Baked Pesto Chicken

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Chicken breasts covered in basil pesto, and baked with mozzarella cheese and tomato slices. This Baked Pesto Chicken takes just minutes to prep, is simple, tasty and the perfect meal to add to your dinner rotation.

When I’m short on time and ingredients, dinner recipes like this pesto chicken save the day. For the same reasons, I also frequently make ranch chicken, and lemon pepper chicken—only a small handful of ingredients and ready in about 30 minutes!

few ingredients, lots of flavor

Are you looking for a way to change up that boring ol’ chicken dish? Today we have the BEST Baked Pesto Chicken recipe that is amazingly simple to whip up and is super yummy! What we love most about this recipe is the simplicity.

It is one of the easiest chicken recipes you’ll try, but one that is also so flavorful that you’ll want to make it again and again. All you need for this recipe is Chicken breasts, pesto, cheese and tomatoes.

Depending on your love for Pesto, you can add or take away as needed. Because we love pesto, there was no skimping on our end. And, of course, we always tend to add more cheese, which I don’t feel bad for. 🙂 No matter how much pesto or cheese you add, you really can’t mess up this recipe. There are only a few ingredients but the result is amazing!

a 2-step recipe

This recipe is about as easy as it gets. The chicken does have to bake for about 40 minutes over all, but the actual preparation takes only a couple minutes!

PESTO. In a medium bowl, toss chicken with pesto to coat (if you want to make your own basil pesto, try this recipe!). Place chicken on baking sheet and bake at 400° for 35 minutes or until cooked through.

CHEESE & TOMATO. Remove from oven and top with tomatoes and cheese. Bake for an additional 5-7 minutes or until cheese has melted.

SERVE. You can serve this chicken on its own, or over cooked rice, pasta such as spaghetti or angel hair, or healthy zucchini noodles.

Making ahead and storing

Making Ahead.  Make chicken according to directions except for adding the tomato. Save those to add right before baking. Store one of the following ways:

• Fridge: Cover the baking dish with plastic wrap and store in the refrigerator. Store for 1-2 days.
• Freezer: Place chicken in a freezer safe airtight container label and freeze for 1-3 months. Thaw overnight in the fridge. Bake according to recipe directions.

Storing. Place leftover chicken in an airtight container and keep in the fridge for up to 4 days. Reheat in the oven, or, if you’re in a hurry, in the microwave.

I’m all about simple dinner recipes, so I’m glad we found this one. It would be perfect served with your favorite salad and side (we’d go for our Lemon Poppyseed Salad and Fried Zucchini). We hope you like this as much as we did!

For more baked chicken recipes, check out:

• Baked Parmesan Chicken
• Crispy Cheddar Chicken
• Creamy Swiss Chicken Bake
• Baked Chicken Fingers
• Ranch Chicken

Baked Pesto Chicken Recipe

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4.82 from 11 votes

Chicken breast halves covered in basil pesto, baked with mozzarella cheese and tomatoes. So easy, but SO delicious!

Course Main Course

Cuisine American

Prep Time 5 minutes

Cook Time 40 minutes

Total Time 40 minutes

Servings 4

Calories 341 kcal

Author Lil' Luna

Ingredients

• 4 boneless skinless chicken breast halves
• 1/2 cup refrigerated basil pesto
• 1 cup mozzarella cheese shredded
• 3 plum tomatoes sliced (optional)

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 400.

2. Line baking sheet with foil with cooking spray. In a medium bowl, toss chicken with pesto to coat. Place chicken on baking sheet and bake for 35 minutes or until cooked through
3. Remove from oven and top with tomatoes and cheese. Bake for an additional 5-7 minutes or until cheese has melted. Serve warm and ENJOY!

Recipe Video

Nutrition Facts

Baked Pesto Chicken Recipe

Amount Per Serving

Calories 341 Calories from Fat 180

% Daily Value*

Fat 20g31%

Saturated Fat 6g38%

Cholesterol 96mg32%

Sodium 598mg26%

Potassium 549mg16%

Carbohydrates 4g1%

Fiber 1g4%

Sugar 2g2%

Protein 32g64%

Vitamin A 1235IU25%

Vitamin C 7.8mg9%

Calcium 202mg20%

Iron 0.8mg4%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

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Adapted from Food.