Tender chicken cutlets sauteed in the most delicious and rich basil pesto sauce take just 25 minutes to make. This Creamy Pesto Chicken will be a huge hit for dinner at your house!
Get ready for another one of my famous stovetop chicken dinner recipes! From Marry Me Chicken to Chicken Piccata, to Chicken Stroganoff, all of the best dinner recipes start with thinly sliced chicken breasts and a large skillet.
My newest creation uses the same tried and true one-skillet format, but uses homemade basil pesto to infuse the creamy sauce with an herbaceous flavor that is just so delicious!
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- One Skillet – There’s no need to turn on the oven, and no need to wash a whole bunch of dishes tonight! The chicken and the wonderful pesto cream sauce are all cooked in the same pan.
- Perfect for Using Fresh Basil – I make pesto often in the summer as a way to use and preserve the fresh basil from the garden. This recipe is a unique way to enjoy pesto that isn’t just tossing it in with pasta or dipping into it with bread.
- Fast and Easy – Dinner will be ready in less than a half hour! Serve pesto chicken with olive oil pasta and a simple salad – I promise everyone is going to love this easy meal.
Key Ingredients In Creamy Pesto Chicken
Here’s what you need to make this tasty chicken dinner:
- Chicken Breasts: This recipe uses 1 pound of chicken. Slice breasts lengthwise into thin cutlets so that they cook quickly and evenly.
- Pesto: Please, do not make this recipe with store-bought jarred pesto. It’s just not worth it! Use my recipe to make homemade basil pesto with just a handful of fresh ingredients.
- Heavy Cream
- Garlic
- Cherry Tomatoes: These flavorful tomatoes are briefly cooked to release their juices, and the acidity balances the richness of the cream perfectly.
Complete list of ingredients and amounts can be found in the recipe card below.
How To Make Pesto Chicken
- Prepare Chicken: Season the cutlets with salt and pepper, then dredge them in flour and shake off any excess.
- Cook the Chicken: In a large skillet, heat olive oil over medium-high heat. Swirl the pan to coat it with oil evenly. Brown the chicken in batches, for 4-5 minutes on each side, or until golden brown and cooked through. Transfer the chicken to a plate, cover, and set aside.
- Saute Tomatoes: In the same skillet, melt butter and add the sliced cherry tomatoes. Stir and cook for 2-3 minutes until they start to soften, but still hold their shape. Then, add the garlic and cook for 30 seconds.
- Deglaze: Add chicken stock (or water, or even white wine) to the pan and scrape off any bits on the bottom of the pan with a wooden spoon. Then adjust the heat to medium-low, add the heavy cream and pesto, and stir to combine. Cook for 1 minute to allow the sauce to reduce and thicken a little.
- Finish the Dish: Add the chicken back to the skillet and simmer for 1 more minute. Remove from the heat and garnish with fresh basil leaves if desired.
Tip!
You can use any liquid to deglaze the pan, but dry white wine will give your sauce extra depth and flavor. Try it!
Recipe Tips
- Use Fresh Pesto! I know I’ve said this already, but it’s really, really important. Storebought pesto is sad and yellow-looking, but homemade pesto is amazing!
- Instead of chicken breast: Use boneless skinless chicken thighs that have been trimmed and pounded to an even thickness. You can also use chicken tenderloins.
- Add in some veggies: You can add vegetables directly to this pesto chicken dish! Saute peppers, zucchini, onions, or mushrooms with the tomatoes, or toss in a handful of baby spinach at the end to wilt down into the sauce.
- Choose the Right Skillet: This recipe can be made in any large skillet, but I like to use a stainless steel skillet. If you’re worried about food sticking to your skillet, the key is to get the pan very hot.
- To check to see if your stainless steel skillet is hot enough, preheat the pan over medium heat for 1-2 minutes, then pour a tiny bit of water into it. If the water fizzes or does nothing, the pan isn’t hot enough, but if the water slides around the pan in a single drop, you’ve reached the right temperature.
- Always Deglaze The Pan: The browned bits of food are called “the fond” in culinary speak. The stuff stuck to the bottom of the pan holds so much great flavor.
Storing Tips
Keep leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days.
What To Serve With Creamy Pesto chicken
I enjoy this chicken meal with olive oil pasta and a side of broccoli, but it will be delicious with any simple sides you choose to serve with it.
Try mashed potatoes, air fryer roasted potatoes, or brown rice for a filling side dish.
Or enjoy pesto chicken with some garlic bread or breadsticks to soak up all of the delicious sauce.
