Pesto Chicken

This easy recipe for oven-baked pesto chicken is ideal for weeknight dinners. This simple dish is healthy, keto and delicious!

The idea for making this pesto chicken recipe came from my desperate need to use up some leftover homemade pesto sauce.

You see, whenever I have leftover fresh basil leaves (for example, after I make basil frittata), I use them to make homemade pesto sauce. And then I desperately search for ways to use it.

Using up pesto sauce

Pesto sauce keeps for a few days in the fridge, and for about a month in the freezer, but it doesn’t last forever. And it’s way too delicious to throw out!

So a few weeks ago, staring at the chicken breasts in my fridge and trying to decide what to do with them, it occurred to me that I could use my basic recipe for juicy baked chicken breast and adjust it to include pesto.

This dish was delicious. As it turns out, pesto goes incredibly well with chicken (as does tarragon, by the way)! I also love how easy this recipe is. It’s just perfect for a weeknight dinner.

I have made this recipe a couple more times for some fine-tuning before posting it here, and it was a big success both times.

The ingredients you’ll need

You’ll only need a few simple ingredients to make this tasty dish (exact measurements are in the recipe card below):

1. Boneless skinless chicken breasts
2. Avocado oil spray
3. Kosher salt and black pepper
4. Pesto sauce
5. Sliced tomatoes
6. Shredded mozzarella

How to make pesto chicken

It’s a truly easy recipe! The detailed instructions are in the recipe card below. Here are the basic steps:

1. Start by baking the chicken breasts.
2. Top them with pesto, tomatoes, and mozzarella.
3. Return to the oven to finish cooking the chicken and melt the cheese.

What pesto to use?

You can use homemade pesto sauce as I do. Store-bought pesto sauce is fine, but make sure it’s made with olive oil.

I find it infuriating that so many commercial pesto sauce brands use vegetable oil instead of olive oil. It’s not as healthy, and it’s also not as tasty!

What should I serve with pesto chicken?

This dish goes really well with roasted cherry tomatoes. You can roast them in the same 450°F oven for about 15 minutes.

Sometimes I make microwave spaghetti squash (I mix in some olive oil, Parmesan, salt and pepper) or zucchini noodles and use that as a bed for the chicken.

What about leftovers?

Leftovers keep okay in the fridge, in a sealed container, for 3-4 days. Although as with most chicken recipes, leftovers are not as good as when served fresh.

I prefer not to reheat them, so as not to dry the chicken out. So I slice them and use them to top a salad for my lunch the next day.

If you’d like to reheat the leftovers, I suggest you do so gently, covered, in the microwave on 50% power.

Reviews of this recipe

Pinterest reviewers seem to like this recipe. Take a look at their beautiful photos! Here are a few of their comments:

• Kimberly says, “This recipe is amazingly easy and delicious. I didn’t have mozzarella so I used a cheese I had. Tomatoes fresh from the garden. Will be doing again!”
• Devyn adds, “Used for meal prep. Reheated really nice in the oven. Not dry at all, great flavor, and really filling.”
• And Esther writes, “It’s so delicious! And easy to make!”

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4.98 from 36 votes

Pesto Chicken

This easy recipe for baked pesto chicken is ideal for weeknight dinners. It is healthy, keto and delicious!

Prep Time15 mins

Cook Time25 mins

Total Time40 mins

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: Italian

Keyword: chicken

Servings: 4 servings

Calories: 438kcal

Author: Vered DeLeeuw

INGREDIENTS

• 4 (8 oz) boneless skinless chicken breasts
• Avocado oil spray
• ½ teaspoon kosher salt
• ¼ teaspoon black pepper
• ½ cup pesto sauce homemade or store-bought
• 8 thin tomato slices (from 2 medium tomatoes)
• ½ cup shredded mozzarella

INSTRUCTIONS

• Preheat oven to 450 degrees F. Grease a baking dish or line it with parchment paper.
• Place the chicken breasts in the prepared baking dish. Spray them with oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Bake for 20 minutes.
• Remove the baking dish from the oven. Spread 2 tablespoons of pesto sauce on the top of each chicken breast. Arrange 2 tomato slices on top, and sprinkle them with 2 tablespoons of shredded mozzarella.
• Return the chicken to the oven. Bake until cooked through and cheese is melted, about 5 more minutes. If your baking dish is broiler-safe, you can finish by broiling for 1-2 minutes to brown the cheese.

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NUTRITION INFO Nutrition info is approximate and may contain errors. It is calculated using the SparkPeople.com recipe calculator, and the carb count excludes sugar alcohols. Please feel free to make your own calculations. Please read the disclaimers in our Terms of Use carefully before using any of our recipes. Recommended and linked products are not guaranteed to be gluten-free. Please verify they are before using.

Nutrition Facts

Pesto Chicken

Amount Per Serving (1 chicken breast)

Calories 438 Calories from Fat 216

% Daily Value*

Fat 24g37%

Saturated Fat 5g31%

Sodium 775mg34%

Carbohydrates 3.7g1%

Fiber 0.4g2%

Sugar 0.2g0%

Protein 49g98%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

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