Description
Juicy chicken cooked in a creamy basil pesto sauce with sweet cherry tomatoes and finished with fresh basil. Comforting, fresh, and easy enough for any night of the week.
Ingredients
Scale
- 1 pound boneless skinless chicken thighs, cut into bite sized pieces
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 3 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 1/2 cups cherry tomatoes, whole
- 3/4 cup heavy cream
- 1/2 cup basil pesto
- 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese, freshly grated
- 1/4 cup fresh basil leaves, torn
- 3/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
Instructions
- Season the chicken pieces evenly with salt and black pepper.
- Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat.
- Add the chicken and cook for 5 to 6 minutes, stirring occasionally, until lightly golden and cooked through.
- Stir in the garlic and cherry tomatoes and cook for 1 minute until fragrant.
- Pour in the heavy cream and let the sauce gently simmer for about 4 minutes.
- Lower the heat and stir in the basil pesto and Parmesan cheese until the sauce becomes smooth and creamy.
- Remove from heat and sprinkle with fresh basil before serving.
Notes
- Keep the heat low after adding the cream to avoid splitting the sauce.
- Add a splash of cream when reheating to loosen the sauce if needed.
- Freshly grated Parmesan melts better than pre shredded cheese.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 20 minutes
- Category: Main Dish
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: Italian Inspired
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 serving
- Calories: 420
- Sugar: 4 g
- Sodium: 620 mg
- Fat: 30 g
- Saturated Fat: 12 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 16 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 8 g
- Fiber: 2 g
- Protein: 32 g
- Cholesterol: 135 mg
Keywords: creamy pesto chicken, chicken pesto skillet, creamy chicken dinner, pesto chicken recipe, easy chicken meal