Creamy Pesto Chicken (15 Minute Meal)
If you're a fan of one pan chicken dinners, this creamy chicken pesto could become a go-to for your family! Cut the chicken in half horizontally for quick and easy cooking, then add just a few other pantry ingredients to make a delicious creamy (but on the lighter side) sauce. Serve with pasta, potatoes, or rice, or just by itself with bread. The best part? It's on the table in about 15 minutes!
Servings: 4 (see notes)
Equipment
- Breville Peel N Dice food processor (for optional homemade pesto)
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 large chicken breasts sliced in 2 across the width (to make 4 thinner slices of chicken)
- black pepper (to taste)
- 2 cloves garlic crushed or sliced (optional, as there is already garlic in the pesto)
- 4 ounces mushrooms chopped into small pieces
- ½ cup chicken broth (stock)
- ¼ cup basil pesto (homemade or good quality pre-made)
- ½ cup evaporated milk (or heavy/double cream - evaporated milk is lighter)
- ⅓ cup grated parmesan plus extra for grating over at the end
- fresh basil leaves to serve (optional - I often save a few from making the pesto if I make my own)
Instructions
- Heat up the olive oil on a medium high heat in a medium to large frying pan or skillet. Grind black pepper over both sides of the chicken (if you like), then pan fry for 3 to 5 minutes on each side or until cooked through (depends on the thickness). Remove from the pan and keep warm by covering with foil.2 tablespoons olive oil, 2 large chicken breasts, black pepper
- Without cleaning the pan, add another drizzle of oil (if needed), then pan fry the garlic and mushrooms for 2 to 3 minutes.2 cloves garlic, 4 ounces mushrooms
- Stir in the chicken broth, pesto and evaporated milk/cream, then let bubble for a minute or two until slightly reduced. Then stir in the parmesan.½ cup chicken broth, ¼ cup basil pesto, ½ cup evaporated milk, ⅓ cup grated parmesan
- Return the chicken and any juices to the pan and spoon over the sauce. Serve over pasta, mashed or roast potatoes, or rice, or by itself with fresh or toasted bread. Scatter over extra parmesan and a few basil leaves to serve, if you like.fresh basil leaves
Video
Notes
Portion size: This makes a great meal for an average family of 4, but do bear in mind that the portions are on the smaller side. I think it's usually enough with sides e.g. roasted tomatoes and tagliatelle and bread, but if you're extra hungry feel free to add another chicken breast to the pan! (use a large frying pan, obviously!)
Cook time: Try to resist the temptation to overcook the chicken – you want to keep it nice and moist and juicy! Check it’s just cooked through in the thickest part, then remove from the pan. I find my chicken is usually cooked in 6 to 10 minutes, depending on the thickness. Sometimes I take the extra step of putting the chicken between 2 sheets of plastic wrap and pounding with a rolling pin to make sure the thickness is even.
Recipe for homemade pesto: Here is a recipe for homemade pesto. If you just need enough for this recipe, put 2 handfuls of fresh basil, about 1/4 cup pine nuts, a small clove of garlic, 6 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil in the bowl of a food processor (a mini one or small bowl of a bigger processor works well) and pulse a few times until well chopped and combined.
You can make the pesto ahead. Just put in the fridge with a drizzle of olive oil over the top to keep it fresh and cover until you want to use it. Alternatively you can freeze it.
Serving ideas: Serve with pasta, rice, or mashed or roasted potatoes. I like tagliatelle, but almost any pasta will work! I also really like to serve this meal with roasted tomatoes. Just drizzle with a bit of olive oil and bake at 180C / 355F for about 15 minutes.
Leftovers: You can reheat the leftovers, but you might need to add an extra drizzle of water/broth/cream to thin out the sauce again. I'd add a little extra liquid, then microwave on 50% power for a couple of minutes at a time until piping hot (this way you won't end up with tough, dry chicken!).
Leftovers will keep well covered in the fridge or in an airtight container for 3 to 4 days.
Nutrition
Calories: 339kcal | Carbohydrates: 7g | Protein: 31g | Fat: 21g | Saturated Fat: 5g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 7g | Trans Fat: 0.01g | Cholesterol: 91mg | Sodium: 566mg | Potassium: 630mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 4g | Vitamin A: 494IU | Vitamin C: 3mg | Calcium: 191mg | Iron: 1mg
