Creamy Sun Dried Tomato Pesto Chicken

Creamy sun dried tomato pesto chicken is a crowd-pleasing main dish, ready in 30 minutes or less. My whole family asked for seconds, and I bet yours will too!

Sometimes you just need an easy win for dinner, right friend? Something that all the big people and little people around the table will gobble up with a smile. Enter this amazing creamy sun dried tomato pesto chicken recipe.

I have a couple of picky eaters in my house, but nobody complains when this dish hits the table. After a few tentative bites I heard a “this is REALLY good Mom!” and “Can we have this again next week?” An easy one pan chicken dish with only a handful of ingredients that my whole family loves? Forget next week. This is now on the menu every week.

A close up of chicken breasts in a creamy sun dried tomato pesto sauce with spinach, garnished with pine nuts.

Ingredients

Ingredients for sun dried tomato pesto chicken on a marble background.

Gather up extra virgin olive oil, boneless skinless chicken breasts, a small onion, garlic clove, sundried tomato pesto, heavy cream, fresh baby spinach, and salt and pepper. As always, exact amounts are in the recipe card below.

Notes

You can use store-bought pesto for this recipe, or homemade. I love this homemade sun dried tomato pesto sauce. It is quick to whip up with a food processor or high speed blender, and freezes beautifully.

Substitutions

This recipe is also delicious with a traditional basil pesto sauce. It has a completely different flavor, but is equally easy and crowd-pleasing. Check out my favorite homemade basil pesto. You can never have too many pesto recipes!

Instructions

Step One: Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Pound the chicken breasts to an even thickness and season each side with salt and pepper. Sear the chicken for 2-3 minutes on each side until it has a nice golden brown color. Remove from the pan and set aside.

A grey skillet on a marble background. The skillet contains four chicken breasts browning in olive oil.

Step Two: Add the diced onion to the pan and sauté for a few minutes until fragrant and translucent. Add the minced garlic to the pan and sauté for one more minute. Be careful not to burn the garlic.

A grey skillet on a marble background. The skillet contains sautéed onions.

Step Three: Add the sun dried tomato pesto, cream and water to the pan, and bring the sauce to a light simmer.

A grey skillet on a marble background. The skillet contains a creamy sun dried tomato pesto sauce.

Step Four: Return the seared chicken breasts back to the pan, and let them simmer in the sauce until they are cooked through, approximately 10 minutes. Cooking time can vary depending on the size of your chicken breasts, so make sure to cook them to an internal temperature of 165 degrees. Stir the sauce occasionally and spoon it over the chicken breasts as they cook.

A grey skillet on a marble background. The skillet contains a creamy sun dried tomato pesto sauce with four chicken breasts in the sauce.
A grey skillet on a marble background. The skillet contains a creamy sun dried tomato pesto sauce with four chicken breasts in the sauce, with the sauce spooned over top of the chicken.

Step Five: Just before removing the sauce from the heat, add a few handfuls of fresh baby spinach leaves. The residual heat in the sauce will wilt the spinach to perfection. If you are using a heartier green (like kale), add it to the sauce a few minutes earlier to cook it through.

A grey skillet on a marble background. The skillet contains four chicken breasts in a creamy sun dried tomato sauce, with fresh baby spinach sprinkled over top.

Garnish with a few diced sun dried tomatoes, some fresh basil, grated Parmesan cheese or toasted pine nuts.

A skillet with four chicken breasts in a creamy sun dried tomato pesto sauce with spinach, garnished with pine nuts.

Serve This With

My kiddos love noodles, so we serve this with whole grain penne or spaghetti for a quick chicken pesto pasta dish. (Side note: Chicken pasta is a great leftover lunch option for work!) This is also great served up with some roasted vegetables or a tossed salad on the side for a delicious and balanced meal.

A skillet with four chicken breasts in a creamy sun dried tomato pesto sauce with spinach, garnished with pine nuts.

Creamy Sun Dried Tomato Pesto Chicken

Creamy sun dried tomato pesto chicken is a crowd-pleasing main dish, ready in 30 minutes or less. My whole family asked for seconds, and I bet yours will too!
5 from 3 votes
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Course Main Course
Cuisine American, Italian
Servings 4 servings
Calories 347 kcal

Ingredients
  

  • 1 pound skinless boneless chicken breasts
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 1 small onion diced
  • 1 clove garlic minced
  • 6 ounces sun dried tomato pesto 3/4 cup
  • 1/2 cup heavy cream
  • 1/2 cup water
  • 3 ounces baby spinach
  • Kosher salt and pepper to taste

Instructions
 

  • Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Pound the chicken breasts to an even thickness and season each side with salt and pepper. Sear the chicken for 2-3 minutes on each side until it has a nice golden brown color. Remove from the pan and set aside.
  • Add the diced onion to the pan and sauté for a few minutes until fragrant and translucent. Add the minced garlic to the pan and sauté for one more minute. Be careful not to burn the garlic.
  • Add the sun dried tomato pesto, cream and water to the pan, and bring the sauce to a light simmer.
  • Return the seared chicken breasts to the pan, and let them simmer in the sauce until cooked through, approximately 10 minutes. Cooking time can vary depending on the size of the chicken breasts, so make sure to cook them to an internal temperature of 165 degrees. Stir the sauce occasionally and spoon it over the chicken breasts as they cook.
  • Just before removing the sauce from the heat, add a few handfuls of fresh baby spinach leaves. The residual heat in the sauce will wilt the spinach to perfection.

Nutrition

Calories: 347kcalCarbohydrates: 11gProtein: 27gFat: 21gSaturated Fat: 9gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 6gTrans Fat: 0.01gCholesterol: 110mgSodium: 550mgPotassium: 610mgFiber: 2gSugar: 6gVitamin A: 2740IUVitamin C: 11mgCalcium: 96mgIron: 2mg
Keyword Pesto Chicken, Sun Dried Tomato, Sun Dried Tomato Pesto
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3 Comments

  1. 5 stars
    My husband made it one night…so good!! We added bow tie pasta…you know, to make it fancy 🤣

    Had a friend over one night….she doesn’t really cook but loves it so much she’s made it a few times and always talks about this dish 🤗

    1. Thank you so much for your comment Deb! I’m happy you and your friends love this dish. It’s one of our favorites! Keep it fancy with that bowtie pasta girl! 😍

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