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This creamy pesto chicken recipe is ridiculously easy to make, and the silky and bright pesto cream sauce is delicious! With just 5 ingredients, this is a simple yet elevated meal.
You may also like my Pesto Chicken (no cream) next.
Why you’ll love it
In this low-effort weeknight dinner, chicken is pan-fried until golden and juicy and then smothered in a simple yet flavorful creamy pesto sauce! I just love basil, and a good-quality pesto really pops here. It’s no wonder that pesto is always so popular. It’s so tasty!
This 30-minute pesto chicken recipe is fantastic to keep in your rotation since it has so few ingredients. Pesto and heavy cream really are a dream team. It’s an easy way to change up and upgrade your usual chicken dinner. Yes, it’s special enough to serve for company too!
What you’ll need
- Chicken – we’re using chicken breasts
- Olive oil and butter – for pan frying
- Pesto – be sure to use a pesto that you enjoy the taste of! It’s the highlight of this recipe. I personally love DeLallo’s, or you can make my Homemade Pesto.
- Heavy cream – the way it transforms and upgrades pesto is pretty magical! This sauce is so good.
Pro tip
Cutting chicken breasts in half lengthwise ensures that they cook faster and more evenly. It’s a tried-and-true technique I use for pretty much all my skillet chicken recipes!
How to make creamy pesto chicken
This is an overview with step-by-step photos. Full ingredients & instructions are in the recipe card below.
Cut the chicken into four cutlets. Season with pepper and, if desired, some salt. Heat up the oil and butter in a skillet. Pan fry the chicken until golden, then transfer to a plate. Add the pesto and cream to the pan.
Stir until the sauce is combined well. Return the chicken and any juices from the plate to the skillet, and simmer until the meat is cooked through and the sauce thickens up.
Tools for this recipe
Check out Natasha’s favorite kitchen essentials, gadgets, and cookware!
- Here is the cast iron skillet I use.
- Angled measuring cups make it simple to measure out the cream.
- Chicken is cooked when it reaches 165F internally. You can easily gauge the temperature with an instant read thermometer.
Substitutions and variations
- I don’t recommend subbing the cream for something like milk or half-and-half as the sauce will be thinner and we don’t use a thickener in here.
- Try adding in a handful or two of fresh spinach towards the end.
- You can sub the chicken breasts for boneless skinless chicken thighs, but I recommend searing them for a bit longer because they take more time to become tender.
What to serve with pesto chicken
- A big pile of my perfect Garlic Mashed Potatoes for the sauce is always a good idea. These Garlic Butter Noodles or rice work too! Or just make my standalone Super Easy Chicken Pesto Pasta recipe instead.
- For a veggie, try my Easy Roasted Cauliflower or Maple Roasted Beets and Carrots.
- Serve it with a bright salad to round out the meal. This homemade Italian Dressing is a winner!
Leftovers and storage
- Store any leftovers in an airtight container for 3-4 days in the fridge.
- Reheat slowly over a low heat until warmed through.
- I don’t recommend freezing this one due to the dairy.
If you made this chicken with a creamy pesto sauce, leave a star rating and review below! You can also tag me on Instagram with any S&L recipe you make.
Creamy Pesto Chicken
Ingredients
- 2 large chicken breasts
- Salt & pepper to taste
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 tablespoon butter
- 1/2 cup pesto click for my recipe or use your favorite store bought
- 1 cup heavy/whipping cream
Instructions
- Cut the chicken in half lengthwise so you have 4 thinner cutlets. Season with salt & pepper (go light on the salt or skip it altogether as some pesto varieties can be quite salty, so you may want to wait until the end to add extra salt).
- Add the oil and butter to a skillet over medium-high heat. Once the pan is hot, sear the chicken for 4-5 minutes/side until golden. Transfer to a plate.
- Reduce the heat to medium. Add the pesto and cream to the pan and stir until combined, then add the chicken back to the skillet, along with the plate juices, and simmer for about 5 minutes or until the chicken is cooked through (165F) and the sauce has thickened up. Add in a splash of water, white wine, or low sodium chicken broth if the sauce reduces too much before the chicken is cooked.
Notes
- Out of store bought varieties, DeLallo’s pesto is my favorite.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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Love this chicken recipe! My basil plants are growing like crazy so I have tons of homemade pesto and am always looking for ways to use it. This was delicious and creamy and had tons of flavor. There was plenty of sauce as well, so it was great served with angel hair pasta. Definitely a keeper!
Excellent!! 😀 So glad it was a hit! Thanks for your review, Adrienne!
The pesto creamy sauce is AMAZING! Love how simple and tasteful it is. I served it with your easy garlic mashed potatoes & carrots.
Aww thank you!!!
This was excellent! The pesto cream sauce was so delicious- and such an easy recipe. I served it with roasted baby potatoes (which were great with the sauce!!) and green beans. Such a wonderful recipe- I will definitely be making this again. Thank you Natasha!
Yay!!! I’m thrilled you enjoyed it, Jenny!! 😀 Thanks for letting me know!