Easy and Healthy Chicken Pesto Recipe

Easy and Healthy Chicken Pesto Recipe

Ok, here’s a perfectly simple dinner that also makes great leftovers. This Healthy Chicken Pesto Recipe is ready in about 30 minutes and is so easy to whip together!  You can certainly serve it over pasta, but this low-carb option is good all on its own.

Related: Basil Pesto Pasta, Sheet Pan Chicken Fajitas

You can even use this recipe to meal prep for the week by cooking a batch and portioning it out in whatever serving size you want. 

For the Pesto

You can either make your own, or use a jarred variety.  Either works great and gives it DELICIOUS flavor!!

What is pesto sauce made out of? Good question. Pesto is a traditional Italian recipe consisting of garlic, pine nuts, coarse salt, basil leaves, Parmigiano-Reggiano or Pecorino, all blended with a good quality olive oil. 

To make your own, take the following ingredients and blend them in a food processor:

• 2 cups fresh basil leaves, packed
• 1/3 cup pine nuts (can sub chopped walnuts)
• 1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan-Reggiano cheese (about 2 ounces)
• 3 garlic cloves, minced (about 3 teaspoons)
• 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
• 1/4 teaspoon salt, more to taste
• 1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, more to taste

1. Pulse the basil and pine nuts first.
2. Then, add the parmesan and garlic and pulse.
3. Now, drizzle in the olive oil while the food processor is going.  Once finished season with salt and pepper.

Step by Step Instructions to Make One Pan Chicken Pesto

Sheet pan or one pan meals are the way to go and when they have this much flavor, you can put on your meal plan week after week and never get tired of it!

Step 1

Preheat oven to 400 F.  Then, place cut chicken, tomatoes, broccoli, and zucchini in a large bowl and toss with pesto.  

COOKING TIP:  No worries if these aren’t your favorite veggies.  Substitute with ones that will cook at a similar rate.  We’re thinking mushrooms or cauliflower.

Step 3

Place on large sheet pan and spread out for even cooking.

Step 3

Now, bake in oven for 15-20 minutes. If desired top with Parmesan cheese during the last 5 minutes of baking.

Remove from oven and serve or let cool and put in containers for meals throughout the week.  Keeps in the fridge up to 5 days.

Tips for Making Healthy Chicken Pesto

• Make sure you cut your chicken into bite-sized pieces to make sure they cook at the same rate as the veggies.
• Chicken is done when it reaches an internal temperature of 165 F.
• Because the vegetable have a high water content, they may create a lot of juice.  Just drain off if this is the case.
• This recipe is great for meal prepping.  Just make a batch and eat it throughout the week.

Serving Suggestions for Chicken Pesto

• If you’re looking to add grains, serve your pesto chicken over rice, pasta or quinoa.  Grains add great texture and more fiber.
• A green salad would also be wonderful served with this recipe.

If you make this Healthy Chicken Pesto Recipe or any other recipe on Suburban Simplicity, then don’t forget to rate the recipe and let me know how it went in the comments below, I love hearing from you!

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Print Pin

Healthy Pesto Chicken Recipe

This Healthy Chicken Pesto Recipe is easy to make in 30 minutes and has the most amazing flavor!! Serve it with or without pasta for a tasty weeknight meal.

Course Main Course

Cuisine Mediterranean

Prep Time 10 minutes

Cook Time 20 minutes

0 minutes

Total Time 30 minutes

Servings 4

Calories 313kcal

Author Erin Henry

Ingredients

• 3  chicken breasts cut in small chunks
• 1  package Cherry tomatoes
• 1/2  head broccoli cut into florets
• 1  zucchini cut thickly
• 1/4 cup tablespoons pesto store bought or homemade
• 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese optional
• salt to taste
• pepper to taste

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 400 Place chicken, tomatoes, broccoli, and zucchini in a large bowl and toss with pesto. Place on large sheet pan and spread out for even cooking.
• Bake in oven for 15-20 minutes. If desired top with Parmesan cheese during the last 5 minutes of baking.
• Keeps in fridge up to 5 days

Notes

Cooking Notes:

• Make sure you cut your chicken into bite-sized pieces to make sure they cook at the same rate as the veggies. 
• Chicken is done when it reaches an internal temperature of 165 F. 
• This recipe is great for meal prepping.  Just make a batch and eat it throughout the week. 

Nutritional information is approximate and was calculated using a recipe nutrition label generator.

★ Did you make this recipe? Don't forget to give it a star rating below!

Nutrition

Calories: 313kcal | Carbohydrates: 8g | Protein: 42g | Fat: 12g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Cholesterol: 114mg | Sodium: 471mg | Potassium: 1004mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 3g | Vitamin A: 20.1% | Vitamin C: 96.4% | Calcium: 15.1% | Iron: 8.4%

This is one solid and easy recipe to make month in and month out!

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