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a plate with creamy pesto chicken, mashed potatoes, and green beans
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5 from 4 votes

Creamy Pesto Chicken

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.
Prep Time10 minutes
Cook Time20 minutes
Total Time30 minutes
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: American
Keyword: Creamy Pesto Chicken
Servings: 4
Author: Natasha Bull

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

Calories: 507kcal | Carbohydrates: 4g | Protein: 27g | Fat: 42g | Saturated Fat: 19g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 10g | Trans Fat: 0.1g | Cholesterol: 150mg | Sodium: 460mg | Potassium: 476mg | Fiber: 0.5g | Sugar: 3g | Vitamin A: 1.621IU | Vitamin C: 2mg | Calcium: 96mg | Iron: 1mg
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