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Basil Pesto Tomato Mozzarella Chicken Bake - low carb and gluten-free recipe. It's easy to make, and only one pan is needed.
Just pile all the ingredients on top of the chicken breasts in a baking dish and bake everything in the oven. Once the chicken is cooked, you'll have lots of juices in the pan. Pour these delicious juices over cooked rice or cooked pasta, such as spaghetti or angel hair pasta, and serve these side dishes with this Mozzarella chicken. Because you bake everything in one pan, the cleanup is minimal.
Mozzarella Chicken Bake
This chicken bake has a similar style to Chicken Parmigiana (or Chicken Parmesan) because many ingredients are similar, and the chicken is baked in the oven. But unlike Chicken Parmigiana, my Mozzarella Chicken is gluten-free (no bread crumbs or flour is involved), I use fresh tomatoes and basil pesto, and I use Mozzarella cheese only. The resulting dish is so delicious and refreshing! Perfect for Spring and Summer season!
Ingredients you need for Pesto Tomato Mozzarella Chicken
- chicken breasts boneless, skinless
- salt
- garlic cloves
- basil pesto
- fresh tomatoes
- fresh Mozzarella cheese
- fresh basil
To make this mozzarella chicken bake, I like to use thin chicken breasts. You can buy thinly sliced chicken breasts in the store, or flatten the chicken as described below.
How do you flatten the chicken
- To flatten the chicken, first, cover your work surface with plastic wrap.
- Lay the chicken breasts on top and cover with another piece of plastic wrap.
- Pound the chicken breasts with the flat side of a meat mallet to even their thickness.
- Alternatively, you can slice each chicken breast horizontally to make two thinner and flatter chicken breasts out of each large chicken breast.
What to serve with Pesto Tomato Mozzarella Chicken
This Mozzarella chicken bake can be served with spaghetti, angel hair pasta, or rice. When the chicken is done, there will be a good amount of juices at the bottom of the pan. Since those juices are pretty tasty, toss cooked pasta or rice with those juices (which are plenty as you can see on the photos) from the pesto chicken bake, and you'll have a delicious meal!
Alternatively, you can serve your Mozzarella chicken with roasted asparagus, green beans, roasted broccoli, or roasted potatoes.
Here are some of my favorite side dishes to go with this pesto chicken bake:
How to cook Mozzarella Chicken with Basil Pesto and Tomatoes
Preheat oven to 400 F. Place chicken breasts in a casserole pan. Season the chicken with salt and top with minced garlic.
Top with basil pesto.
Add tomato slices on top.
Add thickly sliced fresh Mozzarella cheese on top.
How to bake mozzarella chicken with pesto
Bake chicken breasts, uncovered, at 400 F in the preheated oven for 20-30 minutes, depending on the thickness of your breasts.
When serving, top each chicken breast with fresh chopped basil, and a fresh slice of tomato. Pour the juices from the bottom of the casserole pan over cooked pasta (such as angel hair or spaghetti) or cooked rice (such as Jasmine rice).
Basil Pesto Tomato Mozzarella Chicken Bake
Ingredients
- 4 chicken breasts , boneless, skinless
- salt
- 4 garlic cloves , minced
- ½ cup basil pesto
- 2 tomatoes , sliced
- 8 oz fresh Mozzarella cheese , sliced
- 2 tablespoons fresh basil
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400 F.
- Place chicken breasts in a medium size casserole pan.
- Sprinkle the chicken with salt. Top with minced garlic.
- Spread basil pesto evenly over each chicken breast.
- Add tomato slices on top.
- Add thickly sliced fresh Mozzarella cheese on top.
- Bake at 400 F in the preheated oven for 20-30 minutes, depending on the thickness of your breasts.
- When serving, top each chicken breast with fresh chopped basil, and a fresh slice of tomato. Pour the juices from the bottom of the casserole pan over pasta or rice.
