Baked Pesto Chicken Breast

baked chicken breast over a skillet with pesto, veggies, and melted cheese

5 from 1 vote

Baked chicken breasts made with flavorful pesto sauce, melted mozzarella cheese, and fresh veggies. Simple, tasty, and juicy chicken dish that's ready in

Prep Time10

Cook Time30

Total Time40

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: American

Diet: Gluten Free

Servings:

Author: Rena

Equipment

Sharp Chef's knife
cutting board
non stick skillet

Ingredients

4 boneless skinless chicken breast
Kosher salt and pepper to taste
4 tbsp pesto sauce divided
2 medium zucchini chopped
3 -4 Garlic cloves minced
1 cup cherry tomatoes halved
1 yellow bell pepper diced
1 tbsp olive oil
1 cup Mozzarella cheese shredded

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 375F.
Season the chicken breast with salt and pepper. Rub each with half of the pesto sauce.
Preheat an oven-safe skillet over medium heat. Sear the chicken for about 3-4 minutes per side, until golden brown.
Meanwhile, in a bowl stir the zucchini, tomatoes, bell pepper, garlic, oil, salt and pepper.
Add the coated veggies to the skillet next to the seared chicken.
Bake for about 15-20 minutes, or until the internal temperature of the chicken reaches 175F.
Baste the chicken and veggies with the remaining pesto sauce and sprinkle with the mozzarella.
Bake for 5-7 minutes, or until the cheese is melted.

Notes

Use a meat thermometer to ensure the chicken reaches the safe internal temp of 165°F.

Don't move the chicken too much when searing. Let it get a nice golden crust before flipping.

If you don't have an oven-safe skillet, just transfer it to a baking dish before moving it to the oven.

Let the baked chicken rest for 5 minutes before serving. This allows the juices to reabsorb back into the meat.

Nutrition