Pesto Chicken Skillet

Pesto chicken skillet is so easy to make and packed with flavor. This healthy pesto chicken recipe is ready in about 10 minutes and can be made with store bought or homemade pesto. A great weeknight meal, these pesto chicken bites can be served with rice, quinoa, pasta, in a wrap or on a salad.

Why you will love this recipe

• Easy to make – making cubed chicken in the skillet is so easy. Because the chicken is cubed in small pieces, it cooks so quickly – ready in just 10 minutes.
• Simple, healthy ingredients – this chicken pesto skillet recipe is made with chicken, spices and pesto. Super simple. You can make your own homemade pesto (it is just a few ingredients) or take a shortcut and buy your favorite pesto for this pesto chicken recipe. Make this dairy free by using a dairy free pesto or making your own pesto.
• Versatile – use this healthy pesto chicken in so many ways. Serve alongside of rice, quinoa, pasta or use it on pizza, in sandwiches, wraps or on a salad.

Ingredients

• Chicken – use boneless, skinless chicken for this recipe. You will be cutting the chicken into 1 inch cubes (bite size pieces) so use whatever chicken you have on hand. Chicken tenders are already very thin so they are a great option if you are short on time.
• Olive oil – olive oil helps to coat the chicken and ensure that the spices stick. Olive oil also helps ensure that the chicken doesn’t stick to the skillet.
• Spices: Salt, garlic powder – These simple spices help to ensure that the chicken is well seasoned while cooking.
• Pesto – use your favorite pesto for this recipe. You can use your favorite store bought pesto or make your own. I love making spinach walnut pesto or arugula cashew pesto.

How to make pesto chicken skillet

Start by preheating a large skillet over medium heat.

Cut the chicken into 1 inch cubes. I like to use kitchen shears for this.

Place the chicken in a bowl and add the olive oil, salt and garlic powder. Stir well.

Once the skillet is hot, add the chicken and turn the heat up to medium high. Make sure the chicken is in a single layer in the pan, then don’t touch it for at least 5 minutes.

After 5 minutes, stir the chicken around and cook for an additional 4-5 minutes until the chicken is fully cooked.

Once the chicken is done cooking, add the pesto and stir well. Serve hot.

Top tips

• To save time, I like to use chicken tenders. However, I recommend that you still spend a minute to remove the chewy tendon from the tenders. The easiest way to do this is to hold the tendon with a paper towel and use a fork to press against the chicken as you pull it out. The paper towel is helpful because it can get slippery, using a paper towel makes it so much easier.
• If you know you will be short on time, you can prep the chicken the night before. Simply cut the chicken into even size pieces and place it in an airtight container or ziplock bag and store in the fridge until you are ready to cook.
• Cut the chicken into uniform sized cubes (as closely as possible) so that they cook evenly.
• Use a large skillet and allow it to get very hot before adding the chicken. This is the key to getting a good sear on the chicken.
• Want to make this even quicker? Use rotisserie chicken or pre-cooked chicken instead. Simply reheat the chicken in a skillet over medium heat with about 1/4 cup of water. Once chicken is hot, add the pesto and serve. 
• Use kitchen shears to make cutting the chicken even easier. If you don’t have kitchen shears, I recommend using a plastic cutting board that can go into the dishwasher for sanitizing.

How to serve healthy pesto chicken

• In a wrap, in a pita or on a roll or sandwich with lettuce, tomatoes and red onion. You can add some mozzarella cheese or goat cheese if you are not dairy free (melt it in the oven for a real treat).
• With rice, pasta, orzo or quinoa along with your favorite veggies like air fryer frozen asparagus or air fryer zucchini.
• Alongside of bruschetta or blistered tomatoes and crusty bread for a simple light meal.
• In salad with creamy balsamic or basil vinaigrette.
• With garlic rosemary potatoes and sundried tomato broccoli.
• In pasta salad

Common questions

What is the best pesto for this recipe

Pesto makes the recipe. It’s bright, flavorful and full of fresh herby flavor. Some of my favorite homemade pesto recipes include:

• Spinach Walnut Pesto – walnuts add a unique flavor to this pesto, and the spinach adds an extra veggie to the dish.
• Pesto with Sunflower Seeds – the toasted sunflower seeds add such a nutty flavor to the pesto. The sunflower seeds are much more budget friendly than pine nuts.
• Tahini pesto – tahini pesto is nut free and uses tahini which is rich and creamy and makes a really delicious pesto.
• Pea pesto – pea pesto is slightly sweet from the peas and a great pesto to use in the spring and summer. 
• White bean pesto – thick and creamy, this white bean pesto is great as a dip too!
• Cashew Arugula Pesto – the cashews help to make the pesto creamy (and replace the pine nuts). Arugula adds a peppery kick.
• Red Pepper pesto – roasted red pepper and basil combine to make the perfect slightly sweet herby pesto that would be great with chicken.

What is the best dairy free store bought pesto

There are some good store-bought pesto brands that you can find, however some can be a little more pricey. I really love the cashew arugula pesto from Trader Joe’s. It’s flavorful and budget friendly.

Some other great brands are Seggiano Brand, Compagnia Sanremo or ROI Pesto. These are a little more expensive but are good options.

Can you double this pesto chicken bites recipe

Yes, you can easily double the pesto chicken bites recipe but it may take longer to cook because the skillet will be crowded. Be sure to use a large skillet and a large burner on the stove.

Storing leftovers

Fridge – store leftover skillet pesto chicken in the fridge in an airtight container for 3-4 days.

Substitutions

• Chicken – you could also use boneless, skinless turkey breast or even white beans or chickpeas in place of the chicken.
• Pesto – you could also use sauces like chimichurri, roasted red pepper sauce or creamy cilantro lime sauce in place of the pesto.

If you love this recipe, you should try

• Italian Skillet Chicken Cubes
• Taco Chicken Bites
• Ranch Chicken Bites
• Asian Chicken Cubes