Creamy Pesto Marry Me Chicken (Printer-friendly)
Juicy chicken in a creamy basil pesto sauce with sun-dried tomatoes and Parmesan, ready in 40 minutes.
# What You’ll Need:
→ Chicken
01 - 4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
→ Seasonings
02 - 1 tsp salt
03 - 1/2 tsp black pepper
04 - 1/2 tsp garlic powder
→ For Searing
05 - 2 tbsp olive oil
→ Sauce
06 - 2 cloves garlic, minced
07 - 1/2 cup sun-dried tomatoes, drained and chopped
08 - 1 cup heavy cream
09 - 1/2 cup chicken broth
10 - 1/3 cup basil pesto (store-bought or homemade)
11 - 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
→ Garnish
12 - Fresh basil leaves, torn
13 - Extra Parmesan cheese, for serving
# How to Make It:
01 - Pat the chicken breasts dry and season both sides evenly with salt, black pepper, and garlic powder.
02 - Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Sear the chicken breasts for 4–5 minutes per side until a golden crust forms. The chicken does not need to be fully cooked at this stage. Remove from the skillet and set aside on a plate.
03 - In the same skillet, add the minced garlic and chopped sun-dried tomatoes. Sauté for 1–2 minutes until fragrant and lightly softened.
04 - Reduce the heat to medium. Pour in the heavy cream and chicken broth, stirring well to deglaze the pan and lift any browned bits from the bottom.
05 - Stir in the basil pesto and grated Parmesan cheese, whisking gently until the sauce is smooth and uniformly blended. Bring to a gentle simmer.
06 - Place the seared chicken breasts back into the skillet, spooning sauce over each piece to coat generously.
07 - Cover the skillet with a lid and reduce the heat to low. Simmer for 10–12 minutes, or until the chicken is cooked through to an internal temperature of 165°F and the sauce has thickened to a luscious consistency.
08 - Transfer to plates and garnish with torn fresh basil leaves and additional grated Parmesan cheese. Serve immediately over pasta, mashed potatoes, or sautéed greens.
# Expert Tips:
01 -
- The pesto does double duty, giving you herb flavor and a gorgeous green flecked sauce without any extra chopping.
- It looks like you spent hours but everything happens in one skillet from sear to simmer.
- Sun dried tomatoes and cream together create a sauce so good you will want to eat it with a spoon straight from the pan.
02 -
- Do not rush the simmer by turning up the heat or the cream will break and you will end up with a greasy separated mess instead of silk.
- The sauce thickens significantly as it sits off the heat, so pull it when it looks slightly thinner than you want the final consistency.
03 -
- Let the chicken rest for three minutes after the simmer finishes so the juices redistribute instead of running out onto your plate.
- Grate the Parmesan while the chicken sears so you are not scrambling with a block of cheese in one hand and a bubbling pan in the other.