Garlic Pesto Chicken

This garlic pesto chicken is full flavor! It’s deliciously moist, super garlicky and the pesto marries all the flavors together and gives it a lovely coating on top. The roasted garlic in the recipe are like little gems that you get every few bites.

This dish tastes great over some pasta, spaghetti squash, rice and of course it’s great on it’s own too.

I used 5 chicken breast when I made with for pictures but I listed 4 chicken breasts in the recipe because mine were small. You can add more or less chicken breasts depending on the size of your chicken. I would aim for around 1 1/2 to 2 pounds of chicken and moderately thin pieces, you can pound out the chicken if they are extra thick.

You can use pre-made pesto or make your own, here is my pesto recipe HERE, you can use any nut you have on hand, pine nuts (traditional), walnuts, almonds, cashews, etc.

What you need to make garlic pesto chicken:

Serves 4

• 4 chicken breasts
• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 head of garlic or ~20 cloves – peeled and left whole
• 1 tablespoon Italian herbs
• 1 teaspoon salt
• Dash cayenne pepper
• 1 – 8 ounce jar of pesto or about 1 cup homemade pesto

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 375 F.
2. Peel your garlic cloves but keep them whole.
3. Season chicken breast with Italian seasoning, salt and cayenne pepper.
4. In a oven proof skillet or cast iron pan, add olive oil and heat over high heat.
5. Add chicken and sear on each side.
6. Add garlic cloves around the chicken.
7. Put skillet into the oven and bake for 20 minutes.
8. Add pesto sauce to chicken’s tops and bake an additional 10-15 minutes or until chicken is cooked through or measures 165 F. internal temperature with a meat thermometer.
9. Serve on it’s own, over buttered pasta, squash or rice.

Print Recipe

5 from 2 votes

Garlic Pesto Chicken

Deliciously flavorful chicken that is jammed packed full of roasted garlic and herby pesto.

Prep Time5 minutes mins

Cook Time35 minutes mins

Course: chicken, Dinner, keto, Main Course

Cuisine: Chicken, Dinner, keto, main course

Keyword: basil, Chicken, Dinner, keto, main course

Servings: 4 people

Ingredients

• 4 chicken breasts
• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 head of garlic or ~20 cloves – peeled and left whole
• 1 tablespoon Italian herbs
• 1 teaspoon salt
• Dash cayenne pepper
• 1 – 8 ounce jar of pesto or about 1 cup homemade pesto

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 375 F.
• Peel your garlic cloves but keep them whole.
• Season chicken breast with Italian seasoning, salt and cayenne pepper.
• In a oven proof skillet or cast iron pan, add olive oil and heat over high heat.
• Add chicken and sear on each side.
• Add garlic cloves around the chicken.
• Put skillet into the oven and bake for 20 minutes.
• Add pesto sauce to chicken’s tops and bake an additional 10-15 minutes or until chicken is cooked through or measures 165 F. internal temperature with a meat thermometer.
• Serve on it’s own, over buttered pasta, squash or rice.