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Chicken / Dinner Ideas / Gluten Free / Low Carb / Special Diets

Creamy Pesto Chicken

In this quick and easy Creamy Pesto Chicken recipe, tender strips of chicken are sautéed and simmered in a rich, creamy pesto sauce with sun-dried tomatoes, creating a deliciously satisfying dish.

overhead shot of a skillet with creamy pesto chicken strips, peppers, and cream sauce

Indulge in this creamy, delicious, and irresistible meal that is the definition of flavorful comfort food. This dish is like receiving a warm hug from a one-pan meal, making it the perfect comfort food for a hectic weeknight, especially after a busy Monday. To streamline the process even further, consider using frozen bell peppers and pre-diced onions. With just a quick sauté and a gentle simmer of the sauce for a few minutes, this Creamy Pesto Chicken not only looks impressive but is also incredibly quick and simple to make.

overhead shot of a skillet with creamy pesto chicken strips, peppers, and cream sauce

Creamy Pesto Chicken Ingredients

  • Oil: For sautéing. I use light olive oil because it has a higher smoke point than extra virgin.
  • Chicken: I use one pound of boneless chicken breasts cut into strips, but you could also use boneless chicken thighs.
  • Italian Seasoning: Half a teaspoon of Italian seasoning blend brings a lot of flavor to the pan.
  • Salt & Pepper: To taste.
  • Onion: Dice one small yellow onion. You can also use a sweet or white onion.
  • Garlic: You’ll need 3 garlic cloves, minced or pressed.
  • Sun-Dried Tomato: Drain and chop half a cup of sun-dried tomatoes in oil.
  • Bell Peppers: Cut two small bell peppers into long thin strips.
  • Cream: Half a cup of heavy cream adds a ton of richness to the sauce.
  • Chicken Broth: You’ll need half a cup of broth; I use low-sodium chicken broth, but you can substitute homemade, regular, or vegetable broth if desired.
  • Pesto: A few tablespoons of prepared basil pesto gives the dish its fresh, flavorful bite.
  • Chopped Fresh Basil and Grated Parmesan: For garnish.

How To Make Creamy Pesto Chicken

This is a great, easy dish to pull together. Pesto is my go-to ingredient for adding a burst of flavor, and the combination of sun-dried tomatoes and basil pesto gives it so much flavor with minimal prep.

  1. Cook Chicken: Heat the olive oil in a large nonstick skillet. Season the chicken breast strips with Italian seasoning, salt, and pepper, and cook them for minutes, or until cooked through. Remove the chicken from the skillet and set aside.
  2. Prep Sauce Ingredients: Combine the cream, chicken broth and pesto in a mixing bowl; whisk until well combined and set aside.
  3. Sauté Veggies: Return the skillet to the heat and add the remaining oil; stir in the onions and sauté. Then, stir in the garlic and sun-dried tomatoes; cook for just 30 seconds to release the fragrance. Add the bell peppers and continue cooking until fork tender.
  4. Cook Chicken in Sauce: Add the prepared pesto sauce to the skillet and bring it to a simmer. Return the chicken to the skillet and cook for a couple of minutes or until heated through and the sauce is a little thickened. Garnish with parmesan and basil, then serve.

Tips for Success

  • Don’t Overcook Chicken: Chicken breast is very lean, which makes it easy to accidentally overcook. The recommended temperature for cooked white meat chicken is 165°F, but you can pull it off of the heat at about 162°F since it will continue to cook briefly.
  • Use Thighs: You can also substitute a pound of chicken thighs, cut into one-inch pieces; thigh meat is less lean, and it needs to cook to about 170°F.
  • Use Kale Pesto: Another delicious option is kale pesto, which tastes similar to basil pesto but has a slightly different taste due to the included kale, but it’s nutritious and delicious.
close up shot of chicken strips, bell pepper strips, and creamy pesto sauce

Serving Suggestions

Serve this chicken with pasta or gnocchi. This No-Knead Dutch Oven Bread is a delicious way to soak up the delicious pesto sauce. One of my favorite sides to serve are these Garlic Butter Mushrooms – they go with everything. Also, the sweet and mellow flavors of Roasted Sugar Snap Peas pair beautifully with pesto chicken.