For dessert, I suggest something simple and sweet, like my sopapilla cheesecake or Biscoff cheesecake bars.
Recipe FAQs
You can skip the flour, but the sauce won’t be as thick without it. You can also use all-purpose gluten-free flour to make this recipe gluten-free.
Without the cream, the sauce won’t be creamy, but you can leave it out. Instead, use an additional ¼ cup of chicken stock to create the pesto sauce.
It’s easy to slice whole boneless chicken breasts into thin cutlets! Place a chicken breast on a cutting board, and hold it in place with the palm of your hand. Using a sharp knife, slice through the breast parallel to the cutting board. Depending on the thickness of the chicken breast, you can slice it into 2 or 3 pieces. If needed, use a meat mallet to pound each piece so that they are even in thickness.
More Easy Chicken Recipes
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Fresh basil pesto makes this easy, Creamy Pesto Chicken recipe so amazingly delicious! Make sure to save this recipe, and share it with everyone so that they can all enjoy how tasty it is.
Did you make this? Be sure to leave a review below and tag me on Facebook, Instagram, or Pinterest!
Creamy Pesto Chicken
Equipment
Ingredients
- 3 large chicken breasts about 1 lb boneless and skinless, sliced lengthwise into thin cutlets and pounded
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
- 6 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 2 tablespoons (30 ml) olive oil
- 2 tablespoons (26 grams) butter
- 8 ounces (225 grams) cherry tomatoes sliced in half
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- ¼ cup (60 ml) chicken stock or water or white wine
- ½ cup (120 ml) heavy cream double cream in the UK
- ¼ cup (60 ml) basil pesto
- 1 tablespoon fresh basil leaves
Instructions
- Season chicken with salt and pepper, then dredge in flour and shake off any excess.
- In a large skillet, heat olive oil over medium high heat. Swirl pan to coat with oil evenly. Brown the chicken (do not overcrowd the pan, and work in 2 batches) for 4-5 minutes on each side or until golden brown and cooked through. Transfer onto a plate, cover, and set aside.
- In the same skillet, melt butter and add the tomatoes. Stir and cook for 2-3 minutes until they start to soften but don’t go too far as you don’t want to turn them into sauce. Add garlic, and cook for 30 seconds.
- Deglaze the pan with chicken stock or just water or white wine, and with a wooden spoon scrape off any bits stuck to the bottom of the pan. Adjust the heat to medium low, add heavy cream and pesto, and stir to combine and cook for 1 minute. The sauce will reduce and thicken a little.
- Add the chicken back in, and simmer for 1 more minute. Remove from heat, and garnish with some fresh basil leaves if desired.
Notes:
- Use Fresh Pesto! This is really, really important. Storebought pesto is sad and yellow-looking, but homemade pesto is amazing!
- Instead of chicken breast: Use boneless skinless chicken thighs that have been trimmed and pounded to an even thickness. You can also use chicken tenderloins.
- Add in some veggies: You can add vegetables directly to this pesto chicken dish! Saute peppers, zucchini, onions, or mushrooms with the tomatoes, or toss in a handful of baby spinach at the end to wilt down into the sauce.
- Choose the Right Skillet: This recipe can be made in any large skillet, but I like to use a stainless steel skillet. If you’re worried about food sticking to your skillet, the key is to get the pan very hot.
- Always Deglaze The Pan: The browned bits of food are called “the fond” in culinary speak. The stuff stuck to the bottom of the pan holds so much great flavor. You can deglaze the pan with water, stock, or white wine for added flavor.
- To Store: Keep leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days.
Nutrition Information
This website provides approximate nutrition information for convenience and as a courtesy only. Nutrition data is gathered primarily from the USDA Food Composition Database, whenever available, or otherwise other online calculators.
© Little Sunny Kitchen
Sharon says
This turned out very well and was very tasty. I accidentally added double the amount of pesto and I think it added flavor. I did end up using store bought from Costco.
Diana says
I’m glad to hear the recipe turned out well and was tasty!
Bob Reynolds says
Looks great, gotta try it; You have sent me some really good receipes, thank you
Diana says
I hope that you love this recipe as much as I do!
Shauna says
This creamy pesto chicken is very convenient this Lenten Season. Prepared this for our family gathering last night and everyone loved it!
Little Sunny Kitchen says
Thank you, Shauna! I’m so glad everyone enjoyed it
Michael says
Omg! This is going into my weekly rotation. Absolutely loved it! So much flavor. This is a keeper.
Little Sunny Kitchen says
That’s so wonderful to hear, Michael! Thank you for the great review