This is my super easy and Quick Cheesy Baked Pesto Chicken recipe that requires just 4 ingredients and less than 30 minutes of your time. It's the perfect weeknight dinner using chicken breast, store-bought pesto, mozzarella cheese, and tomatoes for a delicious flavour.
One of the best things about this cheesy baked pesto chicken is that you can pair it with dozens of side dishes. From pasta, rice, potatoes, to salad or roasted veggies, you can eat it with whatever you fancy!
If you're looking for more simple chicken meals to cook during the week, then check out my baked chicken with cream of chicken soup, chicken piccata, or this easy Nixon's chicken recipe that you can make in no time!
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Why you'll love this recipe
Quick: as it says in the title, this recipe takes half the time to cook compared to other recipes you'll find on the internet for pesto baked chicken. And it's because I've sliced the chicken breasts in half so that they cook at double speed.
Minimal ingredients: you only need 4 ingredients for this pesto chicken recipe; chicken breast, pesto, mozzarella cheese, and tomatoes. The additional store-cupboard essentials like olive oil, salt, and pepper take the bake to another level.
Saucy: unlike other recipes that are dry and overcooked, I've tested this recipe to ensure that the chicken is juicy, provides you with a lovely pesto and mozzarella sauce, and delivers delicious flavour. I love to drizzle the sauce over pasta, rice, or as a salad dressing with the cheesy pesto baked chicken.
Ingredients and Substitutions
Chicken: we're using chicken breast for this recipe, but if you'd like to use a juicier cut of chicken, feel free to use boneless and skinless chicken thighs. If you're looking for a veggie or vegan option, tofu cutlets would work really well.
Pesto: we've used store-bought pesto. The better the quality of pesto, the tastier the dish will be. If you're looking to make your own, check out my avocado pesto recipe for something a bit different! Make sure to use a vegan pesto if you're opting for the plant-based alternative.
Tomatoes: medium-large ripe tomatoes are perfect for this baked pesto chicken recipe. They add a lovely acidity and freshness to the dish. You can omit them if you'd like. Alternatively, you could replace them with sliced eggplant (aubergine) or zucchini (courgette).
Mozzarella: for the cheesiness, we're using mozzarella. If you don't like mozzarella, then you could use goats cheese, parmesan cheese, gouda, gruyere, or Emmental. Once again, feel free to use your favourite plant-based alternative if need be.
The full list of ingredients and measurements is further down in the blog in the recipe card.
Step by step instructions with photos
Step 1: Preheat the oven to 200C/180C fan (390F). Slice your chicken breasts lengthwise, creating 4 evenly sized chicken cutlets.
Step 2: Place a sheet of parchment paper onto your baking tray and then evenly place the chicken breast. Top with 1-2 teaspoon pesto on each cutlet. Top with 2 slices of tomato on each cutlet and season with salt and pepper.
Step 3: Top with slices of mozzarella, more pepper, and some olive oil. Place into the oven for 15 minutes (may need longer depending on size of cutlets). Then place under the grill or broil for 3-5 minutes until the mozzarella cheese is bubbling and brown.
Step 4: Remove your baked pesto chicken from the oven. The result should be a perfectly cooked, cheesy, juicy chicken. Serve with salad, rice, pasta, or whatever you fancy!
What to do with leftovers
Storage: Leave any leftovers to cool and then place in an airtight container and into the fridge for up to 3 days.
Freezer: Once again, leave any leftovers to cool, then place in an airtight container (don't forget to label it with the contents and the date), and place in the freezer for up to 3 months). Leave in the fridge overnight to thaw before reheating.
Reheating: Preheat the oven to 200C/390F. Place the pesto chicken on a tray and cover with tinned foil. Reheat for 5-10 minutes until piping hot, then serve up and enjoy!
FAQs
I love eating it with a fresh green salad, but on a colder day, serving it with rice, pasta, or potatoes would be lovely.
For sure! I love gruyere, gouda, goats cheese, or parmesan too.
Yes! Swap out the chicken for tofu steaks, pick a pesto that has no cheese in it, and then substitute the mozzarella for a vegan alternative.
Absolutely. Simply double or triple the ingredient proportions stated in the recipe card below!
More recipes you might enjoy!
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Quick Cheesy Baked Pesto Chicken
Ingredients
- 2 chicken breasts
- 2 medium tomatoes sliced
- 125 g mozzarella sliced
- 2 tablespoon pesto store-bought or homemade
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- salt and pepper
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 200C/180C fan (390F). Slice your chicken breasts lengthwise, creating 4 evenly sized chicken cutlets.
- Place a sheet of parchment paper onto your baking tray and then evenly place the chicken breast onto it. Top each cutlet with 1-2 teaspoon pesto. Top each cutlet with 2 slices of tomato and season with salt and pepper.
- Top with slices of mozzarella, more pepper, and some olive oil. Place into the oven for 15 minutes (may need longer depending on size of cutlets - see my images further up in this blog for size reference). Then place under the grill or broil for 3-5 minutes until the mozzarella cheese is bubbling and brown.
- Remove your baked pesto chicken from the oven. The result should be a perfectly cooked, cheesy, juicy chicken. Serve with salad, rice, pasta, or whatever you fancy!
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