With just two ingredients, Florentine Pesto Chicken will delight your taste buds with every forkful. Pesto is tucked under the skin on chicken breasts and flavors the chicken as it roasts in the oven.
It doesn't get much easier than this to make a flavorful chicken dinner recipe!
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Pesto Chicken
Are you looking for a quick and easy way to make your weeknight dinner special?
Bingo! You just found an easy baked pesto chicken recipe that fits the bill.
Chicken and pesto are all it takes to roast a delicious chicken dinner.
Yep, just two simple ingredients!
I made this easy two ingredient recipe with my homemade spinach pesto but you can easily use a store-bought pesto instead.
In the spring and summer this chicken is delicious with my springtime pea pesto with fresh mint.
Bone-in chicken breasts and pesto.are all you will need to impress everyone with your culinary talents.
The beauty of this recipe is that it cooks itself in the oven so you can get your sides ready. It's an ideal recipe for busy weeknights.
Add Parmesan green beans and baby potatoes as your side dishes and dinner sure will be tasty tonight!
Learn all about pesto, what does pesto taste like, how to make it, store it and even freeze it, along with lots more pesto recipes!
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How to make pesto chicken bake
Scroll down for the full recipe instructions and ingredient amounts in the recipe card below
- Preheat the oven to 425F and line a baking sheet with foil leaving a 2-inch overhang or line with parchment paper.
- Arrange the chicken on the prepared pan.
- Spread 1 tablespoonful of pesto under the skin of each chicken breast.
- Cook chicken for 45 minutes until the skin is golden brown and the internal temperature of the chicken registers 165F on an instant read thermometer.
Swirls of Flavor Recipe Tips
- Sprinkle the top of the chicken breasts with kosher salt and black pepper before roasting.
- Toss cherry tomatoes and chopped red onion with olive oil and add to the pan during the last 25 minutes of roasting time.
Substitutions
- I used my homemade spinach pesto but you can use a homemade basil pesto or your favorite store-bought pesto
- Substitute bone-in skin-on chicken thighs for the chicken breasts
Variations
- Cheese - Top with mozzarella cheese and tomatoes or stir shredded mozzarella cheese into the pesto for cheesiness goodness
- Sun dried tomato - For sun dried tomato pesto chicken, make this recipe with a sundried tomato pesto
- Spicy - stir crushed red pepper flakes into the pesto for a hint of spicy heat
Storage
- Store any leftover chicken in an airtight container in the refrigerator.
- The chicken will stay fresh for 2-3 days.
- You can reheat the chicken in the microwave or air fryer or serve it cold.
- As always, I find it helpful to visit the FDA website for food storage guidelines
Equipment
Easy chicken recipes
Ingredients
Ingredients for an easy pesto chicken recipe:
- bone-in chicken breasts
- pesto
Pesto Florentine Chicken
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Ingredients
- 4 bone-in chicken breasts with skin on
- 1/4 cup Pesto Florentine OR storebought prepared pesto
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Instructions
- Preheat oven to 425F. For easy clean up, line a baking sheet with low sides with foil leaving 2-inch overhang or parchment paper...
- Arrange the chicken on the prepared pan.
- Spread 1 tablespoonful of pesto under the skin of each chicken piece.
- Roast 45 minutes or until chicken juices run clear and meat thermometer reads 165F.
Nutrition
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