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This Creamy Pesto Chicken is made with tender chicken breasts, juicy cherry tomatoes, and a rich, creamy basil pesto sauce that’s perfect for serving over pasta, rice, or vegetables.
As a certified nutrition coach, I’m always looking for easy dinners that are high in protein without taking a lot of time to make. This is one of those recipes I come back to again and again because it’s made in one pan, comes together in about 30 minutes, and always turns out flavorful and satisfying.
Serve this pesto chicken over rice like my stovetop white rice or pasta, like my creamy lemon pasta, or with a side salad for a complete meal.
Recipe Overview
Key Ingredients
These are the ingredients you will need to grab from the store. The full measurements are listed further down in the recipe card.
- Chicken Breasts: I like using boneless, skinless chicken breasts, but chicken thighs work just as well if you prefer darker meat.
- Basil Pesto: Homemade pesto has the freshest flavor, but your favorite store-bought pesto works great too.
- Cherry Tomatoes: They soften as they cook and add a little sweetness that balances the creamy sauce.
- Almond Milk: I usually use unsweetened almond milk, but dairy milk or oat milk also works well.
- Garlic: Fresh garlic adds the best flavor.
- Parmesan: Optional, but freshly shaved Parmesan makes an excellent finishing touch.
Tips for the Best Pesto Chicken
- Pat the chicken dry before seasoning so it browns nicely.
- If your chicken breasts are thick, pound them to an even thickness so they cook evenly.
- Don’t overcrowd the pan. Cook the chicken in batches if needed.
- Let the chicken rest for about 5 minutes before slicing to keep it juicy.
Homemade vs. Store-Bought Pesto
Either option works well in this recipe.
Homemade pesto gives the sauce a brighter, fresher flavor, while store-bought pesto is perfect for busy weeknights. If using store-bought pesto, I sometimes add a little extra Parmesan and a squeeze of lemon juice to brighten the flavor. Costco has a great pesto, and I believe it’s their Kirkland brand. I have frozen single-serve portions of it ready for busy weeknights when I don’t want to make pesto from scratch.
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 the 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 in the pan, and add the cherry tomatoes.
- Simmer for 5-6 minutes over medium-low heat, stirring until the sauce thickens and the tomatoes burst.
- Garnish with parmesan cheese and fresh basil if desired and enjoy!
Common Mistakes to Avoid
- Overcooking the Chicken: Cook just until the chicken reaches 165°F to keep it tender and juicy.
- Using Sweetened Almond Milk: Always use unsweetened milk so the sauce doesn’t become sweet.
- Cooking the Sauce Over High Heat: High heat can cause the pesto to lose its bright flavor. Keep the sauce at a gentle simmer.
- Skipping the Garlic: Fresh garlic adds a lot of flavor and is worth using instead of garlic powder.
- Not Tasting Before Serving: Different pesto brands vary in saltiness, so taste the sauce before adding extra salt.
How to Keep Chicken Juicy
One of the easiest ways to end up with dry chicken is overcooking it. I recommend using an instant-read thermometer and cooking the chicken until it reaches 165°F. Once it’s done, let it rest for a few minutes before slicing so the juices stay inside the meat.
Common Questions
Yes. If you would like to use boneless and skinless chicken thighs instead of chicken breasts, you can. The Nutrition values will change.
Yes. This is a low-carb dish and perfect for those 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 for a wholesome meal.
Absolutely. Homemade pesto gives the sauce even more fresh basil flavor.
Definitely. Spinach, mushrooms, zucchini, broccoli, or asparagus are all delicious additions.
Fettuccine, penne, spaghetti, or orzo all pair well with the creamy pesto sauce.
Storage Recommendations
- Storage: Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
- Freezing: Allow the chicken to cool completely before freezing for up to 2 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator before reheating.
- Reheating: Warm leftovers in a skillet over low heat with a splash of milk to loosen the sauce. You can also microwave individual portions until heated through.
