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!
So easy and so good!
Can you freeze the sauce?
You should be able to! It may separate a bit when you reheat it, but some whisking should do the trick.
Amazing flavor with so few ingredients! This recipe is going on our regular rotation. Thank you ❤️
My husband made this for us today and it was wonderful. We finished our lunch and it was a bit difficult to move afterwards. This definitely is meant for dinner. 😅
We changed the recipe just a smidgen, based on the other comments about the amount of sauce. We doubled the amount of cream and pesto, and it was perfect with some fettuccine noodles.
If you’re reading this, I highly recommend you give it a try! Thanks Beth, for such a simple, tasty recipe.
So delicious! This was my first time trying pesto and I love it. Will be making this again!
This was fantastic, so flavorful easy to make. I added some artichoke hearts and a few sundried tomatoes just to give it a little extra. Because this is a definite make again, I saw some folks added spinach which I will try next time. You can’t go wrong with this one!!
It was so Delicious I loved it.Excellent Dish. I’d give it A 10.
Delicious😋 I added some spinach at the end which added some rich color to the dish. Everyone loved this dish and ate every bite. It will definitely be added to the dinner rotation. It was quick and easy but looked and tasted like something you slaved over.
Was super impressed how easy and delicious this was! Im not a chef by any means but date night was very successful!
This was so simple yet delicious and packed with flavor.
OMG!!!!!!! This was sooooooo good!!!!!! We loved it. Thank you so much.
Several family members can’t eat dairy. Would coconut cream work in this recipe, do you think? Or are there other alternatives?
That could possibly work, but I’d really need to test it first to be sure. Also keep in mind that Pesto has Parmesan in it as well.
Sounds great. Can I substitute something else for the heavy cream?
half and half would work! Or if you’re needing dairy-free you should be able to use a dairy-free plant cream, like country crock. Chicken broth with some cream cheese stirred in could also work, but we haven’t tested it on this exact recipe.
I cut the chicken into short strips before sauteing and then add sliced fresh mushrooms along with the tomatoes and garlic, before serving over pasta. Simple, quick and good!
So tasty, so easy – definitely a winner! Hubby loves it. It’s a go to recipe for busy weeknights.
A favorite in my household!! Absolutely delicious and easy!!
Made this many times. Always delicious. Added half a cayenne pepper last time. Oh la la! Delicious 😋