Creamy Pesto Chicken

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Tender chicken cutlets seared to perfection and smothered in a rich, velvety pesto cream sauce with burst grape tomatoes. A 30-minute, one-pan meal perfect for serving over pasta!

Prep Time10

Cook Time20

Total Time30

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: American

Difficulty: Easy

Servings: servings

Calories: 426kcal

Author: Nora from Savory Nothings

Ingredients

1 to 1.5 pounds chicken breast about 2 large
½ teaspoon garlic powder
salt & pepper to taste
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 pint grape or cherry tomatoes cut in half
1 teaspoon minced garlic or ¼ teaspoon garlic powder
¾ cup chicken broth
¾ cup heavy cream
1 teaspoon cornstarch
¼ to ⅓ cup basil pesto or more to taste (Note 1)
¼ cup grated parmesan or more to taste

Instructions

Prep chicken: 
Cut the chicken breasts in half lengthwise. Place between plastic wrap and lightly pound the thicker part to create even-ish cutlets. Season with garlic powder, salt and pepper.
1 to 1.5 pounds chicken breast, ½ teaspoon garlic powder, salt & pepper
Sear chicken: 
Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Once hot, add the oil. Sear the chicken on both sides until golden, about 3-4 minutes per side (Note 2). Remove to a plate and set aside (Note 3).
1 tablespoon olive oil
Sauté tomatoes: 
Reduce the heat to medium. Add the tomatoes to the skillet and sauté for 2-3 minutes, until starting to soften. Add minced garlic and cook for another 30 seconds (if you're using garlic powder, wait to add it until you have added the cream.)
1 pint grape or cherry tomatoes, 1 teaspoon minced garlic
Make sauce: 
Pour the chicken broth into the skillet and bring to a very gentle simmer. Scrape any browned bits off the bottom of the pan. Whisk together the cream and cornstarch and pour into the skillet. Do not boil, or the sauce may split! Simmer very gently for 1-2 minutes.
¾ cup chicken broth, ¾ cup heavy cream, 1 teaspoon cornstarch
Finish:
 Stir the pesto and parmesan into the sauce. Add the chicken back to the skillet and turn it in the sauce. Simmer very gently until heated through.
¼ to ⅓ cup basil pesto, ¼ cup grated parmesan
Serve: 
Serve immediately over linguine or spaghetti, with extra pesto, parmesan cheese and cracked black pepper, if you like.

Notes

Note 1: Sun-dried tomato pesto is also delicious, if you're looking for a flavor variation!
Note 2: Searing the chicken splatters, if you have a splatter guard - use it. You’ll thank yourself later.
Note 3: I don’t tent with foil because it tends to make the chicken “sweat”, which dissolves the seared/browned parts. The recipe is fast enough so you don't need to worry about your chicken getting cold!

Nutrition