Creamy Pesto Chicken
Creamy pesto chicken with seared chicken cutlets in a light Greek yogurt pesto sauce with tomatoes and spinach.
Servings: 4 servings
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 lbs chicken breasts boneless, skinless, about 2 large
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp black pepper
- 1/2 tsp garlic powder
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1 cup cherry tomatoes halved
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 1/2 cup low-sodium chicken broth
- 1/2 cup whole-milk Greek yogurt room temperature
- 1/3 cup basil pesto
- 2 cups fresh baby spinach
- 1/4 cup grated parmesan
- fresh basil for garnish
Instructions
- Prep the chicken: Slice each chicken breast in half horizontally to make thinner cutlets. Pat dry and season both sides with the salt, pepper, and garlic powder.
- Sear the chicken: Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Cook the chicken for 4-5 minutes per side, until golden and cooked through to 165°F in the center. Transfer to a plate.
- Blister the tomatoes: Add the cherry tomatoes to the same skillet and cook for 2-3 minutes until they start to burst and soften. Stir in the garlic and cook for 30 seconds.
- Deglaze: Pour in the chicken broth, scraping up any browned bits from the bottom of the pan, and let it simmer for a minute.
- Make the sauce: Reduce the heat to low. Stir in the Greek yogurt, pesto, and parmesan until smooth and glossy, keeping the heat gentle so the yogurt doesn't split.
- Wilt the spinach: Add the spinach and stir until just wilted, about 1 minute.
- Finish: Return the chicken and any juices to the skillet, spooning the sauce over the top to warm it through. Garnish with fresh basil and serve.
Notes
Cook the chicken to an internal temperature of 165°F. Stir the Greek yogurt and pesto in over low heat, off the boil, so the yogurt stays smooth instead of splitting; room-temperature yogurt blends in most smoothly.