One-Pan Pesto Chicken and Veggies – boneless, skinless chicken thighs cooked with sun-dried tomatoes, asparagus, cherry tomatoes in a delicious basil pesto sauce. Everything is done in one pan, 30 minutes recipe from start to finish!
Chicken deliciously smothered with basil pesto sauce and served along delicious vegetables. Healthy, gluten free, Mediterranean style recipe, packed with fiber (vegetables) and protein (chicken).
This pesto chicken is a perfect meal for the hot days of the Summer – light, packed with veggies, full of bright colors, and so delicious!
MY OTHER VIDEOSIngredients you’ll need for this Pesto Chicken and Veggies:
olive oil
chicken thighs, boneless and skinless
sun-dried tomatoes
asparagus
basil pesto
cherry tomatoes
Yes, you’ll only need 6 ingredients for this recipe!
Look at all the colorful veggies that go into this dinner:
Quick overview: how to cook pesto chicken:
First, cook boneless, skinless chicken thighs (sliced into thinner strips) with sun-dried tomatoes until the chicken is completely cooked, and coat the chicken with basil pesto:
Add cherry tomatoes to the chicken in the skillet:
Cook the asparagus and combine all the ingredients together:
Delicious Pesto Chicken and Veggies. Sun-dried tomatoes, asparagus, cherry tomatoes in a delicious basil pesto sauce. 30 minutes from start to finish, everything is cooked in one pan. Gluten free, healthy, Mediterranean style recipe.
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 pound chicken thighs boneless and skinless, sliced into strips
- 1/3 cup sun-dried tomatoes drained of oil, chopped
- 1 pound asparagus ends trimmed, cut in half, if large
- 1/4 cup basil pesto
- 1 cup cherry tomatoes yellow and red, halved
- Heat a large skillet on medium heat, add 2 tablespoons olive oil, add sliced chicken thighs, season chicken generously with salt, add half of chopped sun-dried tomatoes - and cook everything on medium heat for 5-10 minutes, flipping a couple of times, until the chicken is completely cooked through. Remove the chicken and sun-dried from the skillet, leaving oil in.
- Add asparagus (ends trimmed), seasoned generously with salt, remaining half of sun-dried tomatoes, and cook on medium heat for 5-10 minutes until the asparagus cooked through. Remove asparagus to serving plate.
- Add chicken back to the skillet, add pesto, stir to coat on low-medium heat until chicken is reheated, 1 or 2 minutes. Remove from heat. Add halved cherry tomatoes, mix with the pesto and the chicken. Add chicken and tomatoes to the serving plate with asparagus.
my daughter and I made this with baby potatoes in it….mmmm good
Sooooo yummy! I was told it’s the best thing I’ve ever made!! I added artichoke hearts to the veggie mix
Thank you!
Thank you, thank you! 🙂 So glad you enjoyed it! Adding artichoke hearts is a great idea!
Do you have the recipe for the basil pesto ?
I don’t have a recipe for the homemade basil pesto, I just used pre-made basil pesto I bought in the store. Here is good homemade basil pesto recipe: https://www.cookingclassy.com/pesto-how-to-make-beautifully-green-pesto/
So delicious! I added whole green beans and sprinkled a little fresh parmesan/Romano cheese mix, just to make it go a bit further. This is going to be a new regular!!
Adding green beans sounds delicious, as well as adding cheese! Glad you liked it!
where is the pesto recipe?
I just used store-bought basil pesto. I don’t have a homemade basil pest on my site (yet). Here is a good one: https://www.cookingclassy.com/pesto-how-to-make-beautifully-green-pesto/
I find the amount of fat in this dish a little alarming since its supposed to be so healthy… would using skinless boneless chicken breast instead of the thigh, which has a higher fat content help cut it down a little? I am trying to lose weight, not get high cholesterol. (the recipe looks amazing, I am just worried.) Any input or tips appreciated.
The high fat content comes from chicken thighs, basil pesto, and olive oil, as well. Yes, using skinless, boneless chicken breast will make this recipe somewhat reduced in fat, but you will still have fat content from chicken breasts, basil pesto, and olive oil. You might want to reduce the amounts of basil pesto and olive oil, too. And, reduce the amount of chicken, as well.
When I make my own pesto I add in lemon juice (a large quantity) into the mixture. This reduces how much oil I use to make the pesto so that it has a lower fat content and the lemon flavor is amazing in it. Sometimes I use a 1:1 ratio of lemon juice and oil because I can’t get enough of the lemon flavor.
Emily, what a great tip to add lemon juice to basil pesto and reduce the amount of oil this way.
These are healthy fats. High fat content does not automatically make something unhealthy.
I always substitute boneless, skinless chicken breasts and add fresh mushrooms to this recipe. I also use cooking spray instead of the olive oil, which will cut back on some of the fat grams. The saturated fat is pretty low per serving. The recipe is absolutely delicious if you enjoy pesto. Definitely try it!
What is the serving size/portion that correlates with the nutritional information?
The recipe serves 4 people (4 servings). The nutritional information in the nutrition box is per one individual serving.
5 stars!!!
I am glad you liked it! 🙂