Looking for a well-balanced Mediterranean meal to make at home? Try this easy Chicken Margherita skillet that features cherry tomatoes, basil pesto, mozzarella, olive oil, and fresh basil!
Easy Chicken Margherita - a perfect Mediterranean dinner!
Whether it's still Summer outside or the cold weather already starts to settle in, Chicken Margherita is a great recipe to have in your rotation! Why? This Italian-style dish is a perfect example of a healthy, well-balanced Mediterranean meal that's packed with veggies, fiber, healthy fats, as well as protein. If you are looking for a low-carb, high-protein, gluten-free, and keto-friendly recipe, this colorful Chicken Margherita will become one of your favorites! It's comfort food that's healthy!
Everything is cooked in one pan on the stovetop. There is no need to start your grill. The chicken is seared to perfection in a cast-iron skillet and topped with fresh basil pesto, gooey mozzarella cheese, garlic, and juicy cherry tomatoes!
What makes this recipe unique?
This Chicken Margherita features all the classic ingredients: mozzarella cheese, basil pesto, cherry tomatoes, and olive oil. The unique twist here is the addition of seared bell peppers to the bottom of the skillet, and then nestling the Chicken Margherita on top. First, the chicken is lightly seared and then roasted in the oven in the same skillet on top of the bed of bell peppers. The bell peppers catch and absorb all the yummy juices from the Chicken Margherita nestled on top and are a delicious accompaniment to the chicken!
My favorite part about this recipe is that it uses so many fresh and whole ingredients. Combining fresh vegetables and poultry in a single meal makes this a classic Mediterranean dish.
If you prefer to keep this recipe low-carb, gluten-free, and keto-friendly, serve it as is. If you do wish to add some carbs, try Chicken Margherita over pasta (such as angel hair or spaghetti) or grains (rice or quinoa). I also suggest some delicious side dishes (including keto-friendly ones!) towards the bottom of the recipe.
Substitutions and Variations
- Cherry Tomatoes - these can be replaced with regular chopped tomatoes or sun-dried tomatoes.
- Fresh Mozzarella Cheese works best here. However, you can also use shredded mozzarella cheese or provolone instead.
- Chicken - use skinless boneless chicken thighs or skinless boneless chicken breasts. If using large chicken breasts, cut them in half horizontally to form 2 thinly sliced fillets.
- Basil pesto- make your own or use a store-bought version. I recommend choosing basil pesto that is of bright green color, just like in my step-by-step photos.
How to make Chicken Margherita - step-by-step photos
I highly recommend that you follow these step-by-step photos as they making this easy recipe even simpler! Let's start!
Preheat oven to 350 F. Heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil on medium-high heat in a skillet until hot. Add sliced bell peppers (one green, one red) seasoned with salt and pepper.
Sear for 5 minutes. Remove to a plate.
Sear chicken thighs (seasoned with salt and pepper) in olive oil on medium-hot heat until nicely browned, about 4 minutes per side. Remove chicken to a plate. (Note: Chicken doesn't have to be cooked through at this point, you will continue cooking it n the oven in the next step.)
Return cooked bell peppers to the same skillet. Place seared chicken thighs on top.
Top with minced garlic.
Spread basil pesto evenly over each chicken thigh.
Add thickly sliced fresh Mozzarella cheese on top.
Bake at 350 F in the preheated oven for 20-30 minutes, until the chicken thighs are done. You can see the mozzarella cheese nice and melty in the photo below!
When serving, top each chicken thigh with fresh chopped basil.
And, add sliced cherry tomatoes on top of the chicken, as well, before serving this beautiful dish to yourself, your family, or friends!
Different ways to serve Chicken Margherita
Chicken Margherita is a complete meal on its own and can be served as is, especially if you want to keep this recipe low-carb, gluten-free, and keto-friendly. However, if you wish to add carbs, here are some delicious ideas:
- Sandwich. Place each chicken fillet (with all the toppings!) on top of the toasted slice of Italian bread to form an open-sided sandwich!
- Pasta. Serve Chicken Margherita over garlic butter spaghetti or angel hair pasta.
- Pizza. Slice the chicken, and add it (plus everything else from the skillet) on top of pizza crust to make Pizza Margherita!
Side Dishes to Serve alongside
Different kinds of grains, such as rice or quinoa, pair well with Chicken Margherita. Take a look at these 3 fantastic side dishes:
If you prefer keto-friendly side dishes, here are my suggestions for veggie sides:
Other Mediterranean-style chicken recipes
Since Chicken Margherita features cherry tomatoes, basil pesto, mozzarella, and, well, chicken, below are some recipes that feature either all or most of these ingredients:
- Basil Pesto Tomato Mozzarella Chicken Bake - low carb and gluten-free recipe. It’s easy to make, and only one pan is needed.
- Pepperoni Chicken Bake with Basil Pesto Tomato Sauce and Mozzarella - this recipe is just like pizza topped with Mozzarella and pepperoni but with the chicken instead of the crust.