How to Store & Reheat Leftovers

  • To store your leftover chicken, place the meat and sauce together into food storage bags or containers. Refrigerate for up to 4 days or freeze for 2 to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator.
  • To reheat leftovers, place the meat and sauce in a covered skillet or saucepan over low heat, and cook until heated through. Do not overcook.

More Easy Chicken Dinner Ideas

overhead shot of a skillet with creamy pesto chicken strips, peppers, and cream sauce
Print Recipe
5 from 18 votes

Creamy Pesto Chicken

Quick Creamy Pesto Chicken prepared with chicken strips cooked in a creamy pesto sauce with sun-dried tomatoes and peppers.
Prep Time10 minutes
Cook Time20 minutes
Total Time30 minutes
Course: Dinner
Cuisine: Italian
Keyword: creamy chicken, easy chicken dinner, pesto chicken
Servings: 4
Calories: 405kcal

Ingredients

Instructions

  • Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a large 12-inch nonstick skillet.
  • Season the chicken strips with Italian seasoning, salt, and pepper, and add them to the skillet; cook over medium heat for 7 to 8 minutes or until cooked through. Remove chicken from the skillet and set aside.
  • Combine heavy cream, chicken broth, and pesto in a mixing bowl; whisk until well combined and set aside.
  • Return the skillet to the heat and add the remaining olive oil; stir in the onions and cook for 2 minutes. Stir in garlic and sun-dried tomatoes; cook over medium-high heat for 30 seconds or until fragrant.
  • Add bell peppers and continue cooking for 4 minutes, or until fork tender.
  • Add the prepared pesto sauce to the skillet and bring to a simmer.
  • Return the chicken to the skillet and cook for 2 minutes or until heated through and the sauce is a little thickened. Taste for salt and pepper; adjust to taste.
  • Garnish with parmesan and basil, serve.

Nutrition

Calories: 405kcal | Carbohydrates: 12g | Protein: 28g | Fat: 27g | Saturated Fat: 10g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 114mg | Sodium: 298mg | Potassium: 860mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 4g | Vitamin A: 2743IU | Vitamin C: 94mg | Calcium: 69mg | Iron: 1mg

40 Comments

  • Dorothy Reinhold
    Apr 19, 2021 at 8:14 pm

    Look at that creamy deliciousness! I have everything I need to make this for dinner! Win!

    Reply
    • Katerina
      Katerina Petrovska
      Apr 20, 2021 at 2:29 pm

      That’s great! I hope you enjoy it! Thank YOU! 🙂

      Reply
  • Erin | Dinners,Dishes and Dessert
    Apr 20, 2021 at 12:35 am

    5 stars
    These Tender chicken strips are would disappear in our house!

    Reply
  • Allyson Reed Zea
    Apr 20, 2021 at 7:32 am

    5 stars
    Super flavorful and very easy to make! 10/10 thanks!

    Reply
    • Katerina
      Katerina Petrovska
      Apr 20, 2021 at 2:29 pm

      I’m very glad you enjoyed it! Thank YOU! 🙂

      Reply
  • Cathy
    Apr 20, 2021 at 10:07 am

    What a delicious flavor combination!!

    Reply
    • Katerina
      Katerina Petrovska
      Apr 20, 2021 at 2:29 pm

      Thank YOU! I hope you enjoy it! 🙂

      Reply
  • Beth
    Apr 20, 2021 at 3:19 pm

    5 stars
    This is such an amazing dinner and very tasty! My family and I love love loved this recipe! So excited to make this again!

    Reply
    • Katerina
      Katerina Petrovska
      Apr 21, 2021 at 11:38 am

      That’s great! I am very glad you and your family enjoyed it! Thank YOU! 🙂

      Reply
  • Catalina
    Apr 21, 2021 at 3:50 am

    5 stars
    I cook very often chicken for dinner. But I’ve never tried pesto chicken. Sounds so tasty!

    Reply
    • Katerina
      Katerina Petrovska
      Apr 21, 2021 at 11:37 am

      Thank YOU! I hope you enjoy it! 🙂

      Reply
  • Kevin
    May 13, 2021 at 8:49 am

    5 stars
    These flavors are calling my name! Looks so good!

    Reply
    • Katerina
      Katerina Petrovska
      May 13, 2021 at 12:30 pm

      Thank you so much! I am very glad you enjoyed it! 🙂

      Reply
  • Janet
    Jun 23, 2021 at 6:20 pm

    5 stars
    This is my new favorite chicken dish. Outstanding!

