This quick and easy chicken pesto recipe with melted mozzarella, zucchini, and popped tomatoes cooks in one pan on the stovetop in just 30 minutes from start to finish.
This recipe is brought to you by Dellallo Foods
If there’s one staple that every chef should have in his kitchen, it’s a jar of pesto. It’s so versatile! All the flavors you need in one jar: a little garlic heat, basil herbaceousness, oil for texture and coating, nuttiness for cheese, and just the right balance of spices. Add it to noodles for pesto pasta (obviously) or stir it into rice for extra flavor. If you need a quick meal or app, there’s nothing easier than mixing a few cans of pesto with more olive oil to make a dip for sliced sourdough.
Today we’re making a complete pesto chicken dinner that’s ready in under 30 minutes. Ah, how nice to have a jar on hand. Like my Chicken Caprese and Chicken Dijon, in this recipe we cook thinly sliced chicken chops so they cook in half the time of whole chicken breasts. In the same pan, cook the zucchini and cherry tomatoes until tender, set aside, and return to the pesto chicken, topped with chunks of melted mozzarella. The flavors are all there. Nutrition also. The only thing left to do is for you to dig.
What’s in Pesto Chicken Recipe
Summer is here and my basil bounty is running out, which is when I make homemade basil pesto. It’s that good. But if I don’t have the time or the funds, a jar of pesto in the cupboard is a mealtime lifesaver. In this chicken dinner, the magic of flavor comes from one of my always-on-hand pantry staples, DeLallo’s Simple Pesto Traditional Basil. This easy-to-eat pesto is made with hand-picked Ligurian basil blended with olive oil, crunchy pine nuts, cashews, garlic, Parmesan and Roman Pecorino cheeses. It packs the fresh herb and garlic flavors of a traditional pesto, but has the convenience of serving right out of the jar.
Here are the ingredients needed to make this quick and easy pesto chicken:
How to Make Pesto Chicken
Prepare the chicken breasts. If using whole boneless chicken breasts, slice them so they cook faster and more evenly. Using a thin, sharp knife, cut the chicken breast in half lengthwise to create two thinner scallops. This is my favorite knife.
Season the chicken generously with kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper. First, pat the cutlets dry with paper towels so they sear and not steam. Season the chicken breasts on both sides for extra flavor. Just a little kosher salt and freshly ground pepper will get the job done.
Set the chicken aside. We cook everything in the same pot, so we cook the vegetables first and the chicken last. This keeps the chicken nice and warm and helps the cheese melt.
Boiled Zucchini and Tomatoes
Season the zucchini and tomatoes. Drizzle the vegetables with Delaro’s Private Reserve Extra Virgin Olive Oil and sprinkle with kosher salt and freshly ground pepper. This olive oil is my favorite because it has a light, fruity flavor that doesn’t overpower the dish.
Cook vegetables in olive oil until tomatoes start to pop. In this step we are only softening the vegetables as they will continue to cook with the chicken when mixed in at the end. Cook for 3-5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Set vegetables aside and cover to keep warm.
Fried Chicken Breast Slices
Cook the chicken breasts in a mixture of olive oil and butter. The butter gives the grilled chicken that golden glow. Olive oil will raise the smoke point of the butter so it won’t burn. Using the two together makes for the perfect grilled combo.
Cook the chicken breasts. Thinner chicken chops cook quickly. Fry for 4-5 minutes on the first side, flip and cook for another 2-3 minutes. The chicken will continue cooking in the next step.
Basil Pesto on Chicken Breasts
Top the chicken with Delallo Simple Pesto Traditional Basil. I usually use about half a jar of Dellallo pesto here. The warmth of the chicken warms the pesto and infuses the flavors into the chicken. The smell is heavenly.
Sprinkle the mozzarella cheese over the pesto chicken. I tear the mozzarella slices into smaller pieces so they melt faster. You can use shredded mozzarella cheese if you like.
Putting Pesto Chicken and Veggies Together
Return vegetables to skillet with chicken, reduce heat, and cover. This stage is all about heating the ingredients together and melting the mozzarella. Keep the heat low so the chicken doesn’t get overcooked.
Garnish with more fresh basil leaves and more pepper if desired. Then serve, baby.
What to Serve with Pesto Chicken
Let me know if you make this recipe!Leave a ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ rating on this recipe with comments, photos and Tag me on Instagram With #foodiecrusheats.
Quick and Easy Pesto Chicken
This quick and easy pesto chicken with melted mozzarella, zucchini, and bursting tomatoes cooks in one skillet on the stovetop in just 30 minutes from start to finish.
serving size 4
calories Chapter 417kcal
instruct
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If using whole boneless chicken breasts, use a thin, sharp knife to cut the breasts in half lengthwise to create two thinner scallops. Pat steaks with paper towels, then season with 1 teaspoon kosher salt and 1/2 teaspoon black pepper. on hold.
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Place tomato and zucchini slices in a bowl and drizzle with 1 tablespoon olive oil. Season with remaining kosher salt and black pepper and toss to coat.
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Heat a large heavy-bottomed skillet or cast iron skillet to medium-high heat. Add 1 tablespoon of olive oil to the skillet. Add the tomatoes and zucchini to the pot and cook for 2-3 minutes, or until the zucchini starts to soften and some tomatoes start to burst. Stir and flip while the vegetables cook. Transfer to a pot and cover to keep warm.
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Add remaining olive oil and butter to skillet and melt. Add chicken chops and let cook 4-5 minutes or until golden brown on bottom. Flip and cook for another 2-3 minutes. Spread a few tablespoons of pesto over the chicken breasts. You may have extra, so save it for another use. Tear fresh mozzarella cheese into shreds and top each chicken breast with cheese. Return the reserved tomatoes and zucchini to the skillet and arrange around the chicken. Turn heat to low and cover. Heat the plate until the mozzarella melts. Garnish with fresh basil leaves and more black pepper if desired.
Nutrition
Calories: Chapter 417kcal | carbohydrate: 5G | protein: 44G | fat: twenty fourG | Saturated fat: 8G | Polyunsaturated fats: 2G | Monounsaturated fats: 12G | Trans fat: 0.1G | cholesterol: 139mg | sodium: Chapter 1283mg | Potassium: 898mg | fiber: 1G | sugar: 3G | Vitamin A: Chapter 761IU | Vitamin C: twenty fourmg | calcium: 169mg | iron: 1mg
More Pesto Recipe Ideas
This post was sponsored by DeLallo Foods. As always, thanks for reading and supporting my partner companies, which allow me to create more unique content and recipes for you. All opinions are always my own.
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