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About This Recipe
This baked chicken pesto recipe makes such a perfect weeknight meal. Not only is it all made in one dish, but you get the full entree with the chicken and the veggies all made in one dish!
It’s absolutely fantastic served on its own for a low carb meal, or to pair with some roasted potatoes, roasted cauliflower and carrots, or some easy 15-minute buttered noodles to build a well-rounded dish!
This one-dish meal comes together quickly just by mixing together a little pesto pan sauce in the baking dish you’re going to bake it in. While you’re doing this, the chicken will be marinating in a light olive oil marinade that will keep the moisture locked in, keeping the chicken moist and juicy!
Green beans and cherry tomatoes are the perfect compliment to the juicy chicken and bold pesto flavors! But you can definitely get creative here with the vegetables you use.
Why You’ll Love This Healthy Baked Pesto Chicken
- A one-dish full entree – you got your protein and your veggies covered!
- BOLD flavors from the pesto – and even more when you drizzle balsamic glaze on top!
- Low carb + High protein meal – pair with potatoes, rice or pasta for a well rounded meal.
- Simple recipe, simple ingredients – all your normal stuff that you can find at your grocery store.
- Delicious dinner recipe – and one the whole family will love!
- Chicken – I used boneless skinless chicken breasts. I would suggest using more thin chicken breasts here (as opposed to thick). Thicker breasts will just take longer to cook and are easier to dry out since they’re more unpredictable. If you have thicker breasts you can pound to thin or cut the breast in half lengthwise to make two breasts. You could also use boneless chicken thighs.
- Olive oil – extra virgin olive oil, to help keep the chicken moist.
- Vinegar – I used white wine vinegar but you could substitute for rice vinegar, distilled vinegar or balsamic vinegar if needed.
- Garlic – I highly recommend freshly minced garlic for this recipe for best flavor! The frozen minced garlic cubes are great for convenience. But pre-minced garlic or garlic powder will work in a pinch.
- Seasonings – Grab some salt, pepper, onion powder and Italian seasoning!
- Butter – to add some rich taste to this dish! Use dairy-free if needed.
- Green beans – I used fresh green beans. To save time, I bought my green beans already washed and trimmed.
- Tomato – I used cherry tomatoes because they don’t let out as much liquid as other tomato varieties. Same as grape tomatoes though any tomato variety works! You could slice or dice it.
- Pesto – I used basil pesto. Both homemade basil pesto or use store-bought basil pesto work here!
- Basil – freshly chopped basil is going to be best for this recipe!
- Mozzarella cheese – I would highly recommend freshly shredded mozzarella cheese here (it will be the most cheesiest that way!), but technically you can use any cheese here, even if it’s gouda, white cheddar cheese, or another variety of cheese. Fresh mozzarella cheese slices would also be amazing!!
- Balsamic glaze – optional but absolutely amazing on top!
How To Make
The full printable recipe is below, but let me walk you through the process so you know what to expect when you’re making it!
1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Add all the chicken marinade ingredients to a large ziploc bag with the chicken. Let marinate for 15-30 minutes.
2. Meanwhile, prepare the pesto pan sauce. Add all the ingredients except the cheese to a 9×13-inch baking dish or casserole dish and toss to combine.
3. Position the tomatoes and green beans around the edges and place the chicken in the center (they will likely overlap some and that is okay).
4. Bake in the preheated oven uncovered for 20-25 minutes or until the chicken is almost cooked through (this will depend on the thickness of your chicken).
5. Then sprinkle the cheese evenly on top of the chicken breasts.
6. Bake for another 10-15 minutes, or until the cheese is melted and the chicken is completely cooked through. Top with freshly cracked black pepper and fresh basil. Balsamic glaze and parmesan cheese is also delicious on this!
Store leftover chicken pesto in an airtight container or covered with aluminum foil in the fridge for 4-5 days.
Store everything together or divide the chicken, green beans and tomatoes into individual portions for easy meal prep lunches.
Can I make this baked pesto chicken recipe gluten and dairy free?
This recipe is gluten free as written. To make it dairy free, just omit the mozzarella cheese or replace with a dairy-free alternative.
Can I use chicken thighs instead?
Absolutely. Chicken thighs will be a lot more tender and juicy and they would work great for this recipe!
What to serve with baked chicken pesto?
For a light, low carb option you can enjoy this baked chicken pesto with green beans and tomatoes on its own. Or for a more rounded meal its delicious paired with pasta, rice or potatoes. 9 times out of 10 if we’re eating this for dinner we’re having these 15-minute buttered noodles, air fryer roasted potatoes! For something fancy serve this baked pesto chicken alongside some angel hair pasta and crusty bread!
Does this baked chicken pesto recipe work well for meal prep?
Yes, it holds up well in the fridge so it works great for meal prep. A great one to add to the meal plan!
Did you make this? If you snap a photo, please be sure leave a review, tag me on Instagram or TikTok at @LaurenFitFoodie or hashtag #LaurenFitFoodie so I can see your creations!
Easy Baked Chicken Pesto Recipe
Ingredients
Chicken Marinade:
- 1.5 lb. boneless chicken breasts
- 1 Tbsp olive oil (15g)
- 1 Tbsp white wine vinegar (15g)
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- 1 tsp Italian seasoning
- 1 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp pepper
Pesto Pan Sauce:
- 1 lb. green beans ends trimmed
- 3 cups cherry tomatoes (450g) halved
- 1 Tbsp melted butter (15g)
- 1 Tbsp white wine vinegar (15g)
- 1/3 cup basil pesto (80g)
- 4 cloves garlic minced
- 3 Tbsp freshly chopped basil
- 1/2 tsp onion powder
- Pinch of salt and pepper
- 1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese (112g)
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Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
- Add all the chicken marinade ingredients to a large ziploc bag with the chicken. Let marinate for 15-30 minutes.
- Meanwhile, prepare the pesto pan sauce. Add all the ingredients except the cheese to a 9×13-inch baking dish and toss to combine. Position the tomatoes and green beans around the edges and place the chicken in the center (they will likely overlap some and that is okay).
- Bake uncovered for 20-25 minutes or until the chicken is almost cooked through (this will depend on the thickness of your chicken). Then sprinkle the cheese evenly across the chicken and bake for another 10-15 minutes, or until the cheese is melted and the chicken is completely cooked through.
- Top with freshly cracked black pepper and fresh basil. Balsamic glaze is also delicious on this! Enjoy as is for a lower carb meal or with pasta, rice or potatoes for a more balanced meal.
Equipment
Notes
Nutrition Information
Nutrition is hand-calculated and accurate. No autocalulations! However, note that values can vary based on the brands you use and if you substitute ingredients.
