Tomato Chicken Burrata
Published January 1, 2023 • Updated March 7, 2026
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I started making this after years of perfecting my chicken parmesan. I love a classic chicken parm, but one night I swapped the jarred sauce for fresh cherry tomatoes and traded shredded mozzarella for a ball of burrata. The difference was instant. The tomatoes burst in the hot skillet and created this concentrated, juicy sauce that clings to the chicken. And the burrata melts into something so creamy and rich that regular mozzarella feels like a downgrade.
The breading is what makes this keto friendly. Instead of traditional breadcrumbs, I use a blend of pork panko (crushed pork rinds) with Italian seasoning and garlic powder. I’ve been using this technique for over a decade now, and it gives you a golden, crunchy crust that holds up just as well as the flour-based version. If you’ve tried my Boursin Chicken or my Creamy Pesto Chicken, you already know how well a crispy coating works on a skillet chicken dinner.
The whole dish comes together in one skillet in about 25-30 minutes. I fry the chicken first, set it aside, then saute the cherry tomatoes with a couple of smashed garlic cloves in the same pan so they pick up all that flavor from the breading. Once the tomatoes start splitting open and releasing their juices, I nestle the chicken back in, tear the burrata into pieces, and cover the pan. Two to four minutes is all it takes for the burrata to go from firm to this gorgeous, oozy melt.
I serve mine over a bed of arugula tossed with a squeeze of lemon and a pinch of salt. The peppery greens cut through the richness of the cheese, and it makes the whole plate feel lighter. If you want something heartier, my Keto Baked Ziti uses a similar Italian flavor profile. My husband has started requesting this on weeknights, which tells me something because he’s not usually a salad-with-dinner person.
How to make chicken burrata
- Season chicken thighs or breasts with salt and pepper.
- Set up three dishes: almond flour in one, beaten eggs in a second, and the pork panko mixture (pork panko, Italian seasoning, garlic powder) in a third. I line them up left to right so I can move through the dredge without doubling back.
- Dust each piece of chicken with almond flour, then dip in the egg wash, and dredge in the pork panko mixture. Press the panko in firmly. I use my non-dominant hand for the dry bowls and my dominant hand for the egg to avoid clumping.
- Fry the breaded chicken in hot avocado oil over medium-high heat. I test the oil by dropping a pinch of panko in first. If it sizzles immediately, the oil is ready.
- Flip after 3-4 minutes or when the bottom crust is golden brown, then fry another 3-4 minutes on the second side.
- Transfer the chicken to a paper towel-lined plate.
- Saute cherry tomatoes in the same skillet until they burst and release their juices.
- Lower the heat and add the chicken back to the skillet.
- Add burrata (torn into pieces) throughout the skillet between the chicken pieces, cover, and cook for 2-4 minutes until the cheese starts to melt and ooze out. I pull it right when the edges go soft but the center still has some structure.
- Serve over arugula tossed with lemon juice and salt, then finish with a few torn basil leaves.
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Ingredients
2 pounds boneless skinless chicken thighs or breasts -
salt & pepper for seasoning
-
½ cup almond flour
-
3 eggs, beaten
-
2 cups pork panko
-
2 teaspoon Italian seasoning
-
1 teaspoon garlic powder
-
Avocado oil, for frying
-
1 cup cherry tomatoes
-
8 oz burrata cheese
Step by Step Instructions
Step by Step Instructions
Season the chicken
Season chicken with salt and pepper.
- 2 pounds chicken breasts or thighs
- salt & pepper
Prepare dipping bowls
Grab three bowls or shallow plates. Place almond flour in one bowl, beaten eggs in the second bowl. In the third bowl, combine pork panko with Italian seasoning and garlic powder.
- ½ cup almond flour
- 3 eggs, beaten
- 2 cups pork panko
- 2 teaspoon Italian seasoning
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
Dust, dip & dredge
Dust a piece of chicken with almond flour, then dip in the egg wash. Finally dredge in pork panko mixture to evenly coat the outside. Repeat with remaining chicken.
Fry chicken
Heat enough avocado oil in a large skillet to cover the bottom of the skillet. Heat over medium high heat. Once oil is hot enough, place the breaded chicken into the pan leaving space around each piece.
- Avocado oil
Chicken flip
Flip after 3-4 minutes or until the bottom crust is golden brown. Repeat on the second side. Repeat with remaining chicken.
Burst the tomatoes
Transfer chicken to a paper towel lined plate. Add cherry tomatoes to the skillet and sauté for a few minutes on high until they start to burst slightly. Season with salt & pepper.
- 1 cup cherry tomatoes
Melted burrata
Lower the heat to medium low and place the chicken back in the skillet. Add burrata throughout the skillet in between the chicken and cover. Let cook for 2-4 minutes or until the burrata starts to melt and ooze out. Remove from the heat.
- 8 oz burrata
Nutrition disclaimer
The nutrition information provided is an estimate and is for informational purposes only. I am a Doctor of Pharmacy (Pharm.D.); however, this content is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always consult your physician or other qualified health provider before making any lifestyle changes or beginning a new nutrition program.
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Get My Macros + Recipes →Frequently Asked Questions
Is burrata cheese keto-friendly?
