I’m constantly trying to find new sauces to top my pasta with! When coming up with this recipe, I had a vague vision of a pesto and chicken combination. So, this Creamy Pesto Chicken Skillet kills two birds with one stone as it works as a great chicken side dish but the sauce is creamy enough to top your pasta with.

Jump to Recipe

This Pesto Chicken has an amazing combination of ingredients that each offers their own savory flavors to the dish. Here’s what you’ll need:

FOR THE CREAMY PESTO SAUCE

1 red onion, thinly sliced
2 green bell peppers, thinly sliced
6 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
8.5 oz jar cut sun dried tomatoes in herbs
½ tsp garlic salt
¼ tsp black pepper
1 cup heavy cream
1 cup chicken broth
2 jars pesto (I used two 6.7 oz jars)

FOR THE CHICKEN

4 chicken breasts
1 Tbs olive oil
Salt and pepper

I’m a little weird and I always choose to bake my chicken breasts separately because I just love the taste of baked chicken so much more. I’ll then slice up the chicken and add it into the pesto cream sauce last. But if you’d like to skip the baking, you can cook the chicken directly in the cream sauce while it’s simmering on the stovetop instead.

I had my family taste test this recipe and they gave it two thumbs way up! It’s become a regular dish in my house ever since. For anyone who loves pesto, this is a must-try recipe. When combined with the sun dried tomatoes, bell peppers, garlic, onions and spices, this dish bursts with savory flavor in every bite. You can serve it over pasta or even white rice for a complete meal!

Read on to see the full recipe for this Creamy Pesto Chicken Skillet. Please give it a try and let me know what you think!

CHECK OUT THESE OTHER PESTO FILLED RECIPES NEXT!

CREAMY PESTO CHICKEN SKILLET

Course: Main CourseDifficulty: Easy

Servings

servings

Prep time

minutes

Cooking time

minutes

Calories

494

kcal

This Creamy Pesto Chicken Skillet makes a great chicken main course and pasta sauce in one! When combined with the sun dried tomatoes, bell peppers, garlic, onions and spices, this dish bursts with savory flavor in every bite!

Ingredients

FOR CHICKEN
4 chicken breasts
1 Tbs olive oil
Salt and pepper
FOR CREAMY PESTO SAUCE
1 red onion, thinly sliced
2 green bell peppers, thinly sliced
6 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
8.5 oz jar cut sun dried tomatoes in herbs
½ tsp garlic salt
¼ tsp black pepper
1 cup heavy cream
1 cup chicken broth
2 jars pesto (I used two 6.7 oz jars)

Directions

START BY BAKING THE CHICKEN BREASTS
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Rub each chicken breast with olive oil on all sides. Sprinkle both sides of chicken breasts with salt and pepper as desired.
Place chicken breasts on a sheet pan and bake in oven for 35 minutes
Remove from oven and let rest
WHILE CHICKEN IS BAKING
In a large skillet, add all the contents of the sun-dried tomatoes jar (including the oil). Turn on heat to medium. Then add the sliced onions, bell peppers, garlic, salt and black pepper. Mix on medium heat until fragrant but still slightly crispy (about 5 minutes)
Add the heavy cream, chicken broth and one jar of pesto. Mix until well combined and starts to bubble. Then add the second jar of pesto. Mix again until well incorporated
Reduce heat to low and allow to simmer for an additional 10 minutes
While that’s simmering, start cutting the chicken into slices. Add all the sliced chicken into the skillet with the sauce and mix until coated well
Serve over pasta or white rice. Enjoy!

Notes

Calories & Nutritional Info may vary based on different brands and ingredients used. Nutritional Info below was calculated using Very Fit Well’s Nutrition Calculator.

Nutrition Facts

8 servings per container

Calories494

Amount Per Serving% Daily Value *
Total Fat 36.6g 57%
- Saturated Fat 9.5g 48%
Cholesterol 97mg 33%
Sodium 819mg 35%

Amount Per Serving% Daily Value *
Potassium 774mg 23%
Total Carbohydrate 15g 5%
- Dietary Fiber 3.3g 14%
- Sugars 5.2g
Protein 28.6g 58%

Calcium 15%
Iron 13%
Vitamin D 39%

* The % Daily Value tells you how much a nutrient in a serving of food contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.