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Pesto Chicken

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This quick and easy pesto chicken uses simple ingredients – including delicious basil pesto, heavy cream, and balsamic vinegar – to transform boring chicken breast into a delicious meal your entire family will love! Serve over pasta for a complete meal in just minutes.

Ingredients

Units Scale
  • 1 lb. boneless skinless chicken breast, thinly sliced lengthwise (into cutlets)
  • 1/2 cup (8 tablespoons) basil pesto, divided
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil, divided
  • 6 cloves garlic, minced
  • 2 teaspoons Italian seasoning
  • 1/4 cup dry white wine
  • 1 cup heavy cream
  • 1 pint grape tomatoes
  • 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
  • Kosher salt
  • fresh cracked pepper

Serve with

  • julienne cut basil
  • shaved Parmesan cheese
  • crushed red pepper flakes
  • 8 oz. rotini noodles, cooked al dente

Instructions

  1. Add chicken, 2 tablespoons of pesto, and a couple large pinches of salt and pepper to a large Ziploc bag. Gently toss to coat the chicken evenly. Marinate in the fridge for at least 1 hour and up to 24 hours.
  2. Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a large enameled cast iron pan over medium high heat. Add marinated chicken breast in a single layer and cook it for 4-5 minutes on each side or until a dark golden brown crust forms and the chicken is almost cooked through. Remove chicken from the pan and set aside.
  3. Reduce heat to medium low and add remaining tablespoon of olive oil to the same pan (without wiping it out). Add garlic, Italian seasoning, and a couple pinches of salt and pepper. Cook, stirring frequently for 1 minute.
  4. Stir in white wine to deglaze the pan, scraping all those yummy bits off the bottom. Cook for 1-2 minutes.
  5. Add remaining pesto (6 tablespoons), heavy cream, tomatoes, and a couple pinches of salt and pepper.
  6. Bring to a gentle simmer over medium-low heat. Stir in balsamic vinegar.
  7. Add chicken breast and juices back into the pan, nestle the chicken into the sauce, and gently simmer over medium low or low heat for about 3 minutes or until the chicken is fully cooked through.
  8. Serve over cooked pasta if desired. Garnish with basil and Parmesan cheese and enjoy!

Equipment

Notes

  • Here is a simple video that shows how to cut a chicken breast into cutlets. In this video they also pound out the chicken a bit thinner after placing it between two pieces of plastic. While you are welcome to do this if you like, it’s not necessary for this recipe. Cutting the chicken breast in half lengthwise is going to give you two thinner pieces of chicken per breast which will allow the chicken to cook more quickly. 
  • Marinate the chicken ahead of time. This chicken is marinated in the basil pesto sauce and some salt and pepper, which means it can sit in the marinade for up to 24 hours. Give it at least 1 hour, but the longer the better for more flavor!
  • Serve with pasta! Pesto chicken in white wine cream sauce is one of my favorite things to pair with pasta. Because of the sauce, I like to use a short pasta like rotini, penne, or rigatoni, but you can also use angel hair, linguine, or fettucine. All the flavors go so well together and the pasta fills out the dish. You can also serve this chicken with veggies, fries, or salad.

Find it online: https://midwestfoodieblog.com/pesto-chicken/