Creamy Pesto Marry Me Chicken (Printable)
Tender chicken in a creamy pesto sauce with sun-dried tomatoes and Parmesan, ready in just 40 minutes.
# What You’ll Need:
→ Chicken
01 - 4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
→ Seasonings
02 - 1 tsp salt
03 - 1/2 tsp black pepper
04 - 1/2 tsp garlic powder
→ For Searing
05 - 2 tbsp olive oil
→ Sauce
06 - 2 cloves garlic, minced
07 - 1/2 cup sun-dried tomatoes, drained and chopped
08 - 1 cup heavy cream
09 - 1/2 cup chicken broth
10 - 1/3 cup basil pesto (store-bought or homemade)
11 - 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
→ Garnish
12 - Fresh basil leaves, torn
13 - Extra Parmesan cheese, for serving
# Directions:
01 - Pat the chicken breasts dry and season both sides evenly with salt, black pepper, and garlic powder.
02 - Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Sear the chicken breasts for 4–5 minutes per side until a golden crust forms. The chicken does not need to be fully cooked at this stage. Remove and set aside on a plate.
03 - In the same skillet, add the minced garlic and chopped sun-dried tomatoes. Sauté for 1–2 minutes until fragrant and the garlic is lightly softened.
04 - Reduce the heat to medium. Pour in the heavy cream and chicken broth, stirring well to deglaze the pan and lift any browned bits from the bottom.
05 - Stir in the basil pesto and grated Parmesan cheese, whisking until the sauce is smooth and evenly combined. Bring to a gentle simmer.
06 - Place the seared chicken breasts back into the skillet, spooning sauce over each piece to coat generously.
07 - Cover the skillet with a lid and reduce the heat to low. Simmer for 10–12 minutes, or until the chicken reaches an internal temperature of 165°F and the sauce has thickened to a rich consistency.
08 - Transfer the chicken to serving plates, spooning the creamy pesto sauce over each portion. Garnish with torn fresh basil leaves and an extra sprinkle of Parmesan cheese. Serve immediately.
# Expert Tips:
01 -
