Creamy Pesto Chicken Breast

Made in less than 20 minutes, this Creamy Pesto Chicken Breast is perfect for a quick, simple and delicious dinner. Chicken breast is quickly seared before being submerged in a creamy pesto sauce and finished with parmesan. I’ve used baby spinach here, but this is a great recipe for using up whatever vegetables you already have – try cherry tomatoes, shredded kale, broccoli or peas. Whether it’s piled up on a bed of zoodles (courgetti), served with crusty bread or shredded and tossed through spiral pasta, this is a fantastic weeknight option.

Can you make Creamy Pesto Chicken Breast ahead of time?

Yes, Creamy Pesto Chicken Breast can be refrigerated in an airtight container for up to 3 days. It can also be frozen for up to 2 months – slice the chicken and ensure it’s covered with sauce to avoid freezer burn. Thaw completely in the fridge overnight. Reheat in the microwave. The sauce will lose a bit of creaminess and become more oil-based as the milk fats separate from the milk solids. It will still taste delicious!

Is Creamy Pesto Chicken Breast suitable for leftovers?

Yes, refrigerate Creamy Pesto Chicken Breast for up to 3 days in an airtight container.

Creamy Pesto Chicken Breast

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5 from 2 reviews

• Total Time: 20 mins
• Yield: 4 1x

Ingredients

Scale 1x2x3x

• 900 g (2 lb) boneless, skinless chicken breasts (roughly 3 chicken breasts), cut in half horizontally to create 6 thinner steaks
• ½ tsp sea salt flakes
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 3 garlic cloves, finely chopped
• ½ cup (80 g) semi-dried (sun-blushed) tomatoes
• 2 cups (90 g) baby spinach leaves (see note 1)
• 1 cup (250 ml) thickened (heavy) cream
• ⅔ cup (185 g) pesto, store-bought or homemade
• 1 cup (100 g) freshly grated parmesan, plus extra to serve

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Instructions

1. Season the chicken breast with salt.
2. Heat the olive oil in a large, heavy-based frying pan over medium–high heat. Add the chicken pieces and cook for 3–4 minutes on each side until golden. Set aside.
3. Deglaze the pan with 1/4 cup (60 ml) of water, scraping up any crispy bits with a wooden spoon.
4. To the same pan, add the garlic cloves and cook for 1 minute, stirring, until fragrant.
5. Add the semi-dried tomatoes, spinach leaves (or veg of choice, see note 1) and the cream. Bring to a gentle simmer (this will take 1–2 minutes).
6. Stir through the pesto and return the chicken to the pan. Simmer on low heat for 3–5 minutes until the chicken has cooked through and the sauce has thickened.
7. Top with parmesan and serve.

Notes

Note 1 – This is a great dinner to use up the last of the veg in your fridge and freezer. You can use 2 cups of your vegetable of choice instead of the spinach. Some good options include cherry tomatoes, zucchini ‘zoodles’ (courgette ‘courgetti’), shredded kale, peas, shredded silverbeet (Swiss chard) or broccoli.

MAKE AHEAD

Refrigerate for up to 3 days in an airtight container or freeze for up to 2 months – slice the chicken and ensure it’s covered with sauce to avoid freezer burn. Thaw completely in the fridge overnight. Reheat in the microwave. The sauce will lose a bit of creaminess and become more oil-based as the milk fats separate from the milk solids. It will still taste delicious!

LEFTOVERS

Refrigerate for up to 3 days in an airtight container. Reheat in the microwave. The sauce will lose a bit of creaminess and become more oil-based as the milk fats separate from the milk solids. It will still taste delicious!

• Author: Nicole
• Prep Time: 5 mins
• Cook Time: 15 mins
• Category: chicken, Chicken Breast, Creamy Pesto Chicken Breast
• Method: pan, simmer
• Cuisine: Italian