Baked Pesto Chicken Recipe
This tender Baked Pesto Chicken is cooked in a creamy basil pesto sauce with feta cheese and olives. An easy keto chicken recipe that's perfect for a quick, flavorful dinner.
Servings: 4 servings
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon butter
- 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
- 1½ pounds bone-in chicken thighs or chicken breasts (skin-on or skin-off)
- 1 teaspoon dried basil
- salt and fresh ground black pepper to taste
- ¼ cup basil pesto
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 1 cup half and half or evaporated milk you can also use heavy whipping cream
- salt and fresh ground black pepper to taste
- 1 cup cubed reduced sodium feta cheese
- 1 cup pitted olives rinsed and patted dry to minimize sodium intake
- fresh basil chopped, for garnish, optional
Instructions
- Prep. Preheat the oven to 400˚F. Season the chicken with dried basil, salt, and pepper.
- Heat the olive oil and butter. Combine the butter and olive oil in a cast iron skillet and melt it over medium heat.
- Brown the chicken. Add the chicken pieces to the hot oil and cook for 2 to 3 minutes per side or until browned.
- Make the pesto sauce. Meanwhile, in a mixing bowl, combine the basil pesto, garlic, half-and-half, salt, and pepper; whisk until thoroughly combined.
- Add the olives and cheese. Remove the skillet from the heat and add the olives and cubed feta around the chicken. Then, pour the prepared pesto sauce over the chicken.
- Bake. Transfer the skillet to the oven and bake the chicken for 25 to 30 minutes, or until cooked through and the sauce is bubbly. The chicken is done when its internal temperature registers at 165˚F.
- Rest, then serve. Remove the chicken from the oven and let it rest for 5 minutes. Garnish with fresh basil and serve.
Notes
You can use boneless chicken, but reduce the cooking time. Bone-in chicken takes longer to cook.
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
