Easy Pesto Melt Chicken.

This pesto melt chicken is a super simple weeknight meal! Marinated chicken, seared until golden then topped with pesto and baked with mozzarella cheese. So delicious and easy!

Super easy late-summer dinner is here!

If you have some basil or pesto to use up and want an easy meal tonight, make this pesto melt chicken skillet. It’s so easy and super flavorful, and you know we’re always looking for non-boring chicken recipes over here.

Things have been very pesto-forward on the blog lately! It’s the perfect excuse to use up all those herbs as summer comes to a close and I can’t get enough. 

When I say I make my pesto nearly every single week in the summer… that is no exaggeration.

We love it, not just on pasta, but as a spread, in a dip and more. Eddie drizzles it on just about anything.

This chicken is embarrassingly easy. The pesto on top browns a bit in the oven, so don’t be alarmed. It’s covered by cheese, so you’ll barely notice!

Let’s make it!

To start, I like to marinate the chicken. You can use either boneless chicken breasts or thighs here – your preference! I do an easy marinade of olive oil, red wine vinegar, lots of garlic and spices. Sometimes I marinate for 30 minutes, other times it’s overnight! Just depends on how prepared I am. 

I sear the chicken in a hot skillet. Just until it’s all golden and browned and delicious looking! 

Then, I top with pesto. We are obsessed with my homemade pesto and I use it on this chicken 95% of the time. But you can use ANY pesto here. Any flavor, any variety, homemade or store-bought. 

My favorite part comes next… the cheese. Of course! I top with a slice of fresh mozzarella. You can also do a handful of grated provolone or any italian blend cheese. 

Then I throw the whole skillet in the oven! I like to sear the chicken in an oven-safe skillet so I can use the same pan the whole way through. Bake until the cheese is melty and the chicken is 165 degrees F, then serve! Ooooh it’s good.

You can really serve this with anything, but here’s an easy hack: stir some pesto into your grain. I’ve done this for years with my couscous or quinoa or rice – that’s what I do here for an easy side dish. I also toss roasted vegetables with pesto too for an easy zing. You can also slice it over a huge salad for a super savory topping. When it’s warm, it’s divine on salad! 

Now that’s easy enough, right?! (more…)

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Jessica August 31, 2022 at 04:08PM