Yes. I checked the label on every brand I've bought and burrata runs 0-1g net carbs per ounce. The creamy center is mostly fresh cream and cheese curds, which are naturally very low in carbs. An 8 oz ball (what I use for this recipe) adds roughly 4-6g net carbs to the entire dish split across servings. I use burrata regularly in my keto cooking and it's never been an issue for staying in ketosis.
Can I use mozzarella instead of burrata?
I've made this with fresh mozzarella when I couldn't find burrata at my grocery store, and it still tastes great. The difference is that mozzarella melts into stretchy strings, while burrata oozes into a creamy sauce that coats everything. If you use mozzarella, slice it thin so it melts faster. I've also used cream cheese in a pinch, which gives you the richness but not the same texture.
Can I use ricotta instead of burrata?
I've tried dolloping ricotta into the skillet and it works differently. Ricotta doesn't melt the same way; it softens and warms through but stays in distinct spoonfuls rather than oozing across the pan. The flavor is milder too. My workaround is mixing ricotta with a tablespoon of cream to thin it out, then spooning it over the chicken and covering. It gets closer to that saucy quality, but it's not the same experience as real burrata.
Where do I buy burrata cheese?
I find burrata in the specialty cheese section at most grocery stores, near the fresh mozzarella. Trader Joe's carries a good one for about $5. Whole Foods always has it. My regular grocery store (Kroger) started stocking it about two years ago. Look for it packed in liquid in a small plastic tub. I always check the date because burrata has a short shelf life. If your store doesn't carry it, the deli counter can sometimes order it.
Should burrata be room temperature or cold when I add it?
I always pull my burrata out of the fridge about 20 minutes before I start cooking. Room temperature burrata melts more evenly and faster in the skillet. When I've added it straight from the fridge, the outside melts but the center stays cold and firm. That 20-minute rest makes a real difference.
Can I make this with chicken thighs instead of breasts?
I actually prefer thighs for this recipe. They stay juicier and more forgiving if you cook them a minute too long. The only adjustment is that thighs are usually thicker, so I pound them to about half-inch thickness before breading. This keeps the cooking time at 3-4 minutes per side. Either cut works.
Can I make this without breading?
I've made a no-breading version when I was doing a stricter carnivore week. I seasoned the chicken with salt, pepper, garlic powder, and Italian seasoning, then pan-seared it in avocado oil until golden. The tomato and burrata part stays exactly the same. You lose the crunch factor, which is a big part of what makes this dish special, but the flavors still work. I sometimes add a sprinkle of parmesan on top for texture when I skip the pork panko.
Can I freeze leftover breaded chicken?
I've frozen just the breaded chicken (without the burrata and tomatoes) and it reheats well in the air fryer straight from frozen at 375 for 8-10 minutes. I don't recommend freezing the burrata portion because the texture changes completely once it thaws. My approach is to freeze the chicken separately and make fresh tomatoes and burrata when I reheat.
Made a double batch on Sunday expecting the pork panko crust to go soggy by Tuesday. It didn't. I've been reheating the chicken in a dry skillet for about 3 minutes and it comes all the way back. The burrata I add fresh each time since it breaks down in storage, but that's a 30-second step so not really a complaint. Doing this every Sunday now when I need something that actually feels like dinner midweek.
I've tried four different keto chicken parmesan variations and the pork panko crust is what sets this one apart. Other versions go soggy or taste like you're just eating almond flour, but this one actually crunches the way it should. The burst cherry tomatoes with the burrata on top took it somewhere completely different, nothing like a standard parm situation. This is the one I'm keeping.
Pork panko doesn't get that wet-sand texture almond flour does. Once the tomatoes burst, the whole thing shifts. Not really parm anymore.
Made this six times and always reach for chicken thighs. The pork panko crust stays crunchy even after the burrata melts into it.
Pork panko doesn't absorb moisture the way regular breadcrumbs do. Thighs stay juicier under the lid too. I actually prefer them for this one.
Made a double batch Sunday and the pork panko crust actually survives reheating in the air fryer at 375 for a few minutes. Usually fried chicken goes sad and soggy by day two but this one came back crispy. Four lunches sorted, going to triple batch it next time.
That pork panko does hold. I keep the chicken separate from the burrata when prepping ahead. Burrata doesn't reheat well but the chicken is good for days.
I roasted the cherry tomatoes in the oven at 400 for about 20 minutes before adding them to the skillet, and the difference is freaking significant. They concentrate down into these little jammy pockets that pool underneath the burrata and the whole thing becomes something else entirely. Also worth knowing: pat the chicken completely dry before you hit it with the almond flour. I skipped that step the first time and the coating slipped around during frying. Second time, bone dry chicken, and the pork panko crust came out even and golden all the way across. If you're making this in winter when cherry tomatoes can be pretty lackluster, the roasting step covers you.
Roasting them concentrates all that tomato juice into those little jammy pools underneath. Dry chicken before almond flour is huge. Trying this next time.
Added a few sun-dried tomatoes with the cherry tomatoes and they basically melted into this intense little pan sauce that clung to the pork panko crust, SO good, I genuinely can't make it the original way now. One thing: sun-dried ones burst way faster so lower the heat a little or they go bitter.
Haven't tried sun-dried in this one but that sauce sounds like it'd coat the crust completely differently than the burst cherry tomatoes alone. Yeah, they go bitter fast once concentrated. Pulling the heat back early makes sense.
This was so easy to make and absolutely delicious!