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
Serve
Serve over arugula tossed with lemon juice and salt or over noodles coated with olive oil.
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.
One thing I figured out on my second batch: pat the chicken completely dry before the almond flour step. The pork panko crust sticks way better and gets more evenly golden. First time around I had a couple spots where it slid off in the pan. Small adjustment but it made a real difference.
I don't usually fry chicken at home but the pork panko crust came out more evenly golden than I expected. One question: do you think it works just as well with breasts, or does the extra fat in the thighs help the coating stay crisp?
Made this for Sunday dinner and my son pointed at the burrata and asked if that was 'the special cheese' because it tasted different from normal. He never comments on food, so that stopped me. The pork panko crust came out golden and actually crispy, which surprised me because it was my first time frying chicken at home and I was a little nervous about it. The burst cherry tomatoes pooled under everything and made the whole plate look like I knew what I was doing. Already planning to make it again when we have people over.
My mom made chicken parm every Sunday. Stopped letting myself think about it when I went keto three years ago. The pork panko crust on this is close enough that it just hit me out of nowhere. Different dish, same comfort.
Made this six times now and finally tried it with breasts instead of thighs (store was out) and the pork panko crust came out freaking identical, I need everyone to know this works.
Making this Friday for a dinner party. Can I bread the chicken earlier in the day and refrigerate it, or does the panko crust need to go straight from dredge to pan?
Yeah, a few hours ahead is fine. Wire rack in the fridge, uncovered. Pork panko holds up way better than regular breadcrumbs when it sits.
Couldn't find burrata so I used fresh mozzarella, just ripped it over the chicken while it was still hot. It melted into little pools around the tomatoes. Doing it this way from now on.
The ripping is key - those jagged edges catch the tomato juices and that's what makes the pools. I've done the same swap when my store's out of burrata.
Made this last night and the pork panko crust came out SO crispy and golden but when I went to flip the chicken about half of it stayed on the pan. I used just enough avocado oil to cover the bottom of the skillet like you say, so I'm wondering if maybe I needed a deeper layer, or if I pulled it too early even though the 3-4 minute mark looked right. Is there a visual cue I should be watching for before flipping, like the crust releasing on its own?
Pork panko needs to fully set before it'll release, so give it another minute past where it looks done. When it's ready it just lifts. If you have to push or pry, wait.
My mom made chicken parm every Sunday growing up and when I went keto I kind of just filed that away as something I'd never have again. The pork panko gets this exact same crunch, that deep golden crust that hits when you break through it. I made this on a Sunday night without really thinking about it and halfway through dinner it clicked why I kept coming back for more bites. Still thinking about it.
Sunday chicken parm is hard to file away. The burrata oozing over that crust is my version of the sauce pooling at the bottom of the pan.
Was not convinced pork panko could match a proper bread crumb crust, but this beats every chicken parm I've made in the last two years.
The fat is what does it. Regular breadcrumbs just coat the outside, pork panko actually fries into the surface. Different crust entirely.
I genuinely thought crispy-coated chicken was gone for me on keto, and the pork panko crust on this proved me completely wrong in the best possible way. The burrata melting over those burst tomatoes is something I keep replaying. Slightly oversalted mine on the first try, which is the only thing keeping me from calling this flawless.
Pork panko already has salt in it, so I barely season the chicken now. Just a pinch before breading and let the crust carry it.
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.
The dry skillet is what saves it. Microwave would've done the crust in. Fresh burrata every time, not worth trying to store it.
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.