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    Home » Recipes » Dinner

    Easy Baked Pesto Chicken

    BY: Kimberly Grabinski PUBLISHED: 10 Mar, '22 UPDATED: 10 Mar, '22 Leave a Comment

    RecipePrintComments
    5 from 1 vote
    chicken pesto pin

    This baked pesto chicken recipe is delicious and super easy to make in half an hour using only 4 ingredients. It's the perfect low-budget meal the whole family will love that's healthy and full of vibrant colors and flavors.

    chicken pesto  with cherry tomatoes
    Contents
    • 🌟 Why this recipe works
    • 🍽 Key Ingredients
    • 🔪 How to make
    • 💭 Cooking tips
    • 📖 Recipe Variations
    • 🥗 What to serve with
    • 🙋 Frequently Asked Questions
    • 🧊 Storing and ♨️ Reheating
    • 🍳 Related Recipes
    • 👪 Serving Size
    • 📋 Recipe

    🌟 Why this recipe works

    Basil baked pesto chicken is a delicious recipe made with baked chicken breast and fresh cherry tomatoes and served with pesto sauce. It's one of the easiest family meals you will ever make, and it's low-carb.

    Pesto chicken is the perfect meal to make in a hurry that doesn't require lots of prep work or standing over a hot stove - just an easy bake and serve method for a delicious tasting meal even the kids will devour.

    Chicken & pesto is a classic combination in Italian culture, and when combined with cherry tomatoes, it's like a burst of summer flavors with every bite. You can make your own pesto sauce in 5 minutes or buy one ready-made from the shop.

    With just 30 minutes of your time, a baking dish, and 4 ingredients, you can make this delicious pesto chicken recipe. It's entirely foolproof for any home cook to make without needing fancy kitchen equipment.

    🍽 Key Ingredients

    The main ingredient you'll need to make this pesto chicken recipe is fresh chicken breasts and a casserole dish to bake them in.

    chicken pesto  with cherry tomatoes

    Chicken - Buy boneless skinless chicken breasts from the butchers. The fresher the chicken, the better the flavor will be.

    Pesto sauce - for this recipe I use my homemade creamy pesto with cashews.

    Tomatoes - We're using cherry tomatoes to give the dish sweetness to combine with the basil pesto chicken.

    🔪 How to make

    This delicious pesto chicken recipe is so easy to make in 4 simple cooking steps. Simply coat the chicken breasts with pesto, bake in the oven with cherry tomatoes and serve with the remaining pesto sauce. Easy, quick, and absolutely delicious!

    Preparations

    Step 1
    Coat each chicken breast with salt and pepper.

    step1 chicken pesto

    Step 2
    Spread about 2 tablespoons of pesto over each breast using a spoon to lightly coat them.

    chicken breasts with  pesto

    Cooking Instructions

    Step 3
    Preheat the oven to 325 degrees Fahrenheit (160 degrees Celsius) and lay the coated chicken breasts on the baking dish about 1-inch apart.

    Step 4
    Add the cherry tomatoes around the chicken.

    chicken pesto  with cherry tomatoes

    Step 5
    Cook the chicken in the preheated oven for 30 minutes, then turn the oven to broil and heat for 45 seconds to 1 ½ minutes about 5 inches away from the heating element to create a golden-brown crust on top of the chicken. Keep an eye on them, so they don’t burn.

    chicken pesto  with cherry tomatoes

    Step 6
    Remove from the oven and serve with fresh basil pesto

    Optional: sprinkle of freshly grated parmesan cheese.

    chicken pesto serving 1

    💭 Cooking tips

    Marinade

    To infuse the pesto sauce into the chicken breasts, allow the coated chicken to marinate in a zip-lock bag and place them in the fridge for an hour or so before baking.

    📖 Recipe Variations

    These three pesto chicken variations are slightly different but use the same delicious recipe.

    Creamy pesto chicken recipe

    To make the creamy pesto sauce, mix 1 tablespoon of flour with 1 cup of milk, 1 tablespoon of pesto, and 2 chopped garlic cloves. Once the coated chicken breasts are cooked, transfer them with the cherry tomatoes to a hot skillet and pour the creamy sauce over until thickened.

    Stuffed pesto chicken

    Make a slit into the middle of each chicken breast, spread the pesto sauce inside with a small amount of mozzarella cheese, then tie it with a toothpick or dry spaghetti and bake in the oven with the tomatoes until cooked.

    Are you an almond nut fan? Then you must try my basil pesto almond stuffed in the chicken breast. Absolutely delish!

    Breaded pesto chicken

    Give your chicken a delicious crusted coating by cutting each chicken breast in half and spreading each piece in the pesto sauce before coating them in a breadcrumb mixture of ¼ cup parmesan cheese, 1 teaspoon paprika, and ½ cup panko breadcrumbs.

    Bake in the oven with the tomatoes for 20- 25 minutes until golden brown.

    pesto chicken cooked

    🥗 What to serve with

    Baked pesto chicken is best served with pasta, rice, potatoes, or salad. Here are some of my favorite options that complement the recipe.

    Cauliflower mashed potatoes

    One of my favorite side dishes to whip up while the pesto chicken is baking in the oven is mashed cauliflower. It's buttery and garlicky and perfectly compliments the delicious pesto chicken.

