This Basil Pesto Chicken recipe is perfect for a tasty, quick, and easy weeknight meal. The chicken is cooked in a delicious quick homemade pesto sauce that's healthy, flavorful, and sure to please the whole family! Air fryer, pan-fried, or oven baked. Ready in 20 minutes with 6 ingredients.
This basil pesto chicken dish is perfect for those looking for a quick and easy meal that's bursting with flavor.
It's ready in just 20 minutes with 6 ingredients.
The chicken is marinated in a quick homemade basil pesto sauce, but you can use store-bought pesto to make it even quicker!
The pesto makes the chicken extremely flavourful and juicy. It's easier to make than you think - just add the pesto ingredients to a blender and whiz it up in minutes!
Then slather it over diced chicken breast and cook. You can make this recipe in the air fryer, or it can be pan-fried or oven baked. All instructions are below.
Your basil pesto chicken can be served with a side of vegetables or a salad, making it a complete and nutritious meal.
We also love serving it on toothpicks for easy party food or an appetizer. It's perfect with a bowl of ranch dip.
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Why This Recipe Works
- Homemade basil pesto is super easy to make and tastes way better than store-bought. The freshness of the ingredients makes it taste sensational.
- You can adapt this recipe and make pesto chicken wings or drumsticks. Just cook them a little longer until internal temperature reaches 165F.
- Short on time? Just use a jar of pesto from the grocery store.
- This is an easy way to make chicken full of bold flavors.
- Serve your versatile pesto chicken with your favorite sides, add it to a sandwich, serve in pasta noodles, or use it on a hearty salad.
- Ready in 20 minutes with 6 ingredients.
Ingredients
- Chicken Breasts: You will be dicing the chicken, so it's easiest to use boneless and skinless chicken breasts.
- Basil: Fresh basil forms the flavor and bulk of the homemade basil pesto.
- Pine Nuts: These soft nuts are a classic ingredient for pesto. If you don't have any, walnuts are a great substitute.
- Garlic: Fresh garlic cloves add rich flavor to the pesto. Tip: If your garlic is a little old, it may get a green center. It's still fine to use, just remove it as it can be a bit bitter.
- Parmesan: Freshly grated parmesan cheese is a staple in basil pesto.
- Olive oil: This helps the pesto to come together and turn into a spreadable consistency.
See the recipe card for the full method and quantities.
About basil
Basil is a popular green herb with flat rounded leaves.
It has an aromatic and sweet taste and is famously used in pesto.
Basil is a good source of vitamins A and C, as well as iron and calcium.
Instructions
If you're wondering how to make this basil pesto chicken recipe, don't worry, it's easy!
Just follow this step-by-step photo tutorial. Then scroll down to the recipe card for the full ingredients list and recipe method.
Ingredients: Add the basil, pine nuts, garlic, parmesan and a pinch of salt and pepper to a food processor.
Combine: Process until very finely chopped.
With the food processor running, drizzle in the olive oil and pulse until combined and smooth.
Prep the chicken: Cut the chicken breasts into small pieces and put them into a bowl.
Add half of the pesto sauce and stir well to coat the chicken.
Optional: Cover the bowl with a lid and let it marinate for 30 minutes.
To cook in an air fryer
Transfer the chicken pieces to the air fryer basket. Air Fry at 400F for 10 minutes. Turn the chicken pieces over and bake for 4 more minutes or until the chicken is cooked through.
To pan fry
Add 1 tablespoon of oil to a skillet over a medium heat. Add the basil pesto chicken and cook for 2-3 minutes or until browned. Then turn the chicken pieces over and cook on the other side for 6-7 minutes or until cooked through.
To oven bake
Preheat the oven to 425°F. Place the basil pesto chicken onto a baking sheet lined with foil.
Bake for 10 minutes, then turn the pieces over and bake for an additional 8-10 minutes.
The chicken is fully cooked when the internal temperature reaches 165°F.
Transfer the chicken to a plate and serve with the remaining sauce.
Substitutions
- If you can't find pine nuts, swap them for walnuts or almonds.
- No chicken breasts? Try making pesto wings, drumsticks, or thighs. Just adjust cooking times to ensure they're cooked through.
- If you don't have enough basil, swap half the amount for baby spinach leaves.
Serving Suggestions
- Serve your pesto chicken with a variety of side dishes, such as salad, cooked vegetables, potatoes, or rice.
- Stir your pesto chicken into cooked pasta.
- Add it to a sandwich along with some lettuce, tomatoes, and a little red onion.
- Put the chicken bites onto toothpicks and serve as a tasty appetizer.
- Serve with a simple dip, such as ranch dip, marinara, or the remaining pesto stirred into some mayo and plain yogurt.
Food Safety Tips
- Before cooking, be sure to wash your hands and countertops.
- Do not use the same utensils on cooked food that has touched raw meat.
- Always wash your hands after touching raw meat, fish, and poultry.
- Never leave cooking food unattended.
- Keep those pot/pan handles turned in away from the front of the stove.
- When cooking at high temperatures, use oils with a high smoking point, to avoid harmful compounds.
- Put foods in the fridge or freezer within 2 hours of cooking. Reduce this to within 1 hour if it is 90 degrees or hotter outside.
Cook to safe temperatures:
To ensure food is cooked through, it's best to use a food thermometer. Be aware that you can’t always tell by looking.
- Beef, Pork, Lamb: 145 °F
- Fish: 145 °F
- Ground Beef, Ground Pork, Ground Lamb: 160 °F
- Turkey, Chicken, Duck: 165 °F
FAQ
Pesto has a pleasant, bold, rich, earthy taste and a slightly grainy texture.
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📖 Recipe
Basil Pesto Chicken
Equipment
- bowl
- Food processor
- Baking dish
Ingredients
- 1 lb boneless skinless chicken breasts
- 1 cup fresh basil leaves (packed)
- 4 tablespoons freshly grated Parmesan cheese
- 2 tablespoons pine nuts (you can substitute walnuts)
- 3 garlic cloves (minced)
- ⅛ teaspoon each salt and freshly ground black pepper
- ⅓ cup olive oil
Instructions
- Add the basil, parmesan, pine nuts, garlic, salt and pepper to a food processor. Process until very finely chopped.
- With the food processor running, drizzle in the olive oil and pulse until combined and smooth.
- Cut the chicken breasts into small pieces and put them into a bowl. Add half of the pesto sauce and stir well to coat the chicken.
- Optional: Cover the bowl with a lid and let it marinate for 30 minutes.
To cook in an air fryer
- Transfer the chicken pieces to the air fryer basket. Air Fry at 400F for 10 minutes. Turn the chicken pieces over and bake for 4 more minutes or until the chicken is cooked through.
To pan fry
- Add 1 tablespoon of oil to a skillet over a medium heat. Add the basil pesto chicken and cook for 2-3 minutes or until browned. Then turn the chicken pieces over and cook on the other side for 6-7 minutes or until cooked through.
To oven bake
- Preheat the oven to 425°F. Place the basil pesto chicken onto a baking sheet lined with foil.Bake for 10 minutes, then turn the pieces over and bake for an additional 8-10 minutes.
- The chicken is fully cooked when the internal temperature reaches 165°F.
- Transfer the chicken to a plate and serve with the remaining pesto sauce.
Nutrition
The nutritional information provided is approximate and can vary depending on several factors, so is not guaranteed to be accurate. Please see a registered dietician for special diet advice.
Brandy
I really loved this homemade pesto sauce. It was so fantastic and absolutely delicious on this chicken! I will be making this again!
Shadi
Thank you so much! The flavors were perfect. I served it with rice and steamed broccoli. So healthy and flavorful!