Notes
- Want to make basil pesto from scratch? Here is the best, the most flavorful, and the creamiest 20-Minute Homemade Basil Pesto Recipe.
Nutrition
Nutrition Disclaimer:
The nutritional information on this website is only an estimate and is provided for convenience and as a courtesy only. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed. It should not be used as a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.
Absolutely the best chicken recipe I have ever had!! I plan to make it for my family for years to come. Thank you
Tracy, your comment made my day! I am glad you gave this recipe a try and enjoyed it! Thanks for the 5-star review! 🙂
This Chicken pesto was delicious! I added spinach on the bottom topped with the chicken and prepared as recipe called for. Definitely would make again
Linda, I love that you added spinach to the bottom of the pan - what a delicious addition to soak up all those juices!
This recipe is my go to from now. Thank you, can always experiment with substitutes too.
Thank you for such a positive comment and for taking the time to share it! 🙂
This looks amazing. Thinking of making tonight and pairing with brown rice and roasted asparagus. My question is do you layer tomatoes and cheese twice. I am confused when I read each detail.
Hi Bobbie! You layer a slice of tomato, and then a slice of fresh Mozzarella cheese just once. Then, you bake it.
After the chicken has been baked and when ready to serve, top each chicken breast with one more slice of fresh tomato (uncooked tomato). So, this last part (adding a slice of fresh tomato) is all about presentation purposes. Then, sprinkle with fresh herbs, preferably, basil.
Love your choice of side dishes!
Love love this recipe so yummy even my 3 year old loves it and it's so simple to make thank you!!
Tina, I am so happy to hear that you and your 3-year old loves this dish!
Made this last night, my husband loved it and he is not a fan of pesto. Such an easy preparation for this delicious dish!
Nancy, I am so glad you enjoyed this recipe! 🙂 Thank you for the comment!
Is this a good batch recipe? Can this be frozen after cooking?
Thank you!
This dish freezes well. You can also easily double the recipe if you like.
This chicken is delicious. It's so tender and juicy. I made cauliflower rice and soaked it in the juices from the chicken and added some sliced almonds with another vegetable. It was so good and filling.
Kathy, I love your choice of side dishes: cauliflower rice and sliced almonds - that sounds so good!
Very delicious! My second time making this but used chilli and tomato pesto this time and paired it with some lemon rice and Mediterranean vegetables.
Charlotte, I am so glad you liked it! Love your side dish of lemon rice and Mediterranean veggies - delicious! Thank you for the 5-star review! 🙂
I'm going to try this recipe this week with spaghetti pasta and roasted asparagus. Looks yummy!
Thank you, Cindy! Love your side dish choices!
Absolutely delicious! Easy to prepare. Made a side of broccoli they paired great together.
Debbie, I am so glad you liked it! Thank you for the comment and the 5-star review! 🙂
Would this work with roasted red peppers instead of tomatoes?
Yes, it's a great idea!
My basil plant has died for the winter. My only survivors are Rosemary and lavender. Is there a substitute for the fresh basil topping?
I am very sorry to hear about the unfortunate fate of your basil plant.
I would use fresh oregano or fresh lemon thyme (not regular fresh thyme, but lemon thyme - it tastes and even looks different). Or, you could add fresh arugula.
Would it be possible to use cherry tomatoes?
Yes, you can use cherry tomatoes. Slice each one in half before adding.
Refreshing summer dinner. Made this the other night and served it with your basil pesto mozzarella salad.
Can you recommend a good store bought pesto?
I usually buy refrigerated basil pesto. One brand I like is Buitoni.
Can I make it ahead and refrigerate until I cook it?
This dish came out perfectly! My husband remarked that it’s a keeper. Also it was quick to prepare and very forgiving. I added a little balsamic vinegar drizzle at the table after serving and it was delicious. Thanks for a great recipe.
Sarah, you are very welcome! So glad you enjoyed this recipe! 🙂