    Cauliflower rice

    Fed up with ordinary starchy rice? Try this fragrant, easy keto cauliflower, cilantro & lime rice that takes 20 minutes to make using one skillet.

    Salad

    There are so many tasty salads out there that pair well chicken recipes from a healthy green salad to a Greek salad, or something more extravagant like this bacon, egg & potato salad.

    Also, I highly recommend to pair this dish with my copycat longhorn brussel sprouts recipe. YUM!

    🙋 Frequently Asked Questions

    How to know when a chicken breast is cooked?

    The easiest way to check if a chicken breast is perfectly cooked is by inserting a food thermometer into the thickest part of it - and when it reads 165°F (74°C), it's cooked.

    Is pesto sauce healthy?

    Yes, pesto sauce is full of healthy ingredients like basil leaves, parmesan cheese, nuts, and olive oil. Pesto is common in Mediterranean diets and may reduce the risk of diabetes and heart disease.

    🧊 Storing and ♨️ Reheating

    Once cool, any leftover pesto chicken can easily be stored in the fridge or freezer.

    Fridge - Transfer the leftovers to an airtight container and place them in the fridge for up to 3 days.

    Freezer - To freeze the leftover pesto chicken, transfer the contents into a freezer container and freeze for up to 4 months. Thaw overnight in the fridge when you want to reheat it.

    Reheating - Heat a skillet or saucepan with the leftover pesto chicken and cook for 6 to 8 minutes until hot. Alternatively, you can preheat an oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit and cook for 10 minutes or use a microwave at 1-minute intervals until piping hot.

    🍳 Related Recipes

    If you like this baked pesto chicken recipe, you must try one of these easy recipes.

    • pesto with cashews featured
      Fresh Basil Pesto with Cashews
    • chimichurri recipe featured
      Authentic Chimichurri
    • Pesto Keto Shrimp Sheet Pan 15
      Sheet Pan Shrimp

    👪 Serving Size

    Using 2 skinless chicken breasts for this chicken pesto dish will give you 3 to 4 servings, depending on the size of your chicken breasts. I usually cook 4 chicken breasts, as the recipe is so delicious and everyone in my family loves it.

    It's an easy recipe to prepare for busy weeknights that you can bang in the oven, do something else, and check on it in half an hour - making baked pesto chicken a time-saving family meal. 

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    Love this dinner recipe? Please leave a 5-star 🌟rating in the recipe card below and/or a review in the comments section further down the page.

    Try one of my quick, easy, and affordable dinner recipes for your next family meal! And if you have any questions, I'm here to help!

    📋 Recipe

    chicken pesto with cherry tomatoes

    Easy Baked Pesto Chicken

    Course: dinner
    Cuisine: American
    Prep Time: 5 minutes
    Cook Time: 30 minutes
    Total Time: 35 minutes
    Servings: 2
    Calories: 262kcal
    Author: Kim Grabinski
    5 from 1 vote
    Print Save Saved! Share
    Make this easy baked pesto chicken recipe in 30 minutes with only 4 ingredients. It's perfectly baked and it tastes fantastic. Give this recipe a try!

    Ingredients
     

    • 2 chicken breasts - skinless-about 500 grams
    • ¼ teaspoon black pepper
    • ¼ teaspoon salt
    • 4 tablespoon pesto - plus ⅛ cup extra for serving
    • 200 gr cherry tomatoes

    Instructions

    • Coat each chicken breast with salt and pepper
    • Spread about 2 tablespoons of pesto over each breast using a spoon to lightly coat them.
    • Preheat the oven to 325 degrees Fahrenheit (160 degrees Celsius) and lay the coated chicken breasts on the baking dish about 1-inch apart.
    • Add the cherry tomatoes around the chicken.
    • Cook the chicken in the preheated oven for 30 minutes, then turn the oven to broil and heat for 45 seconds to 1 ½ minutes about 5 inches away from the heating element to create a golden-brown crust on top of the chicken. Keep an eye on them, so they don’t burn.
    • Remove from the oven and serve with fresh basil pesto and a sprinkle of freshly grated parmesan cheese.

    Notes

    Marinade
    To infuse the pesto sauce into the chicken breasts, allow the coated chicken to marinate in a zip-lock bag and place them in the fridge for an hour or so before baking.
    Doneness
    The easiest way to check if a chicken breast is perfectly cooked is by inserting a food thermometer into the thickest part of it - and when it reads 165°F (74°C), it's cooked.


    Calories: 262kcal | Carbohydrates: 4g | Protein: 34g | Fat: 11g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 1g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 98mg | Sodium: 563mg | Potassium: 705mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 2g | Vitamin A: 775IU | Vitamin C: 17mg | Calcium: 48mg | Iron: 1mg
    Information shown is an estimate and is for information only. 730 Sage Street is not responsible for the factual accuracy of any nutrition information, calculations or claims.
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    • Author
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    Kimberly Grabinski
    Kimberly Grabinski
    Kim brings experience and knowledge of recipe creation to 730 Sage Street. She is noted for developing iconic recipes by Huffpost, Buzzfeed, and Dr. Axe to name a few.
    Kimberly Grabinski
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    Kim @ 730 Sage Street

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    Creating easy recipes with everyday ingredients since 2008. I believe you can make quality homemade recipes even if you are short on time and budget-conscious. You just need to dive in and learn as you go!

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