Marry Me Chicken Pesto (Printable)
Juicy chicken in rich, creamy pesto sauce with sun-dried tomatoes and Parmesan — a 40-minute Italian-inspired dinner.
# What You’ll Need:
→ Chicken
01 - 4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
→ Seasonings
02 - 1 tsp salt
03 - 1/2 tsp black pepper
04 - 1/2 tsp garlic powder
→ For Searing
05 - 2 tbsp olive oil
→ Sauce
06 - 2 cloves garlic, minced
07 - 1/2 cup sun-dried tomatoes, drained and chopped
08 - 1 cup heavy cream
09 - 1/2 cup chicken broth
10 - 1/3 cup basil pesto (store-bought or homemade)
11 - 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
→ Garnish
12 - Fresh basil leaves, torn
13 - Extra Parmesan cheese, for serving
# Directions:
01 - Pat the chicken breasts dry and season both sides evenly with salt, black pepper, and garlic powder.
02 - Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Sear the chicken breasts for 4–5 minutes per side until golden brown. The chicken does not need to be fully cooked at this stage. Remove and set aside.
03 - In the same skillet, add the minced garlic and chopped sun-dried tomatoes. Sauté for 1–2 minutes until fragrant.
04 - Reduce heat to medium. Pour in the heavy cream and chicken broth, stirring to deglaze the pan and lift any browned bits from the bottom.
05 - Stir in the basil pesto and grated Parmesan cheese until the sauce is smooth and well combined. Bring to a gentle simmer.
06 - Place the seared chicken breasts back into the skillet. Spoon sauce over each piece to coat evenly.
07 - Cover the skillet and simmer on low heat for 10–12 minutes, or until the chicken is cooked through and the sauce has thickened.
08 - Transfer to plates and garnish with torn fresh basil leaves and additional Parmesan cheese. Serve immediately over pasta, mashed potatoes, or sautéed greens.
# Expert Suggestions:
01 -
- The sauce is so velvety and packed with flavor that you will want to double it just for dunking crusty bread.
- It transforms basic chicken breasts into something that tastes like you spent hours at the stove when it really only takes about forty minutes.
02 -
- Do not skip the step of patting the chicken dry because moisture on the surface is the enemy of a good sear and you will end up steaming instead of browning.
- Keep the heat at a gentle simmer once the cream goes in because boiling will cause the sauce to break and become oily rather than silky.
03 -
- Let the chicken rest for five minutes after it comes out of the skillet the first time so the juices redistribute and it stays moist during the final simmer.
- The secret weapon is those browned bits stuck to the pan after searing because deglazing them into the sauce is where half the flavor comes from.