Creamy pesto chicken with bell peppers. A flavor-packed dish made in just one skillet. Imagine classic basil pesto with some garlicky flavors and lots of tender sautéed bell peppers in a fragrant cream sauce. An easy to make, delicious, family-friendly dinner… but perfect for date night too.
Why You’ll Love This Pesto Chicken
Classic basil pesto is one of the most delicious condiments, but creamy pesto is even better. The cream smooths out the taste and rounds out the flavor in this chicken dinner.
The juicy chicken fillets are seared and then simmered together with tender bell peppers in the creamy pesto sauce. This recipe bursts with a variety of flavors, it’s total comfort food. It will leave you craving for more.
Just grab some crusty bread to mop up all of those gorgeous flavors. It’s a super hearty and versatile recipe you’ll want to add to your regular dinner rotations.
Let me guide you through the recipe with this step-by-step video.
What to serve with pesto chicken?
Here are a few things to make it a meal:
- crusty bread and a big lettuce salad or cucumber salad
- pasta, mashed potatoes, or polenta
- roasted veggies like cauliflower or broccoli
- fries
- baked sweet potatoes or crispy potatoes
- rice
- steamed green beans
Helpful Tips
- Chicken thighs will also work well here.
- If you want to decrease the cooking time, slice the chicken fillets horizontally to create thin cutlets. Then sauté them until golden brown.
- Swap chicken for steak, pork tenderloin or shrimp.
- Add extra veggies like eggplant, zucchini, spinach or kale.
- Use heavy cream, half-and-half or soy cream.
- Use store-bought or homemade green pesto.
- Storage: Keep the leftovers refrigerated in airtight containers for up to 3 days.
Pesto Chicken with Peppers
Ingredients
Chicken
- 4 chicken fillets small, or 2 large sliced lengthwise horizontally
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 tsp black pepper
- 1 tsp sweet paprika
Creamy Pesto Sauce
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1 tbsp unsalted butter
- 1 small brown onion finely chopped
- 4 garlic cloves minced
- 2 red bell peppers cut into thin slices
- ½ tsp salt
- 1 tsp black pepper
- 1 tsp dried thyme
- 1 tsp dried sage
- ¼ tsp crushed red pepper flakes more for serving
- ¾ cup low sodium chicken broth
- ¼ cup green pesto
- ¾ cup cream 20% fat
- fresh basil leaves for serving
Instructions
- Get all the prep done before you start cooking: mince the garlic and finely chop the onion. Cut the bell peppers in half, remove veins and seeds, then cut the peppers into thin slices.
- Heat oil and butter in a large heavy bottomed skillet over medium. Add chicken and cook, for 5 minutes per side or until fully cooked and browned on both sides. This can vary with the size of your chicken. Remove from skillet and place on a clean plate. Cover with foil.
- In the same skillet. Add onion and garlic, cook for 2 minutes. Add bell peppers, cook for 5 minutes, stir occasionally. Stir in salt, pepper, thyme, sage and chili flakes. Cook for 1 minute. Pour in broth, stir with a wooden spoon to dissolve the browned bits from the bottom of the skillet. Simmer for 5 minutes.
- Stir in pesto and add cream. Return chicken together with the released juices to the skillet. Simmer over a low heat, until the chicken is cooked through, 3-5 minutes.
- Top with basil, sprinkle with red pepper flakes and freshly ground black pepper. Enjoy!
Video
Nutrition
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For me it was too salty. I had to add extra chicken broth. I served it with mashed potatoes, which also helped. It’s very flavourful. Will make again using less salt.
So happy you enjoyed the recipe, thanks for your comment! I’ve adjusted the salt.
I served this over polenta, my whole family loved it!!
So glad you enjoyed Jenny!
Fantastic! I served it with pecorino pearl couscous. Only thing is you end up with so much leftover sauce I don’t want to throw out but also don’t know what to do with. SO GOOD though, will make again for sure.
Hi Morgaine, I’m so glad you enjoyed the recipe!
We loved this. Ready in half an hour and just gorgeous
It makes me so happy to hear that Meg!
It was absolutely delicious and so easy to cook!
Thanks so much, Reiner! I’m so glad to hear that this dish turned out well for you, thanks for making it!