!
These come out great with a drizzle of olive oil and baked, fried, or even in an air fryer!
Serving this is so pretty it's perfect for entertaining and hosting a dinner party!
If you love Caprese salad check out my simple bruschetta, my panzanella salad is awesome, tortellini salad recipe or my holiday insalata caprese salad.
Scroll down to the printable recipe card.
Fried or Baked?
When I was growing up mom always seemed to fry everything.
I got away from it as I got older and wanted to bake everything.
Today I treated myself and went for frying.
Yes, I know it's not the healthiest way to eat anything but I always go back to thinking how mom and dad lived well into their 80s and that's how we cooked.
Mom's Best Recipe for Cutlets
Today I made mom's famous easy cutlet recipe.
I used canola oil and I made it Caprese style and air-fried them easily, they came out great!
I know she would have loved what I did to this delicious fried steak if she was still here with us.
Bake, air fry or pan-fry it's your choice and all the directions are in the recipe card below!
Tips and Suggestions
- buy frozen breaded meats or seafood
- air fry or bake them to save calories
- use a bottled dressing that you like or try some of our favorites for a change like my Blue Cheese Dressing, Ranch or Greek Homemade Dressing.
- for fewer calories use unbreaded meats and seafood
- omit dipping in egg and shake in seasoned flour then bake with cooking oil spray at 400 degrees
- substitute cheese with cucumbers
- melt the mozzarella on top or leave it cold either way it's delicious
- prep the night before and pop the baking dish in the oven to reheat just until cheese melts
- drizzle Italian dressing or balsamic over the top when serving
- dress the cooked meats with any vegetables you prefer or topped with shredded lettuce and bacon
Fresh Tomatoes and Fresh Herbs Make this Dish
I love using plum tomatoes and then the mozzarella with a touch of olive oil and vinegar.
I used lemon juice today to make the photo look prettier.
I prefer to eat this with aged balsamic vinegar.
It makes everything taste better, mine was 18 years aged and very sweet.
The smell still lingers in the house after you fry the meat and makes my mouth water even after I ate!
Substitutions
try some alternatives to steak
- chicken breast boneless
- fish, cod, haddock, or another white firm firm
- cube steaks
- venison steaks
- turkey cutlets
- boneless pork tenderloin
- veal
- lamb
- for a healthy alternative to meat or vegetarian ( baked eggplant or cauliflower steaks can be used baked or air fried)
Cutting Carbs and Tips
Substitutions for Bread Crumbs:
- Oat flour
- Pork rinds
- Almond meal
- Coconut flour
Just season with the same ingredients listed in the recipe card.
My first preference in these substitutions is coconut flour, also you can use just egg whites instead of a whole egg.
You also can use the flour seasoning coating and no breadcrumbs or substitute gluten-free flour for breadcrumbs
Enjoy These Recipes We Love
Mississippi London Broil Pot Roast
Pressure Cooker Beer Stew
Steak Cutlet Caprese Pin for later
Easy Caprese Meals
Steak Caprese is an easy meal that can be adapted from meat to vegetarian with no problem.
This all-in-one meal is salad and meat all in one beautifully presented plate and so delicious.
The meat or vegetables can be baked, air fried, pan-fried and the topping can even be changed to a different vegetable or cheese.
All you need is to put on a creative thinking cap on the foods your family loves and make your own style of topped meat.
If you're a big salad lover also try some arugula, blue cheese crumbles, and tomato it's my all-time favorite, and sometimes even candied pecans!
You can also cook them first and freeze them and the combinations of toppings can be endless.
I hope that gave you some great suggestions for meal planning!
Steak Caprese
Yield: 6
Prep time: 10 MinCook time: 35 MinTotal time: 45 Min
This is a light meal using boneless meats and topped with a slice of tomato, mozzarella melted, or cold with added basil on top.
Ingredients
- 4 to 5 thin slices of beef, boneless chicken breast, veal, or lean pork ( I used rump roast sliced for my cutlets) you can also use boneless venison, turkey, or even cube steaks
- Pound them with a mallet meat tenderizer covering the cutlets with wax paper
- 2 cups Italian bread crumbs seasoned with 1 teaspoon each: salt, pepper, paprika, granulated garlic powder
- 1 egg beaten with 1/4 cup water
- Garnish:
- freshly thin-sliced plum tomatoes
- thick-sliced mozzarella cheese (whole milk)
- fresh basil leaves
- good grade olive oil, balsamic vinegar to drizzle over the tops you can also use any vinegar dressing you prefer
- olive oil blended with canola or vegetable oil for frying
- Note: egg can be limited using dampened boneless meats dipped in seasoned flour (I just add seasoning salt and garlic powder) or gluten-free flour, almond flour, and coconut flour all can be substituted for using breadcrumbs and egg
Instructions
- Slice tomatoes, have the mozzarella slices and basil ready and set aside for the garnish.
- Set up a breading station (unless you decide to just use flour and seasoning salt then add that to a pie plate or ziplock bag to shake the meat in).
- Beat the eggs and water in a pie plate set aside.
- Place the breadcrumbs and seasoning in another one set aside.
- Pound whatever meat you're using on a cutting board to make them around 1/4 inch thick
- Heat the oil in a pan or refer to notes on Air Fry methods and baking.
- Dip the meat in egg then breadcrumbs, and repeat for a thicker coating if desired.
- Use the same method if using flour except omit the egg, shake in flour and fry.
- Fry on both sides in hot oil until golden brown. Chicken internal temperature should read 165 degrees and other meats 145 degrees using a meat thermometer.
- Drain on paper towels.
Notes
Tips and Suggestions
- buy frozen breaded meats or seafood
- air fry or bake them to save calories
- use a bottled dressing that you like or try some of our favorites for a change like my Blue Cheese Dressing, Ranch or Greek Homemade Dressing.
- for fewer calories use unbreaded meats and seafood
- omit dipping in egg and shake in seasoned flour then bake with cooking oil spray at 400 degrees
- substitute cheese with cucumbers
- melt the mozzarella on top or leave it cold either way it's delicious
- prep the night before and pop the baking dish in the oven to reheat just until cheese melts
- drizzle Italian dressing or balsamic over the top when serving
- dress the cooked meats with any vegetables you prefer or topped with shredded lettuce and bacon
Substitutions
try some alternatives to steak
- chicken breast boneless
- fish, cod, haddock, or another white firm firm
- cube steaks
- venison steaks
- turkey cutlets
- boneless pork tenderloin
- veal
- lamb
- for a healthy alternative to meat or vegetarian ( baked eggplant or cauliflower steaks can be used baked or air fried)
- Cooking Methods:
- Air Fryer Method: Preheat the fryer to 400 degrees for 5 minutes Spray the basket. Air fry until golden brown around 15 minutes turning once.
- Baking Method:
- Place steaks on a parchment paper-lined baking sheet. drizzle with olive oil then using a cooking oil spray the tops of each piece of meat slightly.
- Bake at 400 degrees and flip once until browned around 20 minutes.
- Slice the tomatoes and mozzarella.
- Add the tomatoes and mozzarella to the top of the meat after it's cooked but still warm.
- Garnish with fresh basil.
- Drizzle with olive oil and balsamic vinegar if desired.
- I also like some oregano on mine.
Steak Cutlet Caprese Pin for later
Try Some Of My Other Favorites
Bourbon Pork Chops
Best Grilling Recipes
Guinness Marinade for Steak
