My three boys have been enjoying a Lego camp every afternoon this past week, and so I’ve had quiet time to myself to dream up some awesome recipes to share with you here! This Pesto Chicken Skillet could not be more perfect for summer. It has fresh cherry tomatoes that get all caramelized and roast-y in the oven, plus zucchini and basil too. If you have a garden, I’m jealous and I’m guessing you might have a few homegrown ingredients to use here!
Before I go on and on about how easy this one is, and how much we loved it, let me get your attention with that stretchy cheese shot. Fresh mozzarella pearls make for the loveliest of cheese strings you can twirl around your fork like a little kid with great delight.
A nice big cast iron skillet is the perfect vessel for all this summer goodness. First, the chicken and tomatoes are start out getting a little sear on the stovetop. Then the skillet is transferred to the oven to allow that chicken to cook through, and for the tomatoes to get all bubbly and sweet. These tomatoes really make this recipe a good one!
Take the skillet out of the oven for a minute to add the sliced zucchini and mozzarella, then a nice layer of panko bread crumbs. And if you have the urge to use mozzarella than the recipe calls for, don’t let me stop you. You do you, okay? Back in the oven it goes for another 15 minutes. By now your house smells amazing and everyone is asking, “Is dinner ready yet?!?”
And they are in luck, because indeed it is! Fresh, healthy, light, and bursting with flavor! Enjoy!
Pesto Chicken Skillet
This Pesto Chicken Skillet could not be more perfect for summer with caramelized cherry tomatoes, plus zucchini and basil too.
- Prep Time: 10 mins
- Cook Time: 35 mins
- Total Time: 45 mins
- Yield: 4 servings 1x
- Category: Main Dish
- Method: Bake
- Cuisine: Italian
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon oil (I used avocado oil)
- 1 tablespoon butter
- 1 1/2 pounds chicken tenderloins
- 1/4 cup prepared basil pesto
- salt and pepper
- 1 cup grape tomatoes, halved
- (additional oil, salt and pepper)
- 1 zucchini, halved and sliced
- 4 ounces fresh mozzarella pearls
- 1 cup panko bread crumbs
- 1/2 teaspoon italian seasoning blend
- 1 tablespoon butter
- salt and pepper
- fresh basil to garnish
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
- On the stovetop, heat a large (12-inch) oven safe skillet over medium high heat. Add oil and butter to the skillet.
- While the pan is heating, add the chicken to a large bowl, and toss with pesto. Season with salt and freshly ground pepper.
- When the pan is hot, place the chicken into the skillet in an even layer and cook 2-3 minutes, then turn the chicken tenderloins over. Toss halved tomatoes in a little oil, sprinkle with salt and pepper, and add them to the pan in between the chicken. Cook an additional 2-3 minutes.
- Transfer the skillet to the preheated oven and bake at 350 degrees for 15 minutes.
- In the meantime, add panko, melted butter, italian seasoning, plus a pinch of salt and pepper to a bowl and mix together. Set aside.
- Remove the skillet from the oven just to add in the zucchini slices, mozzarella pearls and top with the Panko mixture. Place the skillet back into the oven and bake for an additional 15 minutes, or until the top is golden and the zucchini is just tender.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 Serving
- Calories: 644
- Sugar: 3.9g
- Sodium: 818mg
- Fat: 31g
- Saturated Fat: 11g
- Unsaturated Fat: 17.6g
- Trans Fat: 0.3g
- Carbohydrates: 24g
- Fiber: 2.5g
- Protein: 64g
- Cholesterol: 182mg
Fast and full of seasonal produce – requirements for delicious summer food! And yes, you totally got me with that stringy cheesy shot – yum!
This skillet looks amazing. I would try it out for my family. Thanks for sharing it Julie.
Made this for dinner tonight-delicious! We’ll definitely be adding it to our rotation of recipes!
I’m a college student trying to eat healthier, and this was SO GOOD and SO EASY!! I’m going to be making this all the time!
This is so yummy! And so easy! I’ve never had chicken with pesto before, what a nice flavor! It was a little work at first with the cutting in the frying it up first. I was nervous that I would overcook the chicken because mostly my chicken ends up dry – But this chicken was perfect. It was tender and juicy and I loved the pesto flavor. Now I want to experiment with different vegetables but keep everything else the same maybe even try goat cheese or some different kind of cheese. Thank you so much for this wonderful recipe!!