Creamy Pesto Chicken

4.93 from 139 votes

Creamy pesto chicken is a fast, easy, and impressive main dish for dinner, whether you just want to treat yourself or impress guests!

Prep Time10

Cook Time25

Total Time35

Course: Dinner, Main Course

Cuisine: American

Total Cost: $10.70 recipe / $2.68 serving

Servings:

Calories: 415kcal

Author: Beth Moncel

Ingredients

2 boneless, skinless chicken breast (about 1.3 lb. total) $6.59
1/8 tsp salt $0.01
1/8 tsp pepper $0.01
2 Tbsp olive oil, divided $0.32
2 cloves garlic, minced $0.16
1 pint grape tomatoes, sliced in half $2.00
1/2 cup heavy cream $0.62
1/4 cup pesto $0.99

Instructions

Fillet the chicken breasts into two thinner pieces (or pound the chicken to an even thickness then cut each breast in half to create four portions). Season the chicken with a pinch of salt and pepper on both sides.
Heat a large skillet over medium heat. Once hot, add 1 Tbsp oil and swirl to coat the surface. Add the chicken to the skillet and cook on each side until golden brown and cooked through (about 7-10 minutes total). Remove the chicken to a clean plate.
Turn the heat down to medium-low. Add the remaining olive oil to the skillet along with the minced garlic and halved grape tomatoes. Sauté for about five minutes, or until the tomatoes start to soften and lose their shape.
Add the heavy cream and pesto to the skillet with the tomatoes and stir to combine. Allow the sauce to come up to a simmer. Taste the sauce and adjust the salt or pepper to your liking.
Add the chicken back to the skillet with the tomatoes and sauce, turning to coat the chicken. Allow the chicken to simmer in the sauce for just a few minutes more to heat through. Serve hot.

See how we calculate recipe costs here.

Video

Notes

The beauty of this dish is that you can use just about any type of pesto. I used a basil pesto this time around, but a red pesto would also be awesome. Pesto can be on the pricey side, but there are several brands that are a bit more affordable. Look for Alessi, Barilla, Classico, or Filippo Berio.

Nutrition

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