Quick Look at the Recipe
Prep time: 10 minutes | Cook time: 15-18 minutes | Total time: Under 30 minutes | Servings: 4 | Difficulty: Easy | Make-ahead friendly: Yes
Why You'll Love This Chicken Pesto with Mozzarella
- Only four main ingredients. This recipe keeps things simple without sacrificing flavor, perfect for nights when you want dinner on the table fast.
- Weeknight easy, company worthy. It's casual enough for a Tuesday but polished enough to serve guests.
- Make-ahead friendly. Assemble it up to an hour in advance and bake when you're ready, no hovering, no stress.
- Lighter and flexible. Naturally lower in carbohydrates and easy to adapt with whatever pesto or tomatoes you have on hand.
- Great leftovers. It reheats beautifully, making it ideal for meal prep or next-day lunches.
Jump to:
Chicken Pesto with Mozzarella is one of those dependable, back-pocket dinners you can count on when time is short but you still want something that feels special. Made with tender chicken breasts, basil pesto, melty mozzarella cheese, and roasted tomatoes, this easy baked chicken recipe comes together in about 30 minutes with just a handful of ingredients.
If you love simple, family-friendly chicken dinners like my Pecan Crusted Chicken, Stuffed Chicken Breasts with Stuffing, or Creamy Skillet Chicken with Bacon and Mushrooms, this one deserves a spot on your regular rotation. It's flavorful without being fussy, and that's always a win.
Ingredients for Chicken Pesto with Mozzarella
Here's a quick look at the key ingredients, smart substitutions, and a few details that make a real difference in how this dish turns out.
- Basil pesto - Fresh homemade basil pesto is wonderful, but refrigerated store-bought pesto works beautifully here. Jarred pesto will also do in a pinch.
- Boneless, skinless chicken breasts - Pesto adds moisture and flavor, helping the chicken stay juicy and tender. Boneless, skinless chicken thighs work well, too, but they may require a few extra minutes of cooking time.
- Roma tomatoes - Meaty and less watery than slicing tomatoes, making them ideal for roasting.
- Mozzarella cheese - Whole-milk mozzarella melts more smoothly and adds richer flavor than part-skim, but you can use part-skim in a pinch.
How to Make Chicken Pesto with Mozzarella
This is a summary of the steps; the complete directions are in the recipe card below.
- Preheat the oven to 400°F. Season both sides of the chicken breasts with salt and pepper and place them on a lightly greased rimmed baking sheet.
- Spread a generous layer of pesto over the top of each chicken breast.
- Cover the pesto with mozzarella cheese.
- Top each piece of chicken with 2-3 slices of tomato.
- Bake for 15-18 minutes, or until the internal temperature reaches 165°F.
- Let the chicken rest for 5 minutes before serving. Garnish with fresh basil if desired.
Recipe FAQs
This dish pairs well with simple sides like field peas, potato salad, squash casserole, or hasselback potatoes. A slice of my Cheesy Texas Toast Garlic Bread or Old-Fashioned Cornbread would round things out nicely.
Store leftovers covered in the refrigerator for up to four days. Reheat gently in the microwave or in a 350°F oven until warmed through.
Chicken pesto with mozzarella typically takes 15-18 minutes to bake at 400°F, depending on thickness. Remove the chicken from the oven at 160°F; it will reach 165°F while resting.
Yes. You can assemble the dish up to one hour ahead, refrigerate it, and bake just before serving.
Yes. Air fry at 375°F until the chicken reaches an internal temperature of 165°F. Cooking time will vary depending on the air fryer and the thickness of the chicken.
Absolutely. Boneless, skinless chicken thighs work well, but they may require a few extra minutes of cooking time.
Tips for Perfect Results Every Time
- Chicken breasts are so large these days (mine were seven ounces each) I usually buy two for this recipe and then slice them in half horizontally. This yields four pieces that are about half an inch thick. You can also use cutlets.
- If your breasts are an uneven thickness, you will need to pound them until they are about the same. To do this, place a breast in a plastic storage bag, take a meat mallet or rolling pin, and gently pound the meat until it is half an inch thick. Repeat as needed.
- When I have it, I like to use my homemade basil pesto. Purchased refrigerated pesto is the next best thing, with jarred pesto coming in third. Jarred pesto still works, and I have made this recipe with it plenty of times, and it is still delicious.
- Pesto is a versatile condiment, and I always have a jar in my pantry. Try mixing it with pasta, adding it to mayonnaise to make basil pesto aioli or a homemade salad dressing, or using it instead of pizza sauce to top a homemade english muffin pizza. It’s full of flavor and can be a real timesaver in the kitchen.
- You can save on clean-up by lining your baking sheet with aluminum foil or a sheet of parchment paper before adding the breasts.
- If you are a fan of dark meat, swap out the breasts with boneless, skinless thighs. However, the thighs will need to be cooked a little longer.
- This recipe calls for Roma tomatoes, and I think they work the best because they are not quite as juicy as other varieties. However, feel free to substitute whatever kind of tomatoes you have on hand; even cherry tomatoes work.
- Don’t be shocked if you see a bunch of oil or liquid at the bottom of your pan after the poultry is done. This is the olive oil from the pesto and won’t hurt anything.
More Easy Chicken Dinners You’ll Love
If you like this recipe, I think you might also like these quick and easy chicken entrées:
If you are like me and always on the hunt for more recipes with chicken, here are a few more of my family’s favorites: Grilled Spatchcock Chicken, Smoked Spatchcock Chicken, Lemon Pepper Chicken, Chicken Parmesan, Chicken Divan, and Lemon Curd Chicken.
Need more ideas? Here is a link to all of my chicken recipes.
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Chicken Pesto with Mozzarella
Ingredients
- 4 chicken breasts or cutlets ½ inch thick, boneless and skinless
- 1 cup basil pesto
- 3 Roma tomatoes thinly sliced
- 1⅓ cups shredded whole milk mozzarella cheese
- 1 teaspoon Kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
Instructions
- To begin, preheat your oven to 400°F.
- Spray a rimmed baking sheet lightly with non-stick cooking spray. Place the chicken breasts on it and season on both sides with salt and pepper.
- Top the breasts with plenty of pesto and ensure all surface areas are covered.
- Next, pile on the mozzarella cheese and cover the top of the breasts entirely.
- Then, top each breast with two or three tomato slices.
- Bake the breasts for approximately 15 minutes, or until the internal temperature in the thickest part of the chicken reaches 165°F, as measured with an instant-read meat thermometer. (I like to remove the pan from the oven when the temperature reads around 160-162°F. The temperature will continue to climb to 165 ° while they rest.)
- Let the breasts rest for five minutes and, if desired, garnish with a sprig of fresh basil. Serve immediately.
Leah
Everything described in the title for this recipe is spot on. So so easy, the chicken was juicy and everybody loved it. I used jarred pesto and served with a side roasted brussels sprouts and new potatoes. Quick weeknight dinner and made great leftovers for lunch the next say.
Sharon Rigsby
Hi Leah, I am so happy you enjoyed this recipe! It is one of my go-to favorites. Also, thank you so much for taking the time to leave a rating and comment. I really appreciate it.
All the best,
Sharon
Carolyn G Haley
This sounds like an excellent and easy summer dinner. Will try this sometime this week, I think I need some fresh mozzarella. I love all the ingredients so this looks like a homerun.
Carolyn
Ashley Lentini
I have to say.. I am very excited! I just bought fresh basil, tomatoes and fresh mozzarella yesterday for a salad. But, now I am going to have to use it for this recipe tonight! Yum!!!!