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This easy Pesto Chicken recipe will be your next favorite weeknight meal. Whether you grill or oven-bake it, it turns out tender and juicy every single time!
2-Ingredient Pesto Chicken, two simple ingredients… no way!
Why This Recipe Works
Oh lord. This chicken is (or was) unreal. I’ve included TWO different cooking methods in the recipe below because BOTH need to be shared! And yes. Just two ingredients: chicken and pesto.
Personally, I love grilling and the unmistakable barbecued, char-grilled flavor it brings out in the chicken. BUT! Oven-baked in a baking dish is JUST as good, tender and juicy, with tons of flavor!
It all starts with pesto. Remember the pesto I shared a few years ago? Yeah. That pesto. That’s the pesto you’ll make and smother all over your chicken. (I’m kidding. Totally not.)
Yes, of course you can use store-bought pesto and save yourself two minutes with the food processor. However… nothing beats the flavor of homemade pesto made with fresh basil.
Ingridients
You’ll spot salt, pepper, and tomatoes in the photo above, which I use to season and serve, but the actual recipe comes down to these two!
- Chicken: I use boneless, skinless chicken breasts because they are lean, high in protein, and soak up all the garlic and herbs from the marinade. They also have a mild taste that lets the basil shine. I don’t recommend using bone-in pieces here; they take way too long to cook through, and the cheese and herbs in the pesto will burn before the meat is safe to eat.
- Basil Pesto: Naturally, I prefer making my own in the food processor. If you go with store-bought, grab a refrigerated tub from the deli section instead of a shelf-stable jar from the pasta aisle. I tried a cheap shelf-stable jar once, and the oil separated into a weird, clumpy mess.
Note: Please see the recipe card for the list of full ingredients and measurements.
Substitutions and Add-Ins
Every time I make this, I can’t resist throwing a few extras into the pan. Here is how you can easily change things up with what you have on hand:
- Cherry Tomatoes: You saw them in the ingredient photo for a reason! Tossing whole cherry or grape tomatoes into the pan is my favorite side. Once they blister and burst, their juices mix with the pesto drippings in the pan.
- Different Cuts of Chicken: If you don’t have chicken breasts, boneless skinless chicken thighs or chicken tenders work just as well. Thighs are especially great because they stay juicy even if you leave them on the heat a minute too long.
- Pesto Swaps: You can easily swap regular basil pesto for sun-dried tomatoes pesto (red pesto), or even do half and half. If you want a creamy pesto sauce, just whisk a splash of heavy cream and chicken broth into the pan drippings at the end.
- Extra Veggies and Cheese: Toss in sliced zucchini or green beans with the tomatoes to make a full one-pan dinner, or melt fresh mozzarella on top during the last two minutes of cooking.
How to Make Pesto Chicken
Start by tossing your chicken into a mixing bowl and stir in the pesto until every piece is coated, adding a pinch of salt, pepper, or a little Italian seasoning if you want.
Then, you are going to either grill OR oven-bake your pesto-smothered chicken until it’s cooked through, soft on the inside, and browned on the outside. THEN you’re going to grill the tomatoes OR add your tomatoes to the oven.
Grilled or Pan-Seared Pesto Chicken
Heat your grill pan or skillet over medium-high heat, then drop it to medium or low heat once the meat goes in so the pesto doesn’t burn.
Sauté the chicken for 5 to 6 minutes per side until cooked through. Move it to a warm plate, toss the cherry tomatoes straight into the same pan, and let them simmer in the leftover juices until they soften and char.
Baked Pesto Chicken
Arrange the coated fillets in a lined pan and bake at 350°F (180°C) for 30 minutes, then scatter the cherry tomatoes around the meat and bake for another 20 minutes until tender.
Quick note: if your chicken breasts are on the thinner side, you can bake them at 400°F for about 20 minutes total so they don’t dry out!
And BAM! Chicken done so easily, with hardly ANY work needed.
What to Serve With Pesto Chicken
Since the chicken and blistered tomatoes make so much sauce in the pan, you’ll want sides that can soak up all those garlic and herb juices:
- Potatoes and Grains: A plate of smashed potatoes baked with parmesan or a bowl of creamed potatoes is great for catching every drop of pesto on your plate.
