Chicken with Pesto (Print Version)
# Ingredients:
→ Chicken Soak
01 -
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
02 -
1 tablespoon white vinegar
03 -
3 cloves garlic, finely chopped
04 -
¼ - ½ teaspoon chili flakes, if you want
05 -
½ teaspoon mixed herbs
06 -
1 teaspoon coarse salt
07 -
½ teaspoon ground pepper
08 -
1¼ pounds chicken breast fillets
→ Tangy Sauce Mix
09 -
3 cups baby tomatoes, sliced in two
10 -
2 tablespoons white vinegar
11 -
2 tablespoons melted butter
12 -
⅓ cup ready-made basil pesto
13 -
4 cloves garlic, finely chopped
14 -
3 tablespoons fresh basil leaves, chopped, plus extra for topping
15 -
½ teaspoon onion powder
16 -
Salt and pepper, as needed
→ Finishing Touch
17 -
1½ cups grated mozzarella
18 -
Extra chopped fresh basil or parsley for sprinkling
→ Side Options
19 -
Fresh bread
20 -
Hot pasta
21 -
Fluffy rice
22 -
Low-carb cauliflower rice
23 -
Fresh veggies
# Instructions:
01 -
Put olive oil, white vinegar, chopped garlic, chili flakes (if you like them), mixed herbs, coarse salt, and ground pepper in a zip bag. Squeeze the bag to blend everything. Pop your chicken in, seal it up, and give it a good squish to coat all the meat. Let it sit for 10-15 minutes while you get everything else ready. The flavors will start soaking in during this short wait.
02 -
Move your oven rack to the middle and turn it up to 425°F (220°C). To save time, you can put your 2 tablespoons of butter in your baking dish and stick it in the oven while it heats up. The butter will melt on its own. Just don't forget about it or it might burn.
03 -
In a big oven-safe dish (around 9x13 inches), throw in your sliced baby tomatoes, white vinegar, melted butter (or the butter you melted in the dish), basil pesto, chopped garlic, fresh basil, and onion powder. Toss in some salt and pepper. Stir it all up so the tomatoes get coated in all that tasty pesto mix.
04 -
With a spoon, push all those tomatoes toward the sides of your dish to make room in the middle. Take your chicken out of the bag and lay it in that empty space, surrounded by tomatoes. If there's any leftover liquid in the bag, pour it over your chicken for extra flavor.
05 -
Stick your dish in the hot oven and let it cook uncovered for 18-25 minutes, until the chicken's nearly done. How long exactly depends on how thick your chicken is - chunky pieces need about 25 minutes, skinny ones cook faster. The middle should reach about 155-160°F on a meat thermometer, as it'll keep cooking in the next step.
06 -
When the chicken's almost done, pull the dish out and sprinkle all that mozzarella over your chicken pieces. Switch your oven to broil, then put the dish back in until the cheese gets bubbly and a bit brown, about 2-3 minutes. Keep an eye on it since broilers work super fast.
07 -
Take your dish out and let it cool for about 5 minutes. This lets the chicken finish cooking to a safe 165°F and makes sure all the juices stay in the meat. Scatter some fresh chopped basil or parsley on top for a pop of color. Serve your chicken and tomatoes with fresh bread, pasta, rice, cauliflower rice, or veggies to soak up all that yummy sauce.
# Notes:
01 -
This flavor-packed dinner brings together fresh herb pesto, sweet roasted tomatoes, and gooey cheese in a simple one-pan wonder.
02 -
As they cook, the little tomatoes pop open and mix with the pesto and chicken drippings to make an amazing sauce.
03 -
Try to get chicken pieces that are all the same thickness - flatten thicker parts if needed so everything cooks evenly.