Succulent Pesto Chicken smothered in a zesty fresh basil pesto with ripe cherry tomatoes for a quick and easy chicken dinner.
Yesterday, I introduced how to make homemade basil pesto so today, I have a delicious chicken recipe to smother it on! As favorable as any one-pot meal may be, pesto chicken is just that but made in a casserole dish. With fresh pesto made ahead of time, dinner can be ready in an hour. Serve it with juicy tomatoes and your choice of roasted potatoes, rice or pasta for an easy weeknight dinner!
How to Make Pesto Chicken
When prepping the chicken, feel free to use as much or as little pesto as you wish. Keep in mind, because pesto sauce reduces slightly during baking, brushing on a little more after the chicken has baked would be ideal for a light refresh of pesto flavor. No matter how much you use, the flavor will be the same; the amount used is more of a personal preference.
Below are images on the process of making pesto chicken with a short caption of the steps. For full instructions, see the recipe card toward the bottom of this post.
Chicken thighs and legs are the best choice to use in this recipe because of its flavor and juiciness whereas, chicken breasts (a leaner cut) will be a little drier when baked. Note that pesto sauce and bursting tomatoes add even more tenderness to the meat. If breasts are used, you must cover the dish with foil during baking to preserve any juice but lose out any browning. What gives this dish its appeal is the browning of chicken skin which adds a slight crisp when bitten into. If you prefer skinless chicken, keep in mind, it will look pale in color. Either way, the pesto undeniably gives an excellent fresh and bold flavor!
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Pesto Chicken
- Total Time: 1 hour 15 minutes
- Yield: 6 servings 1x
- Diet: Diabetic
Description
Succulent Pesto Chicken smothered in a zesty fresh basil pesto with ripe cherry tomatoes for a quick and easy chicken dinner.
Ingredients
PESTO CHICKEN
- 6 chicken thighs with skin
- 1 cup basil pesto, divided
- salt and ground black pepper
- 30 cherry or grape tomatoes (1 1/3 cups or 200 grams)
- 1 tablespoon (14 grams) parmesan cheese, shredded
- fresh basil leaves (optional)
EQUIPMENT
Instructions
- Heat oven to 400°F (205°C). Pat dry chicken thighs and place into a 9×13 inch (23×33 cm) baking dish skin-side up.
- Gently separate the skin from the thigh leaving one side of the skin remain attached to the thigh. Spread pesto over the top of each thigh but under the skin. Using a basting brush, spread more pesto over the skin. Season with salt and pepper. Of the 30 tomatoes, cut 15 in half. Lay tomatoes around and in the center of the chicken thighs.
- Bake for 40 minutes to 1 hour or until chicken skin is golden brown and the internal temperature at its thickest point reaches 165°F (74°C) for a minimum of 40 minutes.
- Remove from the oven. While chicken is hot, spread more pesto over the top of each thigh. Sprinkle parmesan cheese and garnish with fresh basil. Serve with roasted potatoes, pasta or rice.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 1 hour
- Category: Chicken
- Cuisine: American
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