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Baked Pesto Chicken

This Baked Pesto Chicken is a delicious and healthy dinner featuring seasoned tender and juicy chicken topped with zesty pesto, fresh tomatoes and melted mozzarella cheese.

Ready under 30 minutes, this easy baked pesto chicken recipe is truly exploding in flavors and taste as good as it looks. One of our favorite quick dinners on busy evenings!

A skillet of baked chicken pesto topped with mozzarella and tomatoes

Easy Pesto Chicken Bake

This baked pesto chicken recipe it’s no ordinary oven baked chicken. It is seasoned with Italian herbssmeared with a generous amount of pesto, and topped with fresh tomato slices and mozzarella cheese.

In other words, filled with so much amazing flavors and textures, it will totally blow your mind!

Baked pesto chicken is inspired by chicken parmesanpesto style! Flavors are hard-hitting and absolutely fantastic.

You can make your own pesto – and I have a fantastic pesto recipe should you choose to embark on the pesto-making adventure.

Or, you can take the easy route and buy a jar of ready-made pesto. There is no shame in that! In fact, there are so many very delicious jarred pestos that will make life so much easier when you don’t have time to make it from scratch.

This is baked pesto chicken recipe, We sear the chicken on the skillet first to lock in the flavor and juices, and then finish it up it in the oven.

The final product is a tender, moist pesto flavored chicken that is loaded with the yummy flavors from the basil and garlic pesto, covered in melted gooey cheese, and topped with fresh tomato slices for that fresh bite of tang.

Whether you are dinner prepping for your family of picky eaters, making a fancy date night meal at home for that special someone, or simply cooking dinner for yourself, you can’t go wrong with this pesto chicken recipe!

It truly has the power to transform a simple meal concept into something truly extraordinary.

Chicken cutlets topped with pesto, melted cheese and sliced tomato

Ingredients

Our baked pesto chicken cooks up with only 10 ingredients. Here is everything you need:

  • thinly sliced boneless, skinless chicken breast – chicken breasts are usually pretty thick, so I like to slice them lengthwise in half so that it’s thinner for this recipe. It will also cook faster and more evenly. Or you can use chicken cutlets that are already thinly sliced.
  • dried basil – add this to the chicken to further enhance the basil notes from pesto.
  • dried oregano – a staple in Italian cooking to boost the chicken’s flavors.
  • garlic powder – brings another dimension of flavor to season the plain chicken meat.
  • salt – to open up the flavor profile.
  • black pepper
  • pesto – use good quality bottle pesto for the best flavor. Homemade pesto is delicious as well but it definitely takes more time to put together.
  • mozzarella – I use shredded mozzarella but fresh mozzarella is great for this as well.
  • tomato – this enhances the Italian flavors in the baked pesto chicken and also adds a burst of freshness into the dish.

How to make baked pesto chicken

Let’s make some baked pesto chicken

Use a large oven-safe skillet that can fit all the thinly sliced chicken breast. We will be searing in this skillet on the stovetop and then baking the chicken in the oven in the same skillet.

Searing is an additional step, but it is so worth to give the pesto chicken some amazing flavors and textures. Just FIVE extra minutes! And MUCH tastier!

If you do not have an oven-safe skillet. Transfer the seared chicken breast to an oven safe dish to bake.

We’ll start by seasoning chicken breasts or cutlets with a simple but yummy seasoning blend of saltdried oreganodried basil, and garlic powder. This will give the plain old chicken meat an added layer of flavor.

Next, add olive oil to heat up an oven-safe skillet on medium high heat. When skillet is hot, place seasoned chicken onto the skillet and sear them on one side. Avoid overlapping so that they sear nicely.

When chicken is slightly browned, flip and sear the other side.

Once chicken is seared on both sides (they don’t have to be fully cooked), add pesto on top of chicken…and be generous!

More pesto = more yummy flavors!

Searing seasoned chicken breast on a skillet, then topping with pesto

Transfer skillet to the oven heated to 350℉ and bake for 15 minutes.

Remove oven from skillet and pile on the mozzarella cheese and a few tomato slices

Topped baked chicken pesto with shredded mozzarella cheese and a slice of tomato

Send your baked pesto chicken back to the oven to bake for another 5 minutes or until cheese is completely melted.

I like to broil for an extra 3 minutes to brown the tops before removing from the oven.

Remove pesto chicken and check for doneness using a meat thermometer. Chicken should have an internal temperature of 165℉.

When chicken is done cooking, you have a skillet full of juicy flavorful moist baked pesto chicken that is smothered in gooey beautiful melted cheese.