    Reply
    • Katerina
      Katerina Petrovska
      Jun 24, 2021 at 10:36 am

      That’s great! I’m very glad you enjoyed it! Thank YOU! 🙂

      Reply
    • Katerina
      Katerina Petrovska
      Jun 28, 2021 at 2:19 pm

      That’s great to hear! I am very glad you enjoyed it! Thank YOU! 🙂

      Reply
  • anne
    Aug 4, 2021 at 1:03 pm

    did you guys pair it with pasta?

    Reply
    • Katerina
      Katerina
      Aug 5, 2021 at 7:32 am

      Yes, it’s great served over pasta.

      Reply
  • Tiffany
    Oct 29, 2021 at 7:46 pm

    5 stars
    This was so good! Only thing I did differently was bump up the amounts of the sauce ingredients a little because it sounded so good I wanted to make sure I had extra sauciness! And I’m glad I did because it was delicious!

    Reply
  • Juliya Moskalenko
    Feb 6, 2022 at 3:58 pm

    5 stars
    Made this today and it was absolutely delicious! It was my first time cooking with pesto so I did one tablespoon instead of 3 and it was perfect! Sun dried tomatoes were also delicious in this. Paired with linguine pasta. My husband approved 🙂

    Reply
  • Angie
    May 6, 2022 at 6:24 pm

    5 stars
    My family loves this! It’s earned a spot in our fav recipe rotation. I had it over broccoli to cut calories and it was still awesome. I recommend over rice though 😊

    Reply
    • Katerina
      Katerina Petrovska
      May 9, 2022 at 2:44 pm

      That’s great! I’m very glad everyone enjoyed it! Thank YOU! 🙂

      Reply
  • Chantel
    Sep 6, 2022 at 5:57 pm

    5 stars
    Loved it!! Super easy recipe. Used Tomato pesto instead of basil and skipped the dried tomatoes. Added spinach to the veggies. Amazing!!!

    Reply
  • Judy
    Sep 23, 2023 at 5:30 pm

    5 stars
    Absolutely delicious. My husband said this recipe is a keeper.
    Thank you.

    Reply
  • Judy
    Oct 5, 2023 at 5:34 pm

    5 stars
    Delicious. It’s a keeper. Love all the flavors!!
    Thanks.

    Reply
  • April
    Jan 31, 2024 at 2:14 pm

    5 stars
    Loved the sun dried tomatoes in this! So many layers of flavor, and every one as bit as good as the last. Loved every bite!

    Reply
  • Gina
    Jan 31, 2024 at 4:15 pm

    5 stars
    OMG – the sauce – it’s so good with the juicy chicken.

    Reply
    • Katerina
      Katerina
      Feb 1, 2024 at 12:38 pm

      So glad to hear you loved the sauce and how it paired with the juicy chicken! It sounds like a delicious combination. Thank YOU! 🙂

      Reply
  • Sandra
    Jan 31, 2024 at 8:31 pm

    5 stars
    This is such a meal that you would enjoy every bite of it! So glad I tried it, it was incredible!

    Reply
    • Katerina
      Katerina
      Feb 1, 2024 at 12:37 pm

      It’s fantastic to hear you enjoyed the meal so much! Thank YOU! 🙂

      Reply
  • Erin | Dinners, Dishes and Dessert
    Jan 31, 2024 at 8:58 pm

    5 stars
    Such a fantastic meal1 Always a favorite on our table!

    Reply
    • Katerina
      Katerina
      Feb 1, 2024 at 12:35 pm

      Thank you so much! I am very glad you and your family enjoyed it! 🙂

      Reply
  • Catalina
    Feb 1, 2024 at 1:38 pm

    5 stars
    The creamy pesto sauce was so flavorful and complemented the chicken perfectly. It was a hit with the family and will definitely be added to our dinner rotation!

    Reply
    • Katerina
      Katerina
      Feb 2, 2024 at 2:36 pm

      Great to hear the creamy pesto sauce with chicken was a hit with your family and will be a regular at your dinners! Thank YOU! 🙂

      Reply
  • Janelle
    Feb 1, 2024 at 5:28 pm

    5 stars
    Dang, this was seriously tasty. Thanks!

    Reply
    • Katerina
      Katerina
      Feb 2, 2024 at 2:23 pm

      I’m very glad you enjoyed it! Thank YOU! 🙂

      Reply

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