Easy Variations
- Toss cooked pasta into the sauce for a complete meal.
- Use boneless chicken thighs instead of breasts.
- Stir fresh spinach into the sauce. It cooks quickly and gives the dish a nice nutritional boost.
- Add sliced mushrooms in step 5 with the tomatoes.
- Sprinkle mozzarella over the chicken and broil for a few minutes.
- Add red pepper flakes for a little heat.
What to serve with pesto chicken
- Cilantro cauliflower rice
- How to cook rice on the stove
- Homemade Dinner Rolls
- Parmesan Oven-roasted asparagus
- Potatoes Au Gratin
- Potato Stacks
- Baked Parmesan Potato Wedges
More Chicken Recipes
- Thai Basil Chicken
- Honey Garlic Chicken Meal Prep
- Tuscan Chicken Pasta
- Cilantro Lime Chicken
- Sheet Pan Baked Chicken Breast
- Easy Chicken Pad Thai
- Hibachi Chicken Bowls
Thank you so much for being here and for cooking along with me. If you try this recipe, I’d love to hear how it turned out. Leave a comment and ⭐️ rating below.
Creamy Pesto Chicken (Easy One-Pan Dinner)
Video
Ingredients
- 1 pound chicken breasts, boneless and skinless
- Kosher salt and fresh ground pepper, to taste
- 2 tablespoons basil pesto, or homemade
- 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
- 2 cups cherry tomatoes
SAUCE:
- 1 tablespoon gluten-free flour
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 tablespoon basil pesto, or homemade
- 1 cup almond milk, or any other milk
- Kosher salt and fresh ground pepper, to taste
Optional to garnish:
- Freshly shaved parmesan, for garnish
- Fresh basil leaves
Instructions
- Place 1 pound chicken breasts in a Ziploc bag. Add in 2 tablespoons basil pesto, Kosher salt and fresh ground 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.
- After the chicken marinades and you are ready, in a small bowl, whisk all sauce ingredients until well combined. (1 tablespoon gluten-free flour, 2 garlic cloves -minced- 1 tablespoon basil pesto, 1 cup almond milk, and Kosher salt and fresh ground pepper)
- Heat the 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil in a large nonstick skillet. Add marinated chicken and cook for about 5 minutes per side or until cooked through.
- Pour this sauce over the chicken into the pan, and add in the 2 cups cherry tomatoes.
- Simmer for 5-6 minutes over medium-low heat, until the sauce thickens and the tomatoes burst.
- Garnish with Freshly shaved parmesan and Fresh basil leaves if desired and enjoy!
Notes
- The serving size is one chicken breast
- Pound the chicken breasts to an even thickness for even cooking.
- Homemade or store-bought pesto both work well.
- Use unsweetened almond milk for the best flavor.
- Add a splash of milk if the sauce thickens too much.
- Fresh Parmesan and basil make the perfect finishing touch.
- Leftovers keep well in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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!
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
Delicious meal. I served with bulgar wheat and quinoa and added sugar snaps. Make extra sauce it’s worth it.
Any tips on how to get sauce to thicken?
you can use corn starch, or arrowroot powder
excellent…made with my homemade pesto!
Homemade Pesto is the best
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.
Thanks for the feedback Mike. Glad you loved it
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!
Thank you Lisa
Delicious! I used 2% evaporated milk and it came out just like the picture!
This is so delicious! Made it with orzo pasta. Came out so creamy and tender.
Sounds yummy with orzo
Delicious! I served this with Alfredo pasta 🙂
Great combo!
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!
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.
Awesome. Glad you guys loved it
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.
Sounds yummy.
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.
Glad you loved it.
Made this the other night the wife loved it, I made double the sauce and used one cp. each cherry and sun dried tomatoes I will be making the again thanks.
Thank you Teddy
Chicken had amazing flavour and was moist and tender. We served it with Spud lite potato mash and steamed Broccolini.
Perfect. Glad you loved it.
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.
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.
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.
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.