This creamy Pesto Chicken recipe is one that you can make over and over again and never get tired of! It is super simple to make, with only six ingredients, but tastes like it came straight out of a restaurant kitchen, so no one will know that you didn’t slave all day over it. The Pesto Chicken is rich and loaded with bold flavors of basil and garlic layered on between tender chicken and creamy cheese. It goes perfectly with a side of crusty bread and a roasted veggie for a hot, satisfying dinner.
Pesto Chicken Recipe
This is one of those recipes that is so simple that once you make it, you might think, “Why did I never think of making it this way before?!” Because even though it only has a few ingredients, the way those ingredients combine to make this Pesto Chicken, it is pure delicious bliss. As a matter of fact, the day we first made this, we made 9 recipes, and this was the most simple. It was also the one we unanimously voted the most delicious!
Look at this picture! Do you see the thick creamy pesto layer resting on the tender chicken all blanketed in that delicious cheese? Seriously. Perfection people. Pure perfection.
The recipe has 6 simple ingredients and is made in one casserole dish so you can make it quickly and clean it up just as fast. The recipe calls for ingredients that are a staple in my fridge/pantry so it makes it easy to whip this dinner up when I get to the end of the day and haven’t figured out what I am going to make yet. …..I mean not that it ever happens to me.
This recipe is pretty universally delicious. Kids, adults, and even picky teens all really like it. As a bonus, it is also gluten free and low carb. Plus, there are several options for serving it so that you can cater to specific dietary needs, or just those picky eaters.
What are good sides to serve with Pesto Chicken?
With this dish, the serving options are really almost limitless. There are many sides that pair well, but since Pesto Chicken sits on the Italian side of the flavor spectrum, so I like to keep true to those flavors when I pair it with side dishes. Here are some of my favorite serving options:
- With pasta
- On rice or risotto (as seen below)
- With a crusty bread, or garlic toast
- On a bed of mashed potatoes
- With a side of smashed potatoes
Low Carb serving options:
In addition to the ideas above these low carb options can be paired together with those above or each other for a well rounded dinner plate.
- Over sautéed spinach (or other greens) – as seen above
- With a side salad- I like greens with tomato, artichoke, feta and balsamic vinaigrette
- With roasted cauliflower
- With veggies (green beans, steamed broccoli, brussel sprouts, etc)
- With cauliflower rice
A serving of Pesto Chicken plus one or two of these sides will make a filling and well rounded dinner. If you have a favorite way that you like to serve this dish that isn’t listed, I would love for you to leave me a comment below so I can try it!
Can you Freeze Pesto Chicken?
This Pesto Chicken recipe makes a great freezer meal so that you can have this dinner ready to pop in the oven in just minutes. You can freeze it both before or after cooking.
To freeze Pesto Chicken before cooking– Mix pesto and cream cheese and place in a zip top bag, place chicken and pesto mixture in a large ziplock bag and freeze. When ready to cook, thaw and place chicken in the pan, spread pesto mixture over chicken, continue with recipe as directed.
To freeze Pesto Chicken after cooking– Cool Pesto Chicken, then place in an airtight container. Freeze for up to a month. If preferred, separate into portion sized containers or chop meat before freezing. I like to do this so that it can easily be used to prep another meal like a pesto panini, or a pesto chicken pizza.
How to Make Pesto Chicken
This recipe is super simple, however I will share below some of my tips, tricks and preferences on how to make Pesto Chicken to help you get the best result and hopefully answer any questions that you have. If you want to quick version of the recipe, scroll down for the full, printable recipe card at the bottom of this post. If you still have questions, feel free to ask away in the comments below!
Pesto Chicken- Ingredients
- 2 lbs boneless, skinless chicken breast- This is about 3-4 chicken breasts usually. If the chicken breasts are thick, I recommend cutting them to half the thickness so that they cook more evenly. You can also use chicken breast tenderloins, however the cook time will be reduced.
- 8 oz Philadelphia cream cheese, softened- I use original Philadelphia cream cheese, but you can also sub light cream cheese. Do not use fat free because it does not melt the same.
- 1/3 cup basil pesto, prepared- This is a biggie! You need to use good pesto. I prefer the brands that are refrigerated to the jarred varieties. My personal favorites are the Costco, or Sam’s Club brand. I have also seen some Walmarts that carry it too. I think they taste the same. If you don’t have access to one of those they often sell other brands in the refrigerator section next to where they have the fresh pasta and sauces.
- 1 cup mozzarella cheese, shredded
Garnish
- 1/2 cup cherry tomatoes, halved- You can use any tomatoes but I like cherry or grape because they are really sweet and really compliment the flavor of the dish. If you want to use other tomatoes you can just dice them and top the chicken with it.
- 6 leaves fresh basil, chopped- This makes a really pretty presentation but with all of the fresh pesto in the dish, if you can’t get fresh basil, you can just leave it off the garnish without much impact to the taste of the dish. I know sometimes in the winter it can be hard to get good fresh basil.
Pesto Chicken Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375˚F.
- Mix softened cream cheese and pesto together until combined. The important thing here is that the cream cheese MUST be softened. It won’t mix if it is cold. If you forget to set it out, you can put it in a microwavable safe bowl and microwave it for 30 seconds, stir and continue to microwave at 15 second increments stirring in between until the cheese is softened throughout.
