Description
A delicious and easy pesto chicken recipe featuring roasted chicken breasts paired with sweet cherry tomatoes.
Ingredients
- 4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (about 1.5 lbs / 700g)
- 1/2 cup basil pesto (about 120ml), homemade or store-bought
- 1 pint cherry tomatoes (about 300g), halved
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- Salt and freshly cracked black pepper, to taste
- 1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
- Parmesan cheese, optional for garnish
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 400°F (200°C).
- Pat dry the chicken breasts with paper towels.
- Lightly sprinkle salt and freshly cracked black pepper on both sides of each chicken breast.
- Using a spoon or brush, evenly coat the top of each chicken breast with about 2 tablespoons of basil pesto.
- Place the pesto-coated chicken breasts in a single layer in a baking dish.
- Scatter the halved cherry tomatoes around and on top of the chicken.
- Drizzle 2 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil and sprinkle minced garlic evenly over the tomatoes and chicken.
- Roast in the oven for 20–25 minutes, or until the chicken reaches an internal temperature of 165°F (74°C) and the tomatoes are soft and slightly caramelized.
- Remove from oven and squeeze 1 tablespoon of fresh lemon juice over the chicken and tomatoes.
- Optionally, sprinkle freshly grated Parmesan cheese and a few fresh basil leaves on top before serving.
- Let the chicken rest for 5 minutes before slicing to lock in the juices.
Notes
For more intense flavors, marinate the chicken in basil pesto for a few hours before cooking.
