Easy Baked Pesto Chicken | The Recipe Critic

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By Alex

• Aug 03, 2026 • 0 Comments •

4.9

Easy Baked Pesto Chicken | The Recipe Critic

Prep Time

15 mins

Cook Time

30 mins

Total Time

45 mins

Servings

4 People

Pesto Chicken is a healthy baked dish that is loaded with flavor. The pesto sauce is made with fresh basil, spinach, garlic, walnuts and Parmesan cheese that gets added right on top of the tender chicken to make each bite irresistible!

Pesto Chicken

Hi there! It’s Jessica Gavin, Certified Culinary Scientist and I’m excited to share with you this quick and easy baked pesto chicken recipe that’s a breeze to whip up. Lean protein cooked in the oven while a fresh and flavorful pesto sauce is made to add on top. You’re not going to want to miss my critical tips for maximizing the flavor of the pesto. This meal takes only 30 minutes to make, for a healthy dish any day of the week!

When you’re looking to add a little excitement and variety to the weekly chicken dinner routine, a quick pesto sauce made with fresh herbs is your answer. Skip the store-bought jarred stuff that lacks flavor, because you can quickly make it right at home in just 10 minutes.

A classic pesto sauce has basil leaves, extra-virgin olive oil, garlic, Parmesan cheese, and nuts. To make the ingredients pop with their unique flavor attributes, there are some essential preparation steps before adding to a food processor or blender.

Basil has an extraordinary anise taste, which gets locked in its leaves until picked. Lightly bruising them before processing brings out the aromas of the herb, making the pesto more fragrant.

As you may have experienced, raw garlic can have a sharp bite and bitterness, which doesn’t get any less noticeable once minced. To tame the garlic flavor and coax out the natural sweetness, give whole garlic cloves a toast on a sheet pan. It tastes like roasted garlic, adding depth to the pesto.

Walnuts not only add creaminess and texture to the pesto, but also toasting enhances the oils delicate nutty smell. Doing these three things before processing the pesto turns up the flavor level, for a more bold and balanced sauce.

One of my go-to methods for making lean chicken breasts that stays tender and juicy is baking them in a high heat oven for a relatively short period. Merely drizzling the chicken with a little bit of olive oil and season with salt and pepper adds just enough flavor without overpowering the pesto sauce. The even flow and distribution of heat in the oven keep the chicken from becoming dried out, as long as you keep a close eye on doneness. I like to have an instant-read thermometer handy to check.

Each piece of chicken gets generously coated with some of the basil and spinach pesto, and topped with freshly chopped tomatoes, Parmesan cheese, and walnuts.

This baked chicken pesto recipe is a satisfying and healthy dish, that can be served alongside pasta, zucchini noodles or crispy roasted potatoes. The recipe makes a generous amount of basil pesto sauce that can be saved and added to others meals for an extra bump of flavor!

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Spicy Paprika & Lime Chicken Tenderloins

These Spicy Paprika and Lime Grilled Chicken Tenderloins are a great addition to your BBQ repertoire. Take your taste buds to the Caribbean, Mexico or Spain on a little holiday! Can be cooked outdoors or on a stove. Paleo, Whole30, Keto, gluten-free.

Paprika & Lime Grilled Chicken Tenderloins

Whether you’re heating up the BBQ on a warm summer’s day or you need to give your skillet a bit of a workout, this is a fabulous chicken recipe that I know you will love.

My paprika lime chicken tenderloins are tender and juicy. The spices and citrus used in the marinade will take your taste buds on a little holiday to the Caribbean, Mexico or Spain – your pick!

I used chicken tenderloins because I find the meat more tender than the rest of the chicken breast and it’s easier to work with than the chicken thighs. You can use any chicken meat you like, just adjust the cooking time depending on the size of the pieces. This marinade will also work well with turkey, pork, quail, prawns and even beef.

What Are Chicken Tenderloins?

Still confused about what chicken tenderloins are? They are short, thin cuts taken from beneath the breast of the bird. You might find that some grocers will sell thinner slices of breast meat and call it chicken tenderloins or tender. They tend to be softer than chicken breast when cooked BUT should not be overcooked, they don’t need as long as the chicken breast.

Nutritionally speaking, they are the same as chicken breast meat – high in protein, minerals, low in calories and fat.

Make-Ahead Tip For Paprika Lime Chicken

The chicken tenderloins can be marinated ahead of time for an even more robust flavour; keep uncooked in the fridge for maximum of 3 days and freeze for up to 2 months and simply defrost overnight in the fridge before you want to use it.

More Delicious Chicken Recipes:

Description

Grilled paprika and lime grilled chicken tenderloins are great with any side dish and can be used in salads, tacos, and wraps. Can be cooked outdoors or on a stove.

Mix the marinade ingredients in a large bowl. Rinse the chicken and cut larger pieces in half.
Using your hands, rub the chicken with the marinade. Leave in the bowl, wrap with cling wrap and set aside in the fridge for at least one hour before grilling.
If using a grill plate or a skillet on your stove, heat one teaspoon of coconut oil until sizzling hot. Fry the chicken pieces for 4 minutes on each side and then remove to a plate to rest. Make sure not to overcrowd the frying pan or you will end up with too much meat juice and stewed rather than grilled chicken.
If using a BBQ, heat the plate to sizzling hot and either spray with olive oil or brush with coconut oil. Place chicken pieces on the plate with a little space in between and cook for 4 minutes on each side on medium/high heat with the lid on.
Remove cooked chicken to a serving plate and drizzle with lime juice before serving.