Pesto Chicken: a quick, easy Italian-inspired dinner

Anyone who loves the fresh, nutty, garlicky flavor of pesto will adore this easy-to-make pesto chicken recipe. Ideal for busy weeknights, homemade pesto chicken only takes about half an hour to make. It's a tasty dish featuring tender, juicy chicken cooked with garlic, cherry tomatoes, and of course, pesto, topped with mozzarella cheese and broiled to golden brown perfection.

Serve your pesto chicken with creamy mashed potatoes or fluffy rice for a hearty, flavorful dinner the whole family will love. And don't forget the garlic bread or a basket of homemade garlic knots to mop up the sauce!

Tips

Use homemade or favorite store-bought pesto in this recipe.

Don't forget to scrape up any browned bits from the bottom of the skillet. They'll add loads of flavor to your pesto chicken.

Watch the cheese when broiling your pesto chicken. You want it to brown, not burn!

Other delicious cheeses to use in this pesto chicken recipe are cheddar, provolone, Swiss, Gouda, or goat's cheese. Any cheese that melts well will work.

If you don't have cherry tomatoes, use plum tomatoes or chop up a larger tomato.

Instead of chicken broth, you can use a dry white wine, which adds more flavor to the pesto chicken. Unoaked Sauvignon Blanc, unoaked Chardonnay, Pinot Grigio, or Soave are ideal cooking wines.

What to Serve with Pesto Chicken

Pesto chicken is super versatile and goes well with all sorts of side dishes. Try mashed potatoes or cauliflower, rice, cauliflower rice, or anything that will help soak up all that delicious pesto sauce. Grilled vegetables or salad make great sides, too.

How to Store Pesto Chicken

Keep leftover pesto chicken in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days. To reheat, warm in the microwave or skillet until heated through.

How to Make Pesto Chicken

Preheat the oven to 400F.

Step 1

Step 1

Preheat the oven to 400F.

Season the chicken with garlic powder, salt, and pepper.

Step 2

Step 2

Season the chicken with garlic powder, salt, and pepper.

In a large oven-safe skillet, melt the butter in the olive oil over medium-high. Fry the chicken for 4 to 5 minutes per side until lightly golden. Set the chicken on a plate.

Step 3

Step 3

In a large oven-safe skillet, melt the butter in the olive oil over medium-high. Fry the chicken for 4 to 5 minutes per side until lightly golden. Set the chicken on a plate.

Add the garlic, broth, and Italian seasoning in the skillet.

Step 4

Step 4

Add the garlic, broth, and Italian seasoning in the skillet.

Stir in the pesto sauce.

Step 5

Step 5

Stir in the pesto sauce.

Add the tomatoes.

Step 6

Step 6

Add the tomatoes.

Cook for 3 to 5 minutes until tomatoes soften.

Step 7

Step 7

Cook for 3 to 5 minutes until tomatoes soften.

Remove the skillet from the heat and pour the mixture in a baking dish. Add the chicken too.

Step 8

Step 8

Remove the skillet from the heat and pour the mixture in a baking dish. Add the chicken too.

Garnish the chicken with mozzarella.

Step 9

Step 9

Garnish the chicken with mozzarella.

Spread it well.

Step 10

Step 10

Spread it well.

Put the baking dish in the oven. Bake for 5 minutes. Switch the oven to broil and broil until the cheese browns.

Step 11

Step 11

Put the baking dish in the oven. Bake for 5 minutes. Switch the oven to broil and broil until the cheese browns.

Remove from oven and garnish with basil.