Easy Baked Pesto Chicken

Easy baked pesto chicken is tender strips of chicken that are flavored with pesto and covered in melty mozzarella cheese for a simple, scrumptious and hands-off dinner! I am always looking for more and more ways to use pesto. Sometimes it’s because I’ve made a big batch of homemade basil pesto – or found some stashed in the freezer. And sometimes it’s because I bought a giant jar of it at the bulk bin store. Regardless, I love having pesto on hand and it brightens up so many dishes. And today, it’s part of this super simple and utterly delicious easy baked pesto chicken. We’ve got tender strips of chicken that are flavored with pesto and covered in melty mozzarella cheese. It’s baked until hot and bubbly, with plenty of amazing juices left in the baking dish that you are going to want to drizzle all over everything on your plate. (And you totally should.) And you guys, we are talking just 3 ingredients for this recipe. That’s right, you can make this any time because you probably have all of these on hand. Plus, it’s super simple to prep and is hands off as it bakes in the oven. It’s gluten-free and low-carb as is, too. Dinner time has nothing on us!

Recipe Notes:
Chicken: I use boneless, skinless chicken breasts and cut them into about 3 strips each. You could also substitute chicken tenders or try using boneless, skinless chicken thighs if you like. Just keep an eye on the cook time and adjust as needed.
Pesto: Feel free to use homemade or store-bought, either works just fine.
Mozzarella: Shredded mozzarella (from a bag or shredded from a block) is what I’ve always used. You could try sliced fresh mozzarella as well if you’d like.
Serving: I recommend serving this over rice or couscous or even orzo to help soak up some of those yummy juices in the baking dish.

Ingredients:
4 (6-7 oz) boneless, skinless chicken breasts
½ teaspoon kosher salt
¼ teaspoon black pepper
½ cup basil pesto, divided
1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese

Instructions:
Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Cut each chicken breast lengthwise into 3 pieces. Season the chicken strips with salt and pepper. Spray a 9×12 baking dish with cooking spray. Spread ¼ cup of the pesto over the bottom of the dish. Add the chicken strips then top with the remaining ¼ cup basil pesto. Cover the baking dish with aluminum foil and bake at 375 for 25 minutes. Uncover the dish, sprinkle with the mozzarella cheese and return to the oven (uncovered). Bake for 5 more minutes, or until the cheese is melted and the chicken is cooked through. If desired, broil the dish for 2-3 minutes, or until lightly browned. Serve the pesto chicken hot with extra juices from the bottom of the dish.

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