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Baked Pesto Chicken is one of the easiest chicken dinners you will ever make! Coated with pesto, smothered in cheese, and topped with fresh tomatoes this recipe for pesto chicken is low in carbs, yet big on flavor!
Love basil pesto? Don't miss my recipes for Pesto Pasta, Chicken Pesto Pizza, and Antipasto Skewers.
Pesto Chicken Delivers Flavor with Ease
When it comes to dinner, my motto is to keep it simple, yet wholesome and flavorful. And this recipe for Baked Pesto Chicken, right along with stir-fried chicken and bok choy and baked chicken cordon bleu, ranks up there as one of my favorite simple, flavorful chicken breast recipes.
From the bright herbaceous flavors of the pesto to the gooey cheese to the burst of freshness from tomatoes, this Chicken Pesto is insanely delicious and super simple to make. It is a dinner recipe I turn to when I want flavor fast and have zero energy to cook.
Happy Cooking! xo Kristen
Notes on Ingredients
- Chicken: In order to get dinner on the table fast and infuse the chicken with the most flavor, it is best to use chicken cutlets. Instead of purchasing chicken cutlets, it is more cost effective to cut boneless, skinless chicken breasts in half horizontally to form cutlets.
- Pesto: Basil pesto is a powerhouse ingredient! It gives this simple dish so much flavor. While I highly recommend using homemade basil pesto (it is super eays to make!), you can opt to use your favorite store-bought pesto.
- Cheese: Both mozzarella and parmesan cheese add that melty, gooey factor that takes pesto chicken over the top.
- Tomatoes + Fresh Basil: For a fresh, herbaceous finish, I love topping the baked pesto chicken with a combination of fresh tomatoes and fresh basil. I typically opt to use grape or cherry tomatoes, as they are delicious year-round, but feel free to use any variety of ripe tomatoes.
How Make Baked Pesto Chicken
The following tips are provided to help you achieve perfect results. You will find the ingredient quantities and detailed instructions in the recipe card at the bottom of this post.
- Prepare Chicken Cutlets. If not using chicken cutlets, start this recipe by cutting chicken breasts in half horizontally to form cutlets. This speed up the baking process and allows for more surface area, which in turn equals more flavor!
- Coat Chicken with Pesto. Be sure to coat each side of the chicken generously with the pesto so that every bite is nice and flavorful.
- Add Cheese Midway Through Baking. After baking the pesto chicken for 15 minutes, remove the pan from the oven, top the chicken with both mozzarella and parmesan cheese, and return to the oven to melt the cheese and finish baking the chicken.
- Prepare Tomato Topping. While the chicken finishes baking, toss together grape tomatoes with olive oil, salt, pepper, and basil in a small mixing bowl. It is completely optional but takes this recipe from great to spectacular.
- Serve Pesto Chicken with Tomatoes. Serve the chicken with the fresh tomato topping for one of the BEST easy chicken recipes! Fresh, cheesy, and incredibly flavorful!
Serving Suggestions
Pesto Chicken is one of those no-fuss recipes that is perfect for a busy weeknight or entertaining guests. Make it a meal using the following suggestions.
- Pair with a Salad: Keep dinner on the lower-carb side and pair this baked chicken a grilled zucchini salad, or copycat Panera Greek salad. And it obviously pairs beautifully with a classic caprese salad.
- Add a Starchy Side: I find I can feed more people by adding a hearty side dish, like pesto pasta, orzo rice, or smashed potatoes.
- Round Out Dinner with Veggies: Complete dinner with a side or Instant Pot steamed green beans, parmesan roasted broccoli, or air fryer asparagus.
More Easy Chicken Recipes
Did you make this recipe?
If you enjoyed this recipe, please leave a comment with a 5-star review at the bottom of the post. Thank you!
Baked Pesto Chicken
Video
Ingredients
For the Pesto Chicken
- olive oil for greasing pan
- 2 large boneless, skinless chicken breasts, or 4 thin chicken cutlets
- ¼ cup basil pesto
- ½ cup mozzarella cheese, shredded
- 2 tablespoons grated parmesan cheese
Tomato Topping (Optional)
- 1 pint cherry or grape tomatoes, halved
- ½ tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
- ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
- freshly ground black pepper
- 4-5 fresh basil leaves, cut into ribbons
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400°F (200℃). Lightly grease a 9x13 baking dish with nonstick spray or olive oil.
- Slice chicken breasts in half horizontally to create 4 cutlets. Pat the chicken dry with a paper towel.
- Place the chicken into the prepared pan. Top each chicken breast with ½ tablespoon of the pesto, rubbing or brushing the pesto evenly on the chicken cutlets. Flip the chicken, and repeat the process so that both sides are coated in pesto.
- Bake for 15-18 minutes or until the chicken has reached an internal temperature of 158-160℉ (70-71℃). Remove the chicken from the oven and top with the ½ cup mozzarella cheeseshredded mozzarella cheese and parmesan cheese.
- Return to the oven and bake for an additional 3 to 5 minutes or until cheese is melted. Remove the chicken from the oven and let rest, for the juices to redistribute.
- While the chicken is resting, toss the tomatoes with ½ tablespoon extra virgin olive oil, ¼ teaspoon kosher salt, and freshly ground black pepper to taste in a medium mixing bowl. Add basil ribbons and gently toss to incorporate.
- Serve the chicken warm with the fresh tomato topping.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
This was easy and tasty and we'll do it again. This pesto was purchased but we'll try Kristen's homemade pesto next. One minor point of confusion was the amount of cheese - I can do "½ cup mozzarella cheese," but wasn't sure how much "2 tablespoons grated parmesan cheese" was, so I just put "some" on. Worked out just fine.
Hi John! Thrilled you enjoyed. I am sorry the 2 tablespoons of grated parmesan cheese was confusing to you. You can either grate it and measure it OR just eyeball it like you did and that works out well. 🙂 Thanks for sharing.
Made this last night-used your pesto recipe as well. Absolutely delicious!
I love hearing that Amy! I hope you are doing well!
One of my FAV easy dinners!! So tasty!
Ridiculously easy, but packed with flavor! Can't wait to make it again when we have garden fresh tomatoes!
Isn't that the best kind of meal?! Thanks for sharing!
Pesto makes anything that much better. I love how easy and flavorful this is!
How many tomatoes?
I use 1-pint cherry/grape tomatoes. You can use 2 cups of diced, seeded roma or vine-ripened tomatoes.
Question, my husband hates chicken breast, can I use skinless thighs
Absolutely!
This pesto chicken turned out great! My family all went back for seconds. I used your pesto recipe, which is also fabulous.
Thanks Beth! I love hearing you enjoyed both recipes 🙂