Baked basil pesto chicken is a chicken dinner that is quick, easy, and packed full of flavor. You just need a few simple ingredients, chicken breasts, mozzarella cheese, and jarred pesto sauce. The chicken comes out moist and tender with a cheesy mozzarella crust.
This is the perfect weeknight meal that the whole family will love! Make it a complete meal and serve it with some boiled pasta and some steamed veggie.
Easy oven baked basil pesto chicken recipe
Who doesn't love a quick, easy and effortless chicken dinner? I know I do! This basil pesto chicken is all of those things and more. juicy, tender, cheesy, and packed with flavor from the basil pesto, it only takes about 30 minutes to make, so it's perfect for busy weeknights and can be made on special occasions or date nights. This recipe is so good even your pickiest eaters will be won over.
If you have ever thought chicken breast is without flavor or plain, think again as you can easily add tons of flavor to your chicken using pesto as seasoning.
I cheated a bit and used store-bought pesto to make this chicken but you can easily make yours at home using my homemade recipe.
Related post: creamy garlic chicken breast and baked lemon chicken breast recipe
Why you will love this recipe
- It is an easy one-pan chicken dinner recipe with few ingredients, the addition of pesto makes the chicken flavourful, it tastes unbelievably good for something so simple to make.
- While this recipe is baked in the oven, it can be made in the air fryer or on the grill, so you can choose the best cooking method for you.
- It is a crowd-pleaser and can be prepped ahead of time and cooked when you are ready to eat.
- This recipe is gluten-free, keto-friendly, and low carb.
Ingredients
Here is the list of ingredients you will need to make your own pesto chicken breast at home in the comfort of your kitchen.
Boneless skinless chicken breast
Pesto: this can be homemade or storebought, I used storebought pesto for today's recipe. However, if you fancy making yours, here is a simple and quick basil pesto recipe you will love
Mozzarella cheese: you can use freshly grated mozzarella cheese or pre-shredded mozzarella cheese for this recipe.
Chicken stock powder: I like to use chicken stock powder in my dishes for extra flavor, but you could also use bouillon cube or even just water
Fresh cherry or vine tomatoes: substitute with big fresh tomatoes chopped
Salt and pepper to taste
Red chili flakes for a little bit of kick
How to make baked basil pesto chicken breast
Preheat the oven to 190C/385F
To a baking dish, add cherry tomatoes, chili flakes, chicken stock powder, 2 Tablespoons of pesto sauce, and mix to combine. Place the baking sheet in the oven and bake for 10 minutes.
In the meantime, pat the chicken dry with a paper towel and place it on a sturdy chopping board. Make a criss-cross incision on the chicken breasts and season the chicken breast all over with salt and black pepper.
Carefully remove the baking sheet from the oven and arrange the chicken on the tomatoes in a single layer. Spoon the remaining basil pesto sauce on top of the chicken making sure it is all covered in the sauce.
Return the baking pan to the oven and bake the chicken for 12-15 minutes. Remove the tray from the oven, now sprinkle the shredded mozzarella cheese on the cooked chicken then return to the oven for a final time. Continue to bake the pesto chicken for another 5-8 minutes until the cheese is fully melted and the internal temperature of the chicken reads 165F/74C.
Remove the chicken from the oven and leave to rest for about 5 minutes for the juice to redistribute into the chicken before serving. Enjoy
What to serve with pesto chicken
This chicken is versatile and can be served with anything, everything. I like to serve it with some boiled pasta of any shape, or rice and steamed veggies. You could also pair it with a simple salad for a complete healthier meal. Here are more serving ideas you will love
How to store
Leftover pesto chicken can be stored in the fridge for up to 3 days, make sure to keep it well wrapped or in an airtight container.
This chicken can also be frozen for up to 2 months. When ready to eat, thaw the chicken overnight in the fridge then reheat in a 350F/180C preheated oven until hot throughout.
You could also reheat this chicken in the microwave using 30-60 second intervals until hot.
Tips
- While the pesto chicken is baking, 10 minutes before you remove it from the oven, boil your pasta or rice so that you have everything ready and warm to serve without delay. You can toss the boiled pasta in the pan juice if you want, in fact, I highly recommend this for a more flavourful dinner.
- Ensure to use birds of similar sizes and do not overcook the chicken breast, they will become dry.
- This recipe calls for storebought pesto, make sure to use a good quality one that is made with whole ingredients and not packed with fillers. Note that good quality does not mean expensive, I used Aldi low salt pesto, it is budget-friendly and has a great taste.
- If your chicken breast is big, you can cut it into two lengthwise, that way they will cook evenly and faster in the oven.
- Feel free to add more chili flakes if you want a bit more heat in your dish.
- Add more veggies, such as asparagus, broccoli, broccolini along with the tomatoes if you desired.
- For extra cheesy chicken, feel free to add more cheese. You could also swap out the mozzarella cheese for any other cheese of your preference.
- If you enjoy preparing breast for dinner, our chicken breast dinner collection has delicious and delectable chicken dinners to try.
Baked Basil Pesto Chicken
Ingredients
- 3 large boneless skinless chicken breast
- 190 g Pesto
- 1 cup mozzarella cheese grated
- ½ Tablespoon chicken stock powder optional
- 3 cups cherry tomatoes
- Salt and pepper to taste
- 1 teaspoon Red chili flakes
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 190C/385F
- To a baking dish, add cherry tomatoes, chili flakes, chicken stock powder, 2 Tablespoons of pesto sauce, and mix to combine. Place the baking sheet in the oven and bake for 10 minutes.
- In the meantime, pat the chicken dry with a paper towel and place it on a sturdy chopping board. Make a criss-cross incision on the chicken breasts and season the chicken breast all over with salt and black pepper.
- Carefully remove the baking sheet from the oven and arrange the chicken on the tomatoes in a single layer. Spoon the remaining basil pesto sauce on top of the chicken making sure it is all covered in the sauce.
- Return the baking pan to the oven and bake the chicken for 12-15 minutes. Remove the tray from the oven, now sprinkle the shredded mozzarella cheese on the cooked chicken then return to the oven for a final time. Continue to bake the pesto chicken for another 5-8 minutes until the cheese is fully melted and the internal temperature of the chicken reads 165F/74C.
- Remove the chicken from the oven and leave to rest for about 5 minutes for the juice to redistribute into the chicken before serving. Enjoy
Notes
Nutrition
Nutritional data: Please note that the nutrition label provided is an estimate based on an online nutrition calculator. It will vary based on the specific ingredients and brands you use. Under no circumstances will thedinnerbite.com be responsible for any loss or damage resulting for your reliance on nutritional information.
FAQs
Can I use boneless chicken thighs instead of chicken breast?
yes, you can easily swap chicken breast for boneless skinless chicken thighs in this recipe, in this case, make sure to adjust the time accordingly as chicken thighs would cook faster than breast.
Can I use cubed chicken for this recipe
Yes, you can use cubed chicken instead of whole chicken breasts however, I would recommend cooking it for a shorter time as the chicken cubes will cook faster than the breast.
Will frozen pesto work
Yes, make sure to let it thaw completely before adding it to the chicken, and continue with the rest of the recipe as stated.
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