Description
Creamy Skillet Pesto Chicken is a quick and decadent dinner recipe featuring tender boneless chicken breasts cooked in a flavorful pesto cream sauce, finished with parmesan cheese and fresh herbs for a rich and satisfying meal.
Ingredients
Scale
Chicken
- 4 boneless skinless chicken breasts
- 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
Sauce
- 1/3 cup basil pesto
- 1 cup heavy cream
- Salt and pepper to taste
- 1/3 cup parmesan cheese, shredded
- Fresh basil or parsley, chopped (optional)
- Olive oil, for cooking
Instructions
- Prepare Chicken: Lay out a piece of plastic wrap and place 1-2 chicken breasts on it. Cover with another piece of plastic wrap and pound the chicken to an even thickness using a meat mallet or rolling pin. Repeat with remaining chicken breasts.
- Coat Chicken: In a shallow bowl, whisk together flour, salt, pepper, and garlic powder. Dip each chicken breast in the flour mixture until fully coated.
- Cook Chicken: Heat a large drizzle of olive oil in a skillet over medium heat. Once hot, add the coated chicken breasts and cook for 8 minutes per side until cooked through and lightly browned. Transfer chicken to a plate, cover with foil, and set aside.
- Make Sauce: In the same skillet, add the basil pesto and cook for 2 minutes over medium heat until fragrant. Stir in the heavy cream and heat until the sauce starts to bubble. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
- Combine and Finish: Return the cooked chicken and any accumulated juices to the skillet. Sprinkle shredded parmesan cheese over the chicken and cook until the cheese melts and sauce thickens slightly. Garnish with freshly chopped basil or parsley and serve warm.
Notes
- For even cooking, pounding the chicken to an even thickness is essential.
- You can substitute heavy cream with half-and-half for a lighter version, though the sauce will be less rich.
- Use fresh basil pesto for best flavor, but bottled pesto works as well.
- Serve with pasta, rice, or crusty bread to soak up the creamy sauce.
- Leftovers can be refrigerated for up to 2 days and reheated gently on the stovetop.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 breast
- Calories: 474 kcal
- Sugar: 2 g
- Sodium: 1056 mg
- Fat: 34 g
- Saturated Fat: 17 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 8 g
- Trans Fat: 0.01 g
- Carbohydrates: 10 g
- Fiber: 1 g
- Protein: 31 g
- Cholesterol: 147 mg