- Basil Pesto Chicken with Veggies (Cherry Tomatoes and Asparagus) – in this recipe, everything is cooked in one pan, 30 minutes recipe from start to finish!
Chicken Margherita Skillet
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 2 bell peppers (red and green), sliced
- salt and pepper
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 5 chicken thighs (skinless, boneless)
- 4 cloves garlic (minced)
- ½ cup basil pesto
- 8 oz fresh Mozzarella cheese (sliced)
- 2 tablespoons fresh basil
- 5 oz cherry tomatoes each sliced in half
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 F.
- Heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil on medium-high heat in a large skillet until hot. Add sliced bell peppers (one green, one red). Season with salt and pepper. Sear the bell peppers for 5 minutes, until lightly softened. Remove to a plate.
- Season boneless, skinless chicken thighs with salt and pepper. Heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil in the same skillet until hot. Add chicken thighs and sear until browned, about 4 minutes per side. Remove chicken to a plate. Note: Chicken thighs don't have to be cooked through at this point, as you will continue cooking them in the oven in the next steps.
- Return cooked bell peppers to the same skillet. Place seared chicken thighs on top of bell peppers.
- Top with minced garlic.
- Spread basil pesto evenly over each chicken thigh.
- Add thickly sliced fresh Mozzarella cheese on top.
- Bake at 350 F in the preheated oven for 20-30 minutes, until the chicken thighs are done. Do not overcook!
- When serving, top each chicken thigh with fresh chopped basil, and cherry tomatoes sliced in half.
Notes
- Step-by-step photos are provided above the recipe card. It's much easier to follow the recipe just by looking at step-by-step photos - I highly recommend that you view them.
- Chicken - use skinless boneless chicken thighs or skinless boneless chicken breasts. If using large chicken breasts, cut them in half horizontally to form 2 thinly sliced fillets.
- Basil pesto - make your own or use a store-bought version. I recommend choosing basil pesto that is of bright green color, just like in my step-by-step photos.
- Fresh Mozzarella cheese is the best for this recipe, however, you can also use shredded mozzarella cheese or provolone instead.
- Cherry tomatoes - these can be replaced with regular chopped tomatoes or sun-dried tomatoes.
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.
This dish was great. I love onions, so I added them to the pepper mix. It was even better on the second day. Will be making it again.
Onions do make a great addition to this recipe! 🙂
We loved the flavours of this recipe. I served it with a huge Caesar salad & that made it a delicious dinner. The instructions are super simple yet exacting. Thanks for another yummy dish. Any chance you putting out a cookbook? That would be used constantly in our house! Thanks Julia for another keeper.
Dian, you are so kind! ❤️❤️ So glad you loved this recipe - it's one of my favorites as it packs so many veggies in a delicious way. I don't have a cookbook yet, but will probably have one in the future. 🙂
This was delicious. I cooked chicken and peppers in a pan then transferred to a baking pan. I used a little wine and water to cook off the pieces and flavors in the pan and poured it over the chicken just before I put the tomatoes and basil on top. I then put it back in the oven for the last 1-2 minutes so it was hot. Served it over small serving of angel hair pasta. Next time I might try to increase the liquids for more sauce for the pasta. Thanks for the tasty recipe.
Deb, you are very welcome! Love that you served this with angel hair pasta. This fine pasta is perfect with this dish!
Made it for dinner last night and it was absolutely fabulous. Followed the recipe exactly, but added some red pepper flakes for a bit of a kick. Served over jasmine rice. Can’t wait for dinner tonight. Love your recipes.
Mary, thank you for this wonderful and positive comment! 🙂 Love that you served this over jasmine rice!
Just awesome. Made it for the first time tonight and it won’t be the last time. Followed recipe except I through in some red pepper flakes to add a bit of a kick. Served over jasmine rice. Thank you, Julie
Mary Beth, glad the recipe was enjoyed, and thank you so much for taking the time to share the feedback and 5-star review! 🙂
This was delicious but my cheese melted completely. I did the 30 minutes because the thighs were larger. Next time I’ll add more peppers and only cook 20 minutes.
Jerri, I am glad you tried this recipe and enjoyed it! 🙂 What you can also try is to slice fresh Mozzarella into much thicker slices - which will help them hold up better under the heat.
All four of my sons loved this dish. And that’s so rare. I was bummed because there weren’t any leftovers to enjoy the next day. Thank you!!
Thank you, Lisa, for such a wonderful comment - it made my day! 🙂
What is the best way to reheat?
The simplest way to reheat is to reheat it gently in the microwave oven.
You can also add this to an oven-proof wide dish and reheat it in the preheated oven at 350 F for about 30 minutes.
WONDERFUL! Love that it uses so many vegetables!
Works perfectly for my keto plan. Thanks for the recipe!
You're very welcome! Enjoy!
I make this with chicken breasts. So good and easy!
How do you make pesto
Here are my favorite recipes of basil pesto made from scratch:
1) This beautifully green basil pesto has pine nuts, parmesan cheese, garlic, olive oil, and lemon juice.
2) This fresh basil pesto takes only 15 minutes of prep.