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. Smashed potatoes 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 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 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 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. 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.
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 Buttery herb boiled potatoes lemon garlic pasta Seasoned potato wedges Cauliflower rice
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.
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. If you made this easy chicken breast recipe, don’t forget to leave me feedback. Tag me @thedinnerbite on Instagram and save away to your Pinterest. Please subscribe to the blog if you haven’t for free new recipes in your inbox