Baked pesto chicken pieces on a skillet

Cheese is gooey and chewy; tomatoes are juicy with a slight touch of sweetness; pesto and basil brings savory herb flavors…

So flavorful, so delicious…I’m obsessed with baked pesto chicken and I have this feeling you will be too!

Serving Suggestions

There are so many ways to serve baked pesto chicken. Here are some of my favorites:

Tips and Tricks

A few additional notes for making bakes pesto chicken:

  • Searing chicken: Make sure to get the skillet hot over medium heat before placing the seasoned chicken. This helps in getting a nice sear on the chicken, locking in moisture and flavor. Searing is an extra step, but makes SUCH a difference to the flavors and textures of the chicken.
  • Seasoning: Adjust the seasoning spices according to your taste. You can add a pinch of paprika or use different herbs like thyme or rosemary if you prefer. Red pepper flakes will give your chicken a spicy kick as well.
  • Even Cooking: Ensure that the chicken pieces are of uniform thickness. You can pound them to an even thickness if needed for more consistent cooking.
  • Flavor Boost: While the pesto adds tons of flavor, you can also mix in a little lemon juice or lemon zest for a bright, fresh twist or a little bit of parmesan cheese. For another extra dose of flavor, sprinkle crumbled bacon on top of the cheese and tomatoes.
  • Avoid Overcooking Chicken: Use a meat thermometer to check for doneness. Once chicken is done, remove from skillet/heat promptly so it doesn’t overcook. Overcooked chicken is tough and not appetizing.
A skillet of pesto chicken with a pair of tongs next to it

Storage and Reheating

Store leftover pesto chicken in air tight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.

When ready to consume, cover pesto chicken with aluminum foil and reheat in the oven at 350℉ until chicken is heated through (around 15-20 minutes), or pop it in the microwave for a quicker reheat.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I use bone-in chicken pieces? 

You can, but it will require a longer cooking time. Boneless, skinless chicken breasts work best for this recipe for quick and easy cooking. Boneless, skinless chicken thighs work well too.

I don’t like tomatoes. What can I substitute? 

You can just omit it completely.

How do I prevent the chicken from drying out? 

1) Searing chicken first is an important step to lock in the moisture in the chicken. However, avoid searing chicken for too long. You don’t have to sear chicken until it is completely cooked on the insides, we will be transferring chicken to the oven to be fully cooked.
2) Avoid overcooking the chicken in the oven. Removing chicken as soon as the internal temperature reaches 165 °F (use a meat thermometer to verify) will help retain its moisture.

How can I tell when the chicken is done?

To check for doneness, the internal temperature of the chicken should reach 165℉ using a meat thermometer. Also, the juices should run clear when the chicken is pierced with a fork.

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More Chicken Recipes

A thin slice of chicken breast topped with pesto, melted mozzarella cheese and sliced tomato

Baked Pesto Chicken

Juicy and flavorful chicken is coated in basil pesto, topped with fresh tomatoes and gooey mozzarella cheese, and baked to perfection in the oven. It’s an easy and healthy dinner recipe that’s ready under 30 minutes.
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Course: Main Course
Cuisine: American, Italian
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 25 minutes
Total Time: 30 minutes
Servings: 6 servings
Author: MinShien

Ingredients

  • 5-6 pieces thinly sliced chicken breasts or chicken cutlets
  • 1 tsp dried basil
  • 1 tsp dried oregano
  • 1 tsp garlic powder
  • 1 tsp salt
  • ¼ tsp black pepper
  • 1 tsp cooking oil
  • ½ cup pesto
  • 1 cup mozzarella shredded
  • 1 large tomato sliced

Instructions

  • Preheat oven to 350℉.
  • Heat an oven-safe skillet over medium heat.
  • While skillet is heating up, mix together dried basil, dried oregano, salt and black pepper, and season both sides of all the chicken pieces.
  • Once skillet is warm, drizzle with oil and place chicken pieces into the skillet.
  • Cook just until the chicken starts to brown. Flip and brown the other side.
  • Add a big dollop of pesto to each chicken piece.
  • Place chicken in the oven and cook for 15 minutes.
  • Remove from oven. Top each chicken piece with mozzarella and tomato slices. Return to oven for 5 more minutes, or until mozzarella cheese is melted.
  • Broil the pesto chicken for 2-3 minutes to brown the tops.
  • Remove from oven. Serve and enjoy!
Did you make this recipe?Take a pic and tag me at @joyous.apron, or hashtag #joyousapron on Instagram!

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