- Lay chicken breasts flat in a large baking dish. Spread pesto mixture evenly over the chicken breasts and sprinkle the mozzarella over the top.
- Bake for 35-40 minutes or until the chicken is cooked through (internal temperature of 165˚F.) I often get asked if you should cover the dish. I bake my chicken on the middle rack of the oven and I do not cover it for a couple of reasons. First, I have never found the cheese to get overly browned during the cooking time. Second, and more importantly, the chicken will release juices as it bakes and this helps some of the additional liquid to cook off so that the dish stays nice and creamy and doesn’t end up watery.
With that said, every oven cooks differently based on the size and power, and altitude and climate also are a factor in cooking so if you find that your Pesto Chicken is getting more browned than you want it to, then you can loosely cover with foil for the remainder of the cook time to protect it from additional browning while the chicken finishes cooking. - Garnish with cherry tomatoes and fresh basil. Serve hot over rice, spinach, pasta, or mashed potatoes. Enjoy!
What to do with leftover Pesto Chicken
Leftover Pesto Chicken… if you have any leftovers… can be stored in both the refrigerator or the freezer. You can store the chicken in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days or in the freezer for up to a month.
Pesto Chicken reheats well, especially with mashed potatoes, but one of my favorite things to do is to use the leftovers to make another dish. A few ideas are:
- Pesto Chicken Pizza– Spread the pizza crust with a thin layer of pesto. Chop the leftover pesto chicken up and evenly spread it over the pizza crust. Top with cheese and cherry tomato halves. Bake as directed on the crust.
- Pesto Chicken Panini– Slice the leftover pesto chicken. Place the slices with some of the pesto cheese sauce between two slices of nice italian bread. Add fresh spinach and additional mozzarella cheese. Spread butter or olive oil on each of the outer sides of the bread and then press in a panini press or cook on a griddle on medium heat for 3-5 minutes a side.
- Pesto Chicken Tortellini– Chop and reheat leftover Pesto Chicken. Cook tortellini per package instructions. Once done drain in a colander over a couple of handfuls of fresh spinach (this will perfectly wilt the spinach) and mix the tortellini and spinach with pesto sauce to lightly coat then stir in the chopped chicken.
I really hope that you enjoy this Pesto Chicken recipe as much as we do! It is now officially on regular rotation at our house. If you do get a chance to try it, I would love it if you would let me know! Nothing makes my heart happier than knowing others are enjoying the recipes that I share. You can leave a comment below, or if you share a photo you can tag me on Instagram @easyfamilyrecipes so I can see what you are cooking up!
Hungry for more family-friendly recipes? Sign up for my free recipe club to get new family-friendly recipes in your inbox each week! Find me sharing daily meal-time inspiration on Pinterest and Instagram.
Pesto Chicken
Ingredients
- 2 lbs boneless skinless chicken breast (3-4 chicken breasts)
- 8 oz Philadelphia cream cheese softened
- 1/3 cup basil pesto prepared
- 1 cup mozzarella cheese shredded
- Garnish
- 1/2 cup cherry tomatoes halved
- 6 leaves fresh basil chopped
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375˚F.
- Mix softened cream cheese and pesto together until combined.
- Lay chicken breasts flat in a large baking dish. Spread pesto mixture evenly over the chicken breasts and sprinkle the mozzarella over the top.
- Bake for 35-40 minutes or until the chicken is cooked through (internal temperature of 165˚F.)
- Garnish with cherry tomatoes and fresh basil. Serve hot over rice, spinach, pasta, or mashed potatoes. Enjoy!
Recipe Notes:
- If chicken breasts are thick, I recommend butterflying them (cutting in half so they are half the thickness) so that they cook more quickly and evenly.
- You can cut the chicken in half, chunks, or use chicken tenderloins in lieu of full chicken breasts to make serving easier. Cooking time may be reduced.
- Leftovers can be stored in the refrigerator in an air tight container for up to 3-5 days, or in the freezer for up to a month. The chicken reheats well, or can be shredded and mixed into the sauce for using on other dishes like pizza, manicotti, or in a panini.
Nutrition Information:
(Nutrition information provided is an estimate and will vary based on cooking methods and brands of ingredients used.)
Seana Turner says
I love anything with pesto, but especially chicken. I could up the nutrition by serving it all on a bed of sauteed spinach or kale too.. yum! Thanks for sharing:)
Kimber says
Oh on sauteed spinach is my favorite way to eat it! I hope you get a chance to try it soon Seana!
Alicia says
I LOVE pesto so much. This is the quickest and easiest. My kiddos absolutely loved it! <3 <3
Lynette says
This was really good. I think I will cube my chicken next time so the pesto and cheese smothers every bite- and its ready to serve for my young kids. 🙂
Amanda says
Oh wow! We love pesto chicken but have never even considered adding the cream cheese. This is going on my meal plan for next week. Looks incredible.
Megan says
After mixing the pesto mixture together can I place on chicken and then put in fridge for later that day to cook?
Karalyn says
So excited to try this recipe for my family tonight! I have chicken tenderloins in the fridge and I see the notes say to reduce baking time if using tenderloins. Has anyone tried making it this way that can suggest a reduced bake time? Thank you in advance!!
Carol English says
This is a perfect recipe. My husband doesn’t like cream cheese. I made this anyway. First bite he said, “this is sooo good. Thanks for all the great recipes.