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2 Ingredient Pesto Chicken

By Karina Carrel

5 from 15 votes

on Jul 21, 2016, Updated Apr 29, 2025

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This 2 ingredient Pesto Chicken recipe is going to be your next favorite weeknight meal for sure. Whether it is grilled or oven baked, it turns out tender and juicy every single time!

Chicken is smothered in a creamy, homemade basil pesto and teamed up with cherry tomatoes, turning into one of the best, easiest low carb dinners ever! It’s really the perfect dinner for anyone who doesn’t have time to muck around in the kitchen-just like our Creamy French Mustard Chicken and our Creamy Garlic Chicken Breasts.

Pesto Chicken GRILLED OR OVEN BAKED, smothered in a creamy, homemade Basil Pesto!

Why This Recipe Works
What Goes Into This Recipe
How to Make 2 Ingredient Pesto Chicken
Recipe FAQ’s
2 Ingredient Pesto Chicken Recipe

Why This Recipe Works

Oh lord. This chicken is unreal. Because I’m a fan of variety, I’ve included two different cooking methods in the recipe below. Personally, I love grilling and the unmistakeable barbecue, char-grilled flavour it gives the chicken, just like our Grilled Chicken Caprese. However, oven baked is just as good, drawing out the natural chicken flavours, making for a tender and juicy chicken breast.

It all starts with pesto, and because homemade pesto is nine million times better than store bought, we already have a Homemade Basil Pesto recipe ready to go. That’s the pesto you’re going to be smothering all over your chicken.

What Goes Into This Recipe

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top down shot of chicken, pesto, tomatoes, pepper and salt

When I say two ingredients, I do mean two, but every time I make this I cant resist some tomato on the side

Chicken: I used boneless, skinless chicken breasts. You can also use chicken tenders if you want to.
Pesto: Use your favorite jarred pesto here, or make your own Homemade Basil Pesto– it’s incredibly easy to make.

Note: please see recipe card at the bottom for list of full ingredients and measurements

How to Make 2 Ingredient Pesto Chicken

chicken breast in a white bowl being marinated in pesto

Marinate chicken: In a bowl, marinate the chicken breasts, using about 2 tablespoons per breast. Season with salt and pepper if needed.

Grill chicken: Preheat your skillet or grill pan on medium heat. Gently lay the marinated chicken and cook for about 5-6 minutes on each side, until completely cooked through.

pesto chicken on a grille plate with tomato

Grill tomatoes: In the same pan (olive oil if needed), cook the cherry tomatoes until they soften and have a bit of brown char.

cooked pesto chicken on a grille plate with tomato and sear lines

Plate and serve: Arrange the chicken and tomatoes on a serving platter or a plate and serve hot!

Serve your pesto chicken with Buttery Sautéed Green Beans, Grilled Asparagus or some Crispy Garlic Butter Parmesan Smashed Potatoes. I love teaming it up with some bread to mop up all that delicious sauce. If you do too, try my Easy Cheesy Garlic Bread or my Bloomin’ Onion Garlic Bread.And if you’re looking for a low carb side dish, pair it with some Cilantro Lime Cauliflower Rice.

Recipe FAQ’s

How Will I Know The Chicken Is Cooked?

Check the internal temperature of the chicken using a meat thermometer. If it reads 165 degrees or more, it is cooked. You can also slice the chicken from its thickest part and check if the juices run clear and there’s no pink in the center to check for its doneness.

Can I Grill The Chicken Instead Of Baking It?

You can! To do this, preheat your barbecue grill, grill pan or skillet. Once heated, chuck your chicken on and cook for around five to six minutes each side. Remove your chicken from the grill and place on a warm plate. Pop your tomatoes on the grill and rotate until brown and cooked through.

image focusing on Grilled chicken pieces with roasted tomatoes on the sides

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grilled chicken pieces with some roasted tomatoes on the sides on a baking tray

SaveSaved Pin Print 5 from 15 votes

2 Ingredient Pesto Chicken

By Karina Carrel Prep Time: 5 minutes Cook Time: 20 minutes Total Time: 25 minutes Servings: 4 Pesto Chicken GRILLED OR OVEN BAKED, smothered in a creamy, homemade Basil Pesto! Served with cherry tomatoes, this chicken is out of this world crazy good with only 2 main ingredients needed! Save this recipe!Get this sent to your inbox, plus get new recipes from us every week!Email *Save

Ingredients USMetric 1x2x3x

▢ 4 boneless chicken breast fillets skinless
▢ 1/2 cup basil pesto plus 1/4 cup extra for serving. Use this recipe for homemade pesto or you can use store bought.
▢ 1/4 teaspoon salt optional – adjust to your tastes
▢ 1/4 teaspoon pepper
▢ 500 g cherry tomatoes optional as a serving idea

Instructions

Smother chicken fillets in the pesto on all sides (about 2 tablespoons of pesto for each chicken breast, depending on your taste). Season with salt and pepper, if desired.

Grill:

Preheat a barbecue plate, grill pan or skillet over medium-high heat. Cook for 5-6 minutes each side or until completely cooked through. Transfer to a warm plate. Grill the tomatoes, rotating once, until soft and beginning to brown.
Top chicken with extra pesto. Serve with the tomatoes.

Oven Baked:

Preheat the oven to 350°F | 180°C. Line a baking dish with aluminium foil or bang | parchment paper.
Arrange the coated chicken breasts in the baking dish and bake in a preheated oven for 30 minutes.
At 30 minutes, remove the chicken from the oven and arrange the tomatoes around each fillet.
Place the chicken back in the oven and cook a further 20 minutes, or until the chicken is cooked through and no longer pink.

Notes

Tip:

Make sure your grill is preheated well so the chicken pieces get that perfect char-grilled sear.
Use our homemade basil pesto recipe for the best flavour results.

Nutrition

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

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Karina eating butter chicken from a gold fork out of a bowl with a nann bread on the side.

Hey Good Food Lovers! It’s nice to see you! My name is Karina. Welcome to Cafe Delites, my beloved space for the last 10 years where my passion for food has flourished and connected millions!

25 Comments

Wow is this a recipe for people that can’t cook!
Reply
Delicious recipe. I used the last of my favourite store bought pesto and it turned out great. This is a keeper. Thanks for sharing!
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1. Thank you so much, Amy! I’m thrilled to hear you loved it. Have an amazing day filled with delicious moments!
  Reply
I made the Pesto Chicken half Basil Petso chicken and half Tomato Pesto 😊 Yummo
Reply
So yummy and simple. I used homemade pesto. Thanks!
Reply
We used chicken thighs – very juicy and tender Love pesto!!!
Reply
Delicious and easy for a week night. Very flavorful and the chicken came out juicy. Thank you!
Reply
Incredibly easy and good. I use Kirkland (Costco) Pesto. My experience with it in cooking is that it can become curdled and lumpy when you fry with it, so I liberally added olive oil to the pan and simmered on low for as long as you would bake it and ended up with a nice pesto reduction to pour on the chicken.
Reply
Easy and delicious. I added sliced zucchini with the tomatoes at the 30 minute mark. Veggies done. Easy Peezy. My husband actually loved it. This was after a face when I told him we were having pesto chicken for dinner. LOL
Reply
1. Awesome recipe. Very moist and tender. This will be the third time I’ve made it. I did add zucchini to it. Perfect sheet pan recipe. Thanks!!!
  Reply

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Karina sitting on island bench wearing a black dress

Hey Good Food Lovers! It’s nice to see you! My name is Karina. Welcome to Cafe Delites, my beloved space for the last 10 years where my passion for food has flourished and connected millions!