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.
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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!
Delicious!!! Easy and quick too. Even though my hubby does not like cherry tomatoes, he happily ate them in this dish. I used chicken thighs and served over risotto with basil/balsamic/walnut green beans on the side. I took the leftovers(really a very small portion was left) to work the next day and I think the flavors were better. This is a keeper and I think it would work well with other meats/fish/tofu or serve the sauce over noodles. Very versatile sauce. Thanks for sharing Beth!
Made this for dinner and it was a big hit with everyone. My picky eater even loved it. Thank you!!
I dice the chicken up into 1″ pieces, then make the recipe adding fresh mushrooms as well and serve over pasta. Wonderful stuff!
Easy and tastes great! Substituted heavy cream with milk and butter since I didn’t have cream on hand. It was delicious. I will make it again once I get heavy cream.
Made this last night with roasted red pepper pesto and substituted cream cheese + chicken stock for the heavy cream, because that was what I had. It was so delicious. I can’t wait for dinnertime so I can have it again!
This sauce is so easy and so yummy. I did double up on the cream though but left the pesto the same. I thought the flavor would be too strong otherwise. It was perfect.
Delicious thank you! I was wondering if next time I could substitute heavy cream with greek yogurt and pesto? Would love to hear your thoughts!
Since we haven’t tested with greek yogurt, I can’t promise the results would be equally successful. However, I don’t think it would be bad…but it will change the flavor and consistency of the sauce. Since greek yogurt is very thick, I would suggest using a smaller amount of the yogurt and thinning it out with something like milk, buttermilk, or coconut milk, to make the full amount called for in the recipe so it has the same consistency as heavy cream. ~ Marion :)
8.8/10
Omg, this was absolutely delicious and easy! Loved the recipe, made it over rice and added marinated artichoke hearts and will definitely do so again.
Easy and delicious. Definitely double the pesto and cream if serving with a full pound of pasta.
So good and filling. Let’s talk about easy!! We put it over rice.
This recipe is fantastic- added spinach and a dash of Parmesan as suggested, even more fantastic – and so simple! Really appreciate all the detail in your recipes for less experienced cooks like me- stating the specifics about level of heat, estimated cook times, pictures etc. I follow it closely and meals are amazing on my first try:)
Wonderful and easy! I cut my chicken into bite sized pieces before cooking, and added palmini angel hair “noodles” when I added the pesto and cream. Also added a little grated parm when serving. Will definitely make this again!
Sounds great the way you made it! Will have to try it that way
A family favorite. I always double the recipe.
I used the fat from one can of coconut cream. So GOOD
So happy you mentioned this! I was looking in the comments to see if it would work with coconut cream for us dairy free folk.