4 ingredient pesto chicken

4 Ingredient Pesto Chicken

May 15, 2022 2 Comments

This super easy and delicious 4 ingredient pesto chicken is ready in just 30 minutes.

4 ingredient pesto chicken

From the recipe collection of Tara Ippolito

It doesn’t get any easier then this 4 ingredient pesto chicken.

I absolutely love putting dinners like this together. There’s nothing to it and dish looks so pretty when it’s finished.

4 ingredient pesto chicken cover

This is a great no fuss weekday dinner recipe.

The pesto flavors the chicken so perfectly. Add some tomato and mozzarella cheese to it and you’ve got yourself a real winner.

I’m a huge fan of all of the fresh flavors complimenting each other here.

plated pesto chicken dinner

Another bonus is that this recipe is low carb.

If watching your carbohydrate intake is important to you, then this is something you’d especially like.

My whole family loves this 4 ingredient pesto chicken. Even the picky eaters of the bunch.

4 ingredient pesto chicken in baking dish, finished

I know if you give this recipe a try you’ll love it also.

Other easy dinner ideas

If you like no fuss recipes like this that are easy to put together, here are some more ideas you will love.

What to serve with 4 ingredient pesto chicken

The sides are completely up to you, of course, but I like to serve this pesto chicken with something like a side of rice or these oven roasted potatoes.

Any pasta would be great served along side this easy recipe, too.

Finished pesto chicken

Vodka sauce, Alfredo sauce or even pasta with a simple tomato sauce all sound good to me!

If you’re interested in this recipe because it’s low carb, consider cauliflower rice or a nice big salad as side dish options.

How’d you get the chicken so thin?

People always ask me how I get the chicken breast so thin for certain recipes.

It’s nothing special that I’m doing, I promise. I buy them this way!

thinly sliced chicken

They carry thinly sliced chicken breast by Perdue at my local grocery store.

If you can’t find them sliced thin like this, a simple butterflying with a sharp knife then pounding them thin with a mallet will do the trick.

Of course if you’d like to keep them on the thick side that’s completely up to you.

thinly sliced chicken seasoned

Just allow more time for the chicken to cook through when it’s being baked.

The internal temperature should reach 165° in the thickest part of the chicken breast to be done and read to eat.

Recipe swap outs

Sometimes we don’t have what we need for a recipe or just plain don’t want to use it.

beefsteak tomato

Here are some alternatives to these simple ingredients.

  • Chicken- Instead of chicken breast, use chicken tenderloins or skinless thighs.
  • Cheese- The “wet” mozzarella can be substituted for any other type of mozzarella cheese. If you’d rather another kind of cheese parmesan, Swiss, Gruyère, or Asiago would be great.
  • Tomato- Beef steak tomato I’m not the only kind that you can use. Pick whatever you’d like. Even cherry tomatoes would work well.
  • Basil- don’t have fresh basil? That’s no problem, dry basil would be just fine.

4 ingredient pesto chicken ingredients

Pesto chicken ingredients
  • Pesto
  • Fresh mozzarella
  • Slices tomato
  • Thinly sliced chicken breast
  • Salt, pepper, garlic powder (optional)
  • Shredded fresh basil (optional)

Instructions

First, place the chicken in an oven safe baking dish.

raw chicken breast

Then season the chicken on both sides with salt, pepper and garlic powder. This is optional but recommend. The pesto has a lot of flavor to it but if you’d like a little more, season it first.

seasoned chicken breast

Now spread the pesto sauce on both sides of the chicken.

pesto covered chicken breast

Next, add the fresh mozzarella on top of the chicken.

mozzarella on pesto chicken

Then top with the sliced tomato. I like to lightly salt and pepper the tomato, too.

sliced tomatoes added to mozzarella

Now sprinkle the shredded basil on top.

shredded basil

Bake at 375° for about 30 minutes or until the cheese is melted and the chicken is fully cooked.

baking time for pesto chicken

Serve warm with the recommended sides from above or choose your own. Enjoy!

baked pesto chicken

4 ingredient pesto chicken recipe video:

4 Ingredient Pesto Chicken

This 4 ingredient pesto chicken is a perfect, no fuss weekday dinner recipe.
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: American, Italian
Keyword: 4 ingredient dinner, easy chicekn dinner, pesto chicken, pesto mozzarella tomato chicken

Equipment

  • 9" x 13" baking dish

Ingredients

  • 1 pound chicken breast, thin
  • salt & pepper to taste
  • 1 tbs garlic powder
  • 1/2 cup pesto
  • 1 beef steak tomato, sliced thin
  • 8-10 oz fresh mozzarella cheese
  • fresh basil, shredded (optional)

Instructions

  • Preheat the oven to 375 degrees
  • Put the chicken down in the baking dish and season it with the salt, pepper and garlic powder on both sides.
  • Add the pesto and rub it onto the chicken until its lightly coated on both sides.
  • Arrange the chicken in the baking dish side by side in a single layer
  • Add a slice or two of the mozzarella cheese on top of the chicken
  • Now add a slice or two of the tomato on top of the cheese. Lightly season with salt and pepper
  • Sprinkle shredded basil on top and bake for 30-40 minutes or until the chicken is cooked all the way through.
  • Serve warm and enjoy!
Tara Ippolito

About Al Dente Diva

Tara Ippolito is a self taught home cook from New Jersey and cookbook author of Fast, Simple, Delicious. Better known as “T” across social media, she makes easy to follow recipes using familiar ingredients. T uses her Tik Tok, Instagram, Facebook, YouTube and Pinterest channels to share recipes and cooking tips for everyday people. Her motivation to share with her followers is simple. To inspire people to cook and become more comfortable in the kitchen.

As a wife and busy mother of two little boys she she’s always cooking fast family friendly meals. Sharing her kitchen with others that want to learn is a true passion of hers. As her social media platforms continue to grow she is committed to delivering consistently delicious content to her followers.

Al Dente Diva

Hello there! My name is T & I’m a home cook from New Jersey. I love to share easy to make recipes, cooking tips & kitchen hacks with people who love to cook like I do. My recipes are all easy to follow & use ingredients most people are familiar with. Being a busy stay at home mother of two, I have to cook delicious budget friendly meals that are fast to make. I hope you find something helpful here. Thanks for coming by.

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2 Comments

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