- Crusty Bread: Keep a basket of warm garlic bread or onion and cheese bread on the table to mop up the pan drippings.
- Greens and Veggies: If you want to keep dinner low-carb, pair the fillets with green beans sautéed in butter, a fresh green salad, or a skillet of zucchini noodles.
You can also slice the chicken and lay it over steamed rice or toss it with hot pasta.
Recipe FAQ’s
Check the internal temperature of the chicken using a meat thermometer. If it reads 165 degrees or more, it is cooked.
You can also slice the chicken from its thickest part and check if the juices run clear and there’s no pink in the center to check for its doneness.
You can! To do this, preheat your barbecue grill, grill pan or skillet. Once heated, chuck your chicken on and cook for around five to six minutes each side.
Remove your chicken from the grill and place on a warm plate. Pop your tomatoes on the grill and rotate until brown and cooked through.
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Pesto Chicken Recipe
Ingredients
- 4 boneless chicken breast fillets skinless
- 1/2 cup basil pesto plus 1/4 cup extra for serving. Use this recipe for homemade pesto or you can use store bought.
- 1/4 teaspoon salt optional – adjust to your tastes
- 1/4 teaspoon pepper
- 500 g cherry tomatoes optional as a serving idea
Instructions
- Smother chicken fillets in the pesto on all sides. Season with salt and pepper, if desired. This is for the marinate.
Grill:
- Preheat a barbecue plate, grill pan, or skillet over medium-high heat. Cook for 5-6 minutes per side or until completely cooked through.
- Transfer to a warm plate. Grill the tomatoes, rotating once, until soft and beginning to brown.
- Top chicken with extra pesto. Serve with the tomatoes.
Oven Baked:
- Arrange the coated chicken breasts in the baking dish and bake in a preheated oven for 30 minutes.
- At 30 minutes, remove the chicken from the oven and arrange the tomatoes around each fillet.
- Place the chicken back in the oven and cook a further 20 minutes, or until the chicken is cooked through and no longer pink.
Notes
Storage, Freezing, and Reheating
If you have any leftover chicken, let it cool completely first so condensation doesn’t water down the sauce.- To Store: Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days. Make sure to spoon all those tomato and pesto pan juices right over the top before sealing the lid so the meat stays moist.
- To Make Ahead and Freeze: You can coat the raw chicken breasts in pesto and keep them covered in the fridge for up to 24 hours before cooking. You can also freeze the raw marinated fillets in a freezer bag for up to 3 months; just thaw them overnight in the fridge before cooking. Cooked pesto chicken also freezes well for up to 2 months.
- To Reheat: Warm the fillets in a covered skillet over low heat with a tiny splash of water or broth until heated through. If you use the microwave, heat the meat in 30-second bursts at medium power so the edges don’t turn rubbery.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
This was absolutely delicious!!! I made for dinner for just me . I baked it instead of cooking on a grill .I also roasted cauliflower and green beans with it. I put garlic and smoked paprika on the veggies.
Wow is this a recipe for people that can’t cook!
Delicious recipe. I used the last of my favourite store bought pesto and it turned out great. This is a keeper. Thanks for sharing!
Thank you so much, Amy! I’m thrilled to hear you loved it. Have an amazing day filled with delicious moments!
I made the Pesto Chicken half Basil Petso chicken and half Tomato Pesto 😊 Yummo
So yummy and simple. I used homemade pesto. Thanks!
We used chicken thighs – very juicy and tender
Love pesto!!!
Delicious and easy for a week night. Very flavorful and the chicken came out juicy. Thank you!
Incredibly easy and good. I use Kirkland (Costco) Pesto. My experience with it in cooking is that it can become curdled and lumpy when you fry with it, so I liberally added olive oil to the pan and simmered on low for as long as you would bake it and ended up with a nice pesto reduction to pour on the chicken.
Easy and delicious. I added sliced zucchini with the tomatoes at the 30 minute mark. Veggies done. Easy Peezy. My husband actually loved it. This was after a face when I told him we were having pesto chicken for dinner. LOL
Awesome recipe. Very moist and tender. This will be the third time I’ve made it. I did add zucchini to it. Perfect sheet pan recipe. Thanks!!!