Creamy Pesto Chicken Skillet (Printable View)

Juicy chicken breasts in a creamy pesto and sun-dried tomato sauce with Parmesan — rich, garlicky, and irresistibly tender.

# What You Need:

→ Chicken

01 - 4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
02 - Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

→ Searing Fats

03 - 2 tablespoons olive oil
04 - 1 tablespoon unsalted butter

→ Aromatics and Vegetables

05 - 3 cloves garlic, minced
06 - 3.5 oz sun-dried tomatoes (oil-packed), drained and sliced

→ Sauce

07 - ½ cup chicken broth
08 - ¾ cup heavy cream
09 - ⅓ cup basil pesto (store-bought or homemade)
10 - 1.75 oz grated Parmesan cheese

→ Garnish

11 - Fresh basil leaves, for garnish
12 - Extra grated Parmesan, for serving (optional)

# How To Make It:

01 - Pat the chicken breasts dry with paper towels. Season both sides generously with salt and freshly ground black pepper.
02 - Heat olive oil and butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Sear the chicken breasts for 5 to 6 minutes per side until golden brown and nearly cooked through. Transfer to a plate and set aside.
03 - Reduce heat to medium. Add the minced garlic to the skillet and sauté for 30 seconds until fragrant. Stir in the sliced sun-dried tomatoes and cook for 1 minute.
04 - Pour in the chicken broth, scraping the bottom of the skillet to deglaze any browned bits. Add the heavy cream, basil pesto, and grated Parmesan cheese. Stir to combine and simmer for 2 to 3 minutes until the sauce slightly thickens.
05 - Return the chicken breasts and any accumulated juices to the skillet. Spoon the sauce over the chicken, cover with a lid, and simmer for 7 to 8 minutes until the chicken reaches an internal temperature of 165°F.
06 - Garnish with fresh basil leaves and additional grated Parmesan if desired. Serve hot alongside pasta, rice, or crusty bread.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • The sauce comes together in the same pan you sear the chicken in, which means every golden bit gets folded back into the flavor.
  • That pesto swirl through the cream is the kind of thing that makes guests ask if you went to culinary school.
02 -
  • Do not rush the searing step because that golden crust is what gives the sauce its depth, and once it is gone you cannot get it back.
  • Letting the chicken rest on a plate before returning it means the juices redistribute instead of running out into the sauce and making it watery.
03 -
  • Take the chicken off the heat when it reads about 71 degrees Celsius on a thermometer because carryover cooking will bring it up to the safe temperature while it rests.
  • Stir the pesto in at the very end of the sauce building step rather than at the beginning so the fresh basil flavor stays bright and vibrant instead of cooking down into something flat.

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