Description
Creamy Pesto Chicken is a delicious and easy-to-make dish that combines tender chicken with a creamy pesto sauce, cherry tomatoes, and spinach. This recipe is perfect for a quick weeknight dinner or a special weekend meal.
Ingredients
Scale
For the Chicken:
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, divided
- 5–6 chicken breasts, thinly sliced (butterflied, sliced in half, or cut into tenders)
- 3 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 shallot, finely chopped
For the Sauce:
- 2 cups cherry tomatoes, halved
- 3 cups spinach, roughly chopped with stems removed
- 1/4 cup pesto (homemade or store-bought)
- 1/2 cup heavy cream
- 1/3 cup lightly salted chicken stock
- Salt, to taste
- Black pepper, to taste
- Garlic powder, to taste
- Onion powder, to taste
- 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes (optional)
Instructions
- Prepare the Chicken: Butterfly or slice the chicken into thinner pieces; set aside.
- Season the Chicken: Season chicken pieces with salt, pepper, garlic powder, and onion powder on both sides.
- Sear the Chicken: Heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a large pan, sear the chicken until golden brown, then set aside.
- Prepare the Sauce: In the same pan, sauté garlic, shallot, tomatoes, and red pepper flakes for 5 minutes.
- Add Spinach and Sauce Ingredients: Add spinach, pesto, cream, and chicken stock to the pan; simmer for 2 minutes.
- Combine Chicken and Sauce: Return the chicken to the pan, simmer until cooked through.
- Serve: Remove from heat, serve over pasta or other choice, garnish as desired.
Notes
- You can adjust the thickness of the sauce by simmering for a longer period to reduce it.
- Feel free to customize the dish by adding your favorite vegetables or herbs.
- This dish pairs well with a side of garlic bread or a fresh green salad.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 20 minutes
- Category: Main Course
- Method: Pan-Frying, Simmering
- Cuisine: Italian
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 serving
- Calories: 340 kcal
- Sugar: 3g
- Sodium: 410mg
- Fat: 20g
- Saturated Fat: 8g
- Unsaturated Fat: 10g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 8g
- Fiber: 2g
- Protein: 30g
- Cholesterol: 95mg
Keywords: Creamy Pesto Chicken, Pesto Chicken Recipe, Chicken with Pesto Sauce