I love using pesto in recipes because it adds tons of flavor in one fell swoop, which is super important when it comes to busy weeknights. This Creamy pesto Chicken is absolutely stunning on the plate, yet it’s super fast and easy. This is another one of those great “date night” dinners for when you want to impress someone, but you’re nervous so you also need something easy and fool-proof. 😅
What Kind of Pesto to Use
The beauty of this dish is that you can use just about any type of pesto. I used a basil pesto this time around, but a red pesto would also be awesome. Pesto can be on the pricey side, but there are several brands that are a bit more affordable. Look for Alessi, Barilla, Classico, or Filippo Berio.
What Else Can I Add?
This deliciously creamy pesto sauce pairs well with several different ingredients, if you want to take this dish up a notch. Try adding spinach, artichokes, or broccoli for some extra veggies. Or if you want to make this dish extra indulgent, add some grated Parmesan on top, too. I probably also wouldn’t be against adding bacon. 😏
What to Serve with Creamy Pesto Chicken
This chicken has a super lush and creamy sauce and you won’t want to waste a single drop, so make sure to serve this chicken with pasta, rice, or garlic bread to soak it all up. You can spoon the chicken and sauce over a bed of pasta or rice, or serve the chicken and sauce in a bowl with some crusty bread for dipping.
Because the sauce is so rich, you’ll definitely want to serve up something light and fresh on the side, so this is the perfect opportunity to make a simple side salad.
Creamy Pesto Chicken
Servings 4Ingredients
- 2 boneless, skinless chicken breast (about 1.3 lb. total) ($6.59)
- 1/8 tsp salt ($0.01)
- 1/8 tsp pepper ($0.01)
- 2 Tbsp olive oil, divided ($0.32)
- 2 cloves garlic, minced ($0.16)
- 1 pint grape tomatoes, sliced in half ($2.00)
- 1/2 cup heavy cream ($0.62)
- 1/4 cup pesto ($0.99)
Instructions
- Fillet the chicken breasts into two thinner pieces (or pound the chicken to an even thickness then cut each breast in half to create four portions). Season the chicken with a pinch of salt and pepper on both sides.
- Heat a large skillet over medium heat. Once hot, add 1 Tbsp oil and swirl to coat the surface. Add the chicken to the skillet and cook on each side until golden brown and cooked through (about 7-10 minutes total). Remove the chicken to a clean plate.
- Turn the heat down to medium-low. Add the remaining olive oil to the skillet along with the minced garlic and halved grape tomatoes. Sauté for about five minutes, or until the tomatoes start to soften and lose their shape.
- Add the heavy cream and pesto to the skillet with the tomatoes and stir to combine. Allow the sauce to come up to a simmer. Taste the sauce and adjust the salt or pepper to your liking.
- Add the chicken back to the skillet with the tomatoes and sauce, turning to coat the chicken. Allow the chicken to simmer in the sauce for just a few minutes more to heat through. Serve hot.
See how we calculate recipe costs here.
Nutrition
Have you tried this recipe?Mention @budgetbytes or tag #budgetbytes on Instagram!If you love creamy chicken recipes, try out our Creamy Garlic Chicken recipe next!
How to Make Creamy Pesto Chicken – Step by Step Photos
Fillet two boneless, skinless chicken breasts into two thinner pieces (or you can pound the chicken to an even thickness and then cut each piece in half horizontally to make four portions). Season the chicken with a pinch of salt and pepper on both sides.
Heat a large skillet over medium. Once hot, add a tablespoon of olive oil and swirl to coat the surface. Add the chicken breast and cook on each side until golden brown and cooked through (7-10 minutes total). Remove the chicken to a clean plate.
Reduce the heat to medium-low, then add the remaining 1 Tbsp oil, 1 pint of grape tomatoes (halved) and 2 cloves of garlic (minced). Sauté the tomatoes and garlic in the skillet for a few minutes, or until the tomatoes begin to soften and lose their shape.
Add ¼ cup pesto and ½ cup heavy cream to the skillet. Stir to combine. Allow the sauce to come up to a simmer. Taste the sauce and add salt or pepper if needed.
Add the chicken back to the skillet and coat it in the sauce. Simmer the chicken in the sauce for a few more minutes or until heated through.
This sauce is so creamy and delicious, you’ll want to lick your plate!
First time reader, loved this recipe. Also love the fact that cost is added, great visual for budgeting purposes.
I’ve made probably 50 recipes from this website over the last decade (assuming it’s been around that long?) and this is an absolute must cook. I tend to lean toward the one-pot, heavy, rich, meal prep style casseroles, and there are a ton of great recipes like that here. This recipe isn’t that, it doesn’t freeze well (tomatoes and reheating chicken), doesn’t shine as a leftover, but it is such a fantastic meal that you have to try it with some pasta or a side salad. Great recipe.
Was delicious and easy but I did make changes. I season the chicken in Cajun seasoning For a spicy kick. Used cherry tomatoes from our garden and homemade pesto. Didn’t have heavy cream or half-and-half, so I subbed with a simple bechamel sauce. Thank you for sharing this recipe with us.
This recipe was so delicious and easy to put together. It was gone in one evening. I added a smidge more heavy cream and served this over fettuccini noodles. I used Rao’s pesto which makes the absolute best pasta sauce and the pesto didn’t disappoint either.
Even my son who isn’t a fan of “creamy” dishes loved this one. Will definitely keep in the rotation for future meals.
Delish! I did not have heavy cream so I used half and half and added a bit of butter. I have some left over pasta which I dropped into the sauce to reheat. Super easy meal!
Delicious!! Easy and very flavorful.
So good, I ended up serving it over mashed potatoes which was so nice!
So ver y good and so quick to make! Loved and will be making again many times!
I made this 3 times and all 3 times it came out different
But all tasted very good.
Added different things each time
Thank you
OMG! So delicious! I purchased some pesto sauce when I was in Italy and I couldn’t wait to use it! The sauce is amazing! This recipe was so easy to make. I didn’t have fettuccine on hand so I made some penne and it’s really good!
Simple, fast and delicious! I did chop the chicken into bite size pieces
Tried this and it was very good!!
We’ve cooked this sooo many times and it always turns out so well! We swapped double cream for single cream and also add mushrooms and spinach to this recipe. Last time we tried it with a roasted bell pepper and some sun dried tomatoes and it turned out delicious .
This was amazing! Such a great weeknight meal. Paired with roasted broccoli and spinach ravioli. Will def be making again!
Since it’s garden season, I was looking for new ways to use my homemade pesto. This recipe is a keeper! In fact, my husband woke me up (he’s an evening worker, so he warms his dinner after I’m in bed) to tell me how amazing it was! I used chopped garden tomatoes instead of the grape tomatoes, and I also added sauteed mushrooms and spinach, and served it over rice. Will definitely return to this one again!