Sun Dried Tomato Pesto Chicken
This Sun Dried Tomato Pesto Chicken is a go-to easy weeknight meal! Tender chicken is simmered in a creamy sun-dried tomato pesto sauce, topped with fresh basil, and served over rice or pasta! You can make your own homemade red pesto or grab a jar at the grocery store. Either way, this meal is done in under 30 minutes!
A creamy, comforting weeknight meal that’s done in less than 30 minutes? SIGN. ME. UP.
I love pesto of any kind, from the more traditional green pesto to this amazing sun dried tomato pesto (“Pesto Rosso”). Once you have the pesto – whether store-bought or homemade – you can make SO many different dishes so easily!
A few of my faves are this Creamy Pesto Gnocchi with Lemon, this Tuna Pesto Pasta, and this Sun Dried Tomato Pesto Pasta.
WHY YOU’LL LOVE THIS RECIPE
- Simple ingredients, yet packed with flavor!
- Great weeknight meal — ready in under 30 minutes.
- Fancy enough to serve to guests for easy entertaining.
- Served on its own (without pasta), can be considered low-carb and keto.
RECIPE INGREDIENTS
You’ll need the following ingredients to make this creamy sun dried tomato pesto chicken:
INGREDIENT NOTES
Sun Dried Tomato Pesto: Sun dried tomato pesto (also called Pesto Rosso or red pesto) can be found at most large chain grocery stores in a small jar near the pasta sauce or with the jarred sun-dried tomatoes. You can also make this super easy homemade sun-dried tomato pesto with this recipe.
HOW TO MAKE SUN DRIED TOMATO PESTO CHICKEN: STEP BY STEP
Here are some quick visual instructions. Remember that full instructions with exact ingredients will be in the recipe card below!
Step 1: In a large skillet, cook your chicken breasts. Remove from the skillet and place on a plate, covered with foil. Set aside.
Step 2: Whisk together chicken stock and flour. Add mixture to the pan and cook for about 1 minute until it begins to thicken.
Step 3: Stir in sun-dried tomato pesto and heavy cream. Simmer over low heat for 1-2 minutes.
Step 4: Add chicken back in and spoon sauce over the chicken. Garnish with fresh basil, if you like!
⭐️ CONFIDENCE TIP ⭐️
A meat thermometer is the easiest way to check and see if your chicken is cooked through (without having to cut it open!). The internal temperature of chicken breast should be 165°F.
STORAGE & REHEATING
- Storage: Store leftover chicken and sauce in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days.
- Reheating: I like reheating individual portions of this chicken in the microwave, loosely covered.
- Freezing: Because of the heavy cream in this recipe, it does not freeze well.
ADDITIONS AND SUBSTITUTIONS
SUBSTITUTIONS
Chicken Breast: You can also use chicken thighs, chicken fillets, or chicken breast tenders. This sauce is also great with pork chops.
ADDITIONS
Veggies: If you want more veggies in your sauce, you can stir in a few handfuls of baby spinach. You can also add halved cherry tomatoes, mushrooms, or bell peppers.
Spice: For a little spice, add some red pepper flakes or a bit of cayenne pepper to the sauce.
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
I like serving this creamy pasta dish over small pasta like orzo or orecchiette. It’s also delicious over rice.
For side dishes, I’d pair this creamy chicken dish with a simple salad or green veggie such as green beans or broccoli. Garlic bread is also perfect for dipping into the creamy sauce!
Sun dried tomato pesto (also called Pesto Rosso or red pesto) can be found at most large chain grocery stores in a small jar near the pasta sauce or with the jarred sun-dried tomatoes.
You can also make this super easy homemade sun-dried tomato pesto with this recipe.
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TOOLS FOR THIS RECIPE
Check out all of my kitchen essentials in my Amazon store!
Large Skillet: I literally could not live without this oversized skillet!
Meat Thermometer: A kitchen must! The easiest way to check if meat is done.
Large Glass Measuring Cup: I love these measuring cups for whisking the broth with the flour.
TRY THESE NEXT…
I hope you love this Sun Dried Tomato Pesto Chicken. If you make it be sure to leave a comment and a rating so I know how you liked it. Enjoy, xo!
Sun Dried Tomato Pesto Chicken
Ingredients
- 1 tbsp olive oil or enough to coat the bottom of your pan
- 1 lb. boneless, skinless chicken breast cut in half lengthwise
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1/2 tsp sea salt
- 1/2 tsp black pepper
- 2 tbsp flour
- 1 cup chicken broth or stock
- 1/2 cup sundried tomato pesto store-bought or homemade pesto
- 1 cup heavy cream
- fresh basil and Parmesan cheese, optional, for serving
Instructions
- Prep: Cut each chicken breast in half lengthwise to ensure thinner pieces of chicken that cook more quickly and evenly. You can also place the chicken between two pieces of plastic wrap and pound them with a meat mallet until they are uniform in thickness. Then, season chicken on both sides with salt, pepper and garlic powder.
- Cook Chicken: In a large skillet, heat olive oil over medium-high heat. Add chicken and cook 3-4 minutes on each side or until cooked through (internal temperature should be 165°F). Remove chicken from the pan and place on a plate. Cover with foil and set aside.
- Make Sauce: Whisk together chicken broth and flour. In the same pan that you cooked the chicken, add the chicken broth/flour mixture. Cook over medium heat, stirring, until it starts to thicken (about one minute). Make sure you scrape up any brown bits at the bottom of the skillet = FLAVOR!
- Add: Add sun dried tomato pesto, and heavy cream and stir until everything is well mixed. Allow sauce to simmer for 1-2 minutes.
- Add Chicken: Add chicken all ALL OF THE JUICES from the plate back to the pan. Spoon sauce over the chicken. Taste and adjust salt/pepper if necessary. Cook for another minute until chicken is warmed through.
- Serve: Top with fresh basil and Parmesan cheese (optional) and serve over pasta or rice.
This was everything a gourmet meal should be, and then some! Turned out tender, moist and delicious; easily, a new favorite recipe!
I love sun dried tomato pesto. Really looking forward to trying this one! I bet it would be great over some tortellini.
I love to try this, looks very delicious! Thanks for sharing.
My husband LOVES sun dried tomatoes. With the parmesan and basil, this dinner was a hit in my house. Will make again for sure!
This recipe is incredible! Easy to make and the sun dried tomato flavors are so delicious. Definitely a new favorite!
Had to guess how much flour to whisk with the broth since recipe ingredients didn’t even mention flour or the amount to use.
Because of this my sauce was too thin k so I had to add an additional 1/2 cup of broth. Overall it was tasty!
You are absolutely righ, Tina! t–I updated the recipe. It’s 2 tablespoons of flour! Thanks so much1
I made this pesto chicken for dinner last night and my family raved about it! Putting it on our regular rotation!
It was so delicious and everyone loved it! Thank you for this amazing recipe!
What a fabulous flavor combination with the pesto and sundried tomatoes. It makes a perfect chicken dish for my family.
The sauce in this chicken dish is amazing! So creamy and full of flavor. The perfect dish for when you are looking for something different.
So creamy and delicious pesto chicken, loved how flavourful it is. Great recipe!!