Pesto Chicken Recipe

By Rena Awada | Updated On January 16, 2024

Ready in just 30 minutes, this Creamy Pesto Chicken recipe is the perfect skillet dinner for busy weeknights. It’s packed with the vibrant basil pesto flavor and the creamy sauce will make your taste buds happy!

top view of pesto chicken and tomatoes in a black skillet with basil garnished


Searching for a fast and flavorful dinner? Look no further than this Basil Pesto Chicken! With a creamy 4-ingredient sauce that will surprise your taste buds, it’s the answer to your boring weekday dinner dilemma. So quick and easy to make this healthy chicken dinner recipe for the family. By using prepared basil pesto, there’s minimal prep work. The only thing that needs to be prepared in advance is the chicken marinade, but it takes 2 minutes to pull together. They are low in carbs and a keto-friendly meal.

For extra flavor, we recommend topping this with fresh parmesan and more basil. It adds a pop of freshness to the dish. Serve this easy pesto chicken recipe over rice or pasta, with a side salad for a complete meal.

Why You’ll Love This Pesto Chicken Recipe

  • Only one pan is necessary. This delicious basil pesto chicken requires just one pan! That means clean-up is breezy.
  • Creamy pesto sauce. With basil pesto sauce and an almond milk cream sauce base, you’re left with a delectable, creamy sauce to pour over not only the chicken but rice or quinoa too.
  • Great leftovers. This chicken tastes fantastic the next day when the flavors have had even more time to soak in.
  • Easy prep. There are only a few steps to get this chicken skillet on your plate! Ready in 30 minutes!
top view close up image of chicken breasts in pesto sauce and cherry tomatoes

Ingredients you Will Need

These are the ingredients you will need to grab from the store. The full measurements are listed further down below.

  • Chicken breasts: Use boneless and skinless chicken breasts. If you prefer using boneless chicken thighs you can.
  • Kosher salt and fresh ground pepper
  • Basil pesto: you can use a homemade basil pesto or store-bought pesto. Check out this homemade Pesto Recipe.
  • Extra virgin olive oil: or avocado oil
  • Cherry tomatoes or grape tomatoes: don’t have fresh tomatoes? use sun-dried tomatoes. About 1/4 cup, chopped.

For the sauce:

  • Gluten-free flour: or any flour of your choice
  • Garlic cloves: use fresh garlic and not garlic powder unless that’s all you have handy
  • Store-bought Basil pesto or homemade
  • Almond milk: or 2% milk

For garnish:

  • Freshly shaved parmesan or shredded mozzarella cheese
  • Fresh basil leaves or fresh parsley
  • Toasted pine nuts
ingredients to make the pesto chicken

How to Make Pesto Chicken

  • Place boneless skinless chicken breast in a Ziploc bag. Add in 2 tablespoons basil pesto, salt, and pepper. Seal the bag and gently move the breasts through the bag to get them all nicely coated. 
  • Allow the chicken to marinate for at least 1 hour or overnight.
  • Heat the oil in a large nonstick skillet. Add marinated chicken and cook for about 5 minutes per side, or until cooked through.
  • Meanwhile, in a small bowl whisk all sauce ingredients until well combined.
  • Pour this sauce over the chicken into the pan, and add in the cherry tomatoes.
  • Simmer for 5-6 minutes over medium-low heat, stir until the sauce thickens and the tomatoes burst.
  • Garnish with parmesan cheese and fresh basil if desired and enjoy!
pesto milk sauce being pour over the chicken breast

What To serve with pesto chicken

This basil pesto chicken breast can be served over rice, quinoa, spaghetti squash, or pasta. For a lighter option, serve over cauliflower rice. You may also serve it with a side salad, and steamed or roasted vegetables. Here are some side dish options to consider serving with this pesto chicken:

close up pesto chicken in skillet with cherry tomatoes

frequently asked questions

How to store Pesto Chicken?

This creamy pesto chicken will last in the fridge for up to 4 days in an airtight container. Reheat in the microwave or on the stove when ready to serve. This recipe works well for those who meal prep.

Can I freeze pesto chicken?

Yes, you can freeze this pesto chicken for up to 3 months. Allow to cool completely and then store in an airtight container. Thaw in the fridge overnight before reheating on the stove.

How long does a chicken need to marinade?

Chicken typically needs to marinate from 20 minutes to overnight. In the case of this pesto chicken, we recommend at least an hour but several hours is better. If you can, place the chicken in the marinade in the morning for dinner in the evening.

side shot of chicken in creamy sauce with cherry tomatoes

Recipe Notes and tips

  • The serving size is one chicken breast  and some tomatoes and sauce
  • Do not overcook the chicken to prevent it from drying or become rubbery
  • You may use another protein like shrimp or salmon.
  • Almond milk can be replaced with any other milk
  • Use any oil of choice: any neutral oil or avocado oil works just as great
  • Consider adding in your favorite veggies like broccoli, green beans, bell peppers, or asparagus
  • Store leftovers in an airtight container for up to 4 days in the fridge
  • On a keto diet? you may use heavy cream as the base of the sauce. Then you can serve it with spaghetti squash, cauliflower rice, or zucchini noodles.
creamy chicken breast in a black skillet

More Chicken Recipes

close up chicken breast in a pesto sauce

What to serve with chicken Pesto

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top view of pesto chicken and tomatoes in a black skillet with basil garnished

Pesto Chicken Recipe

Tender and juicy chicken breast cooked in a creamy pesto sauce with cherry tomatoes and fresh basil.
5 from 58 votes
Print Pin Rate
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: American
Diet: Low Fat
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 20 minutes
marinade: 1 hour
Total Time: 1 hour 25 minutes
Servings: 4
Calories: 254kcal
Author: Rena

Ingredients

  • 1 lb boneless skinless chicken breasts
  • Kosher salt and fresh ground pepper to taste
  • 2 tbsp basil pesto or homemade
  • 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
  • 2 cups cherry tomatoes

SAUCE:

  • 1 tbsp gluten-free flour
  • 2 garlic cloves minced
  • 1 tbsp basil pesto or homemade
  • 1 cup almond milk
  • Kosher salt and fresh ground pepper to taste

Optional to garnish:

  • Freshly shaved parmesan for garnish
  • Fresh basil leaves

Instructions

  • Place chicken breast in a Ziploc bag. Add in 2 tablespoons basil pesto, salt, and pepper. Seal the bag and gently move the breasts through the bag to get them all nicely coated.
  • Allow the chicken to marinated for at least 1 hour or overnight.
  • Heat the oil in a large nonstick skillet. Add marinated chicken and cook for about 5 minutes per side, or until cooked through.
  • Meanwhile, in a small bowl whisk all sauce ingredients until well combined.
  • Pour this sauce over the chicken into the pan, and add in the cherry tomatoes.
  • Simmer for 5-6 minutes over medium-low heat, until the sauce thickens and the tomatoes burst.
  • Garnish with parmesan cheese and fresh basil if desired and enjoy!

Video

Notes

  • The serving size is one chicken breast 
  • Without marinating time, you need only 30 minutes to make this chicken recipe. You may marinate for a shorter time or marinate the night before.
  • Do not overcook the chicken to prevent it from drying
  • You may use another protein like shrimp or salmon
  • Almond milk can be replaced with any other milk
  • Use any oil of choice
  • Consider adding in your favorite veggies like broccoli or asparagus 
  • Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days
  • You may use boneless chicken thighs if you like.

Nutrition

Calories: 254kcal | Carbohydrates: 6g | Protein: 27g | Fat: 13g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Cholesterol: 72mg | Sodium: 251mg | Potassium: 593mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 2g | Vitamin A: 591IU | Vitamin C: 17mg | Calcium: 111mg | Iron: 1mg
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Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Danielle says

    5 stars
    I made this and it was absolutely decadent. I didn’t use almond milk, I used whole milk and cream because quite frankly I don’t think fat is bad. If I was home I would have used raw goats milk that is very creamy and magical.

    I also used tapioca starch instead of flour. Just make sure to add a little at a time and cook for a bit before judging the thickness. Also mix the tapioca flour with a little cold milk before adding it in or it will clump.

    I also added bell peppers and loved the additional flavor they imparted.

    Served over red lentil pasta it was magical. Totally making this again. Unfortunately with no cream, and only chicken broth because hubby is anti-milk.

    Cheers and happy cooking!

  2. Sondra Browne says

    5 stars
    This recipe is so tasty!!! I was only able to marinate the chicken for 30 minutes because I forgot about that part of the recipe and I needed to get dinner cooked. I made my own pesto with carrot and basil leaves from my garden and used my garden tomatoes. I can only imagine how wonderful the chicken would have been had it marinated at least an hour or overnight. We ate it with rice but I bet it would have been wonderful on pasta. Definitely will make this recipe again soon!

  3. Fiona Buckley says

    5 stars
    Just to be cautious, I added the flour first, separately, so it wouldn’t taste of flour, cooked it, then a minute later I added oat milk as I didn’t have almond and I must say absolutely delicious and I omitted the extra garlic as pesto has plenty
    I’ll make it again

  4. Mike Chaplain says

    5 stars
    Totally enjoyed this recipe. Tossed in some broccoli. Didn’t have cherry tomatoes so I tossed in a plum tomato cut into 6 pieces. Whole milk. All purpose flour. This one is a keeper! Thanks for sharing it, Rena.

  5. Lisa R says

    5 stars
    This recipe is amazingly delicious! I was making pesto from our fresh basil harvest several weeks back and looked for a recipe to use the pesto. I’m so glad I came across this recipe. Since that first time, I have made this four times over. It’s a big hit! I especially like the gluten-free sauce—we spoon it over pasta, too! Home run, Rena!

  6. BEvans says

    5 stars
    DELICIOUS! I will definitely make again. I also added asparagus with the tomatoes and used coconut milk since I did not have almond milk. Great and easy recipe. Thank you!

  7. Rebecca says

    5 stars
    This recipe was excellent! As other reviewers mentioned, the chicken very moist. I was relieved that the pesto flavor was present, but not overpowering. My husband and I are saving this recipe to make it again.

  8. Stacy A says

    5 stars
    This is good! I finally found a pre-made pesto I like that I used in it. The brand was Rana pesto. Great & easy recipe! Oh and I used cream instead of almond milk as that’s what I had.

  9. Angela Homberg says

    5 stars
    Chicken stayed nice and moist. I used a combination of coconut milk and regular milk since I didn’t have enough coconut milk left. I also added asparagus and made some GF pasta with olive oil and garlic. The kids don’t like tomatoes cooked this way, but that’s ok, more for me and my husband. I thought the tomatoes added good flavor. I will make this again.

  10. Bridget Jones says

    5 stars
    Chicken had amazing flavour and was moist and tender. We served it with Spud lite potato mash and steamed Broccolini.

  11. j says

    Foul. Vile. Disgusting. Putrid.

    Take your pick.

    Remove almond milk for milk. Almond milk has a natural sugar that thickens and utterly ruins the savory taste of this dish. How anyone could think that combining sickly candy-like sweetness with the savory taste of pesto needs to give their head a shake.

    • Rena says

      Hi J. So sorry this didn’t work for you.. Did you use unsweetened almond milk? Almond milk is an option and can be replaced with 2% or skim milk.

    • C says

      Apparently tastebuds are unique to each person because I made this recipe last night and thought it was fantastic!

      In any event, J, maybe a therapy website would be a more appropriate place to showcase your mean-spirited comments meant to hurt someone. That way you can get help to process your internal anger rather than take it out publicly on another, making only yourself look like an a$$hole.

    • Pesto Loving Lisa says

      Yea. Unsweetened almond milk is the way to go. Several people have made this recipe and it’s come out delicious. So…maybe you’re the one with the problem.

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