Yes, it’s as flavorful as it sounds! The flavor combination here is incredible and it’s such a great way to upgrade chicken breast. A few weeks ago, staring at the chicken breasts in my fridge and trying to decide what to do with them, it occurred to me that I could use my basic recipe for baked chicken breast and adjust it to include the homemade pesto sauce which also needed using up.
Ingredients
You’ll only need a few simple ingredients to make this recipe. The exact measurements are listed in the recipe card below. Here’s an overview of what you’ll need: I have made it a couple more times for some fine-tuning before posting it here, and it was a big success both times.
Fresh chicken: I use boneless skinless chicken breasts in this recipe.Avocado oil spray: This oil has a neutral flavor and a high smoke point, making it an ideal cooking oil. You can also use olive oil.Kosher salt and black pepper: If using fine salt, you should reduce the amount you use, or the dish could end up too salty.Pesto sauce: Homemade or store-bought. See the discussion below.Sliced tomatoes: It’s best to use firm, red tomatoes. Smaller tomatoes work better in this recipe. I often use Roma tomatoes.Shredded mozzarella: Provolone is also very good in this recipe.
Instructions
This is such an easy recipe! The detailed instructions are included in the recipe card below. Here are the basic steps:
Your first step is to bake the chicken breasts. It’s always a good idea to bake chicken for a short time at a high temperature - this helps keep it juicy. So bake it for 20 minutes in a 450F oven.Next, you carefully remove the pan from the oven and top the partially cooked chicken pieces with pesto, tomatoes, and mozzarella.Now, return the pan to the oven for 5 minutes or so, to finish cooking the chicken and melt the cheese. That’s it!
Expert tip
The best way to ensure that the chicken is cooked through is to use an instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest part. Aim for an internal temperature of 165 ºF.
Frequently asked questions
Variations
I love this recipe as is and almost always make it as written. But in case you’d like to vary the basic recipe, here are a few ideas for you:
Use boneless skinless chicken thighs instead of chicken breast. As mentioned above, they will cook faster than chicken breasts.Use another melty cheese, such as provolone, instead of mozzarella.Scatter a few pitted halved black olives on top of the tomato slices, then add the cheese.
Serving suggestions
This dish goes really well with roasted cherry tomatoes. You can roast them in the same 450°F oven for about 15 minutes. Sometimes I make microwave spaghetti squash (I mix in some olive oil, Parmesan, salt, and pepper) or zucchini noodles and use that as a bed for the chicken.
Storing leftovers
The leftovers keep okay in the fridge, in a sealed container, for 3-4 days. Although as with most chicken recipes, the leftovers are not as good as the freshly cooked dish. I prefer not to reheat them, so as not to dry the chicken out. So I slice them and use them to top a salad for my lunch the next day. If you’d like to reheat the leftovers, I suggest you do so gently, covered, in the microwave on 50% power.
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