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Baked Pesto Chicken Recipe with Olives & Feta

by Katerina

4.78 from 18 votes

Feb 27, 2018, Updated Apr 02, 2021

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Tender, flavorful, and juicy baked chicken recipe cooked in a creamy basil pesto sauce with feta cheese and olives. An easy keto chicken recipe perfect for dinner.

Baked Chicken with Pesto, Olives, and Feta Cheese

I am sharing my family’s favorite baked chicken recipe! It’s this moist and tender Baked Pesto Chicken with Feta and Olives. It’s easy to prepare, it’s deeeeelicious, and it will soon be added to your weekly dinner rotation. Basil pesto lends an amazing flavor to this chicken recipe, and it is the answer to your dilemma about the perfect chicken flavor.

Another thing we should note: this is a low carb meal, it is keto friendly (YAY!), and it’s all prepared in just ONE SKILLET.

Me thinks I am obsessed with pesto. You can put it on watermelon and I’ll eat it. For those that know me, you know that I HATE watermelon, but pesto might change my mind. Ya never know!

In this particular recipe, I almost always use chicken thighs because, there are 3 other members in this family that prefer thighs over chicken breasts.  The argument holds that the thighs are juicier and as tender as can be. True dat! I am definitely not going to argue. BUT, for you, if you want to use breasts, go right ahead.

You can refer to my Creamy Pesto Chicken recipe for a bit of chicken breasts inspiration.

Also? When I do use chicken thighs, just as I did here for us, I remove the skin after it’s cooked, the other 3 in this household do not. One of them is only 5 years old and she won’t accept chicken without the crispy skin.

In any case, this baked pesto chicken will be amazing no matter what cut of chicken you use.

HOW TO MAKE BAKED CHICKEN PESTO WITH OLIVES AND FETA

• Deliciously seasoned chicken thighs are added to an oiled hot cast iron skillet and cooked until just browned on both sides.
• Feta and olives are placed all around the chicken, using enough to cover the empty spaces.
• A mixture of basil pesto, garlic, evaporated milk or half and half (heavy cream is OK, too) is poured over the chicken and baked for about 25 to 30 minutes, or until chicken is cooked through and sauce is bubbly.
• That’s it!

Simple, quick and easy, making it a perfect meal for weeknight dinners. ✔✔✔

Since too many dirty pots, pans, and dishes are my nemesis, I kept this recipe in one pan – a cast iron skillet that is a must have for any working kitchen – and it took me just a little over 35 minutes to prepare the entire dinner, from start to finish.

Almost always, I try to serve this meal with just a big green salad on the side, similar to my Berry Caprese Salad, sans the berries. Berries and olives just don’t go together… or do they?

*runs to the kitchen to find out*

WANT MORE PESTO RECIPES? ⤵⤵⤵

• Slow Cooker Basil Pesto Bread
• Pesto Ham and Cheese Rollups
• Pesto Zucchini Noodles and Shrimp
• Easy Creamy Chicken Pesto Tortellini

ENJOY!

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4.78 from 18 votes

Baked Pesto Chicken with Olives and Feta

by Katerina | Diethood

Tender & flavorful baked chicken recipe cooked in a creamy basil pesto sauce with feta cheese and olives. An easy keto chicken recipe perfect for dinner.

Prep Time: 10 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 35 minutes minutes

Total Time: 45 minutes minutes

Servings: 4 servings

Ingredients 

1x2x3x

• ▢ 1 tablespoon butter
• ▢ 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
• ▢ 1.5 pounds chicken thighs or chicken breasts
• ▢ 1 teaspoon dried basil
• ▢ salt and fresh ground pepper, to taste
• ▢ 1/4 cup basil pesto
• ▢ 2 garlic cloves, minced
• ▢ 1 cup half and half or evaporated milk, you can also use heavy whipping cream
• ▢ salt and fresh ground pepper, to taste
• ▢ 1 cup cubed reduced sodium feta cheese
• ▢ 1 cup pitted olives, rinsed and dried to minimize sodium intake
• ▢ fresh basil, chopped, for garnish, optional

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Instructions 

• Preheat the oven to 400F.
• Combine butter and olive oil in a cast iron skillet and melt over medium heat.
• Season chicken with dried basil, salt and pepper; add to hot oil and cook for 2 to 3 minutes per side, or until browned.
• In a mixing bowl, combine basil pesto, garlic, half and half, salt and pepper; whisk until thoroughly combined.
• Remove skillet from heat and add olives and cubed feta to the skillet.
• Pour the prepared pesto sauce over the chicken.
• Bake in oven for 25 to 30 minutes, or until chicken is cooked through and sauce is bubbly.
• Remove from oven.
• Garnish with fresh basil and serve.

Nutrition

Calories: 636kcal | Carbohydrates: 11g | Protein: 34g | Fat: 48g | Saturated Fat: 16g | Cholesterol: 194mg | Sodium: 831mg | Potassium: 333mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 8g | Vitamin A: 805IU | Vitamin C: 0.5mg | Calcium: 265mg | Iron: 1.7mg

Nutritional info is an estimate and provided as courtesy. Values may vary according to the ingredients and tools used. Please use your preferred nutritional calculator for more detailed info.

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