Creamy Pesto Chicken
Simple and easy, this Creamy Pesto Chicken is made in one pan, and ready in about 30-40 minutes!
Servings: 4 servings
Calories: 494kcal
Ingredients
- 2 boneless skinless chicken breasts trimmed of excess fat
- 1/2 tsp kosher salt
- 1/2 tsp black pepper
- 1/2 tsp garlic powder
- 1/2 tsp onion powder
- pinch red pepper flakes
- 1/3 cup all purpose flour
- 2 Tbsp olive oil
- 1 Tbsp unsalted butter
- 4 cloves garlic minced or grated
- 1 1/3 cup reduced sodium chicken broth
- 1 1/3 cup heavy cream
- 3 - 4 Tbsp prepared basil pesto
- 1/4 tsp dried Italian seasoning
- 1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese freshly grated is best
Garnishes
- pinch of red pepper flakes
- pinch of black pepper
- minced fresh basil
Instructions
Prepare
- Add chicken breast to a cutting board. Hold your knife parallel to the board and carefully slice the chicken from right to left (if you’re a righty)… opening the chicken breast up like a book. Slice all the way through, so you now have 2 thinly sliced pieces of chicken. Repeat with other chicken breast.
Cook chicken
- Season chicken on all sides with salt, pepper, garlic powder, onion powder, and red pepper flakes. Add flour to a shallow bowl or plate.
- Dredge chicken breasts in the flour, on both sides, then place on a plate.
- Heat a large skillet (I like to use cast iron or stainless steel) over MED HIGH heat. Once hot, add olive oil, then add flour-dredged chicken to skillet, being careful not to overcrowd the pan. If your pan is less than 12 inches across, you may need to brown the chicken in batches.
- Cook for about 4-5 minutes per side, or until the chicken has a golden brown crust and is cooked through. Remove to a plate.
Make sauce
- Reduce skillet heat to MED, then add butter and melt. Add garlic and cook for about 30 seconds, stirring frequently.
- Pour in chicken broth, using a wooden spoon to scrape up any browned bits from the bottom of the skillet.
- Pour in heavy cream and stir well to combine. Simmer for several minutes, or until thickened just a bit.
- Add pesto, Parmesan cheese, and Italian seasoning, stirring well to combine. Simmer for another minute to make sure everything is warmed.
Finish
- Add chicken back to the pan, nestling them into the sauce and moving them around so the flour will help thicken the sauce.
- To serve: Spoon some of the sauce over the tops of the chicken, then sprinkle generously with black pepper, red pepper flakes, and fresh basil.
Notes
- I've estimated this recipe serves 4, but feel free to divide it up into as many servings as you'd like.
- If the sauce isn't thickening up to your liking, mix 2 tsp of cornstarch with 1.5 Tbsp heavy cream and stir into the sauce. Cook and stir another minute or so and it should thicken up nicely.
- For substitutions and FAQ's, please see the post written above this recipe.
Nutrition
Calories: 494kcal | Carbohydrates: 15g | Protein: 8g | Fat: 46g | Saturated Fat: 23g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 14g | Trans Fat: 0.1g | Cholesterol: 106mg | Sodium: 589mg | Potassium: 196mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 3g | Vitamin A: 1556IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 160mg | Iron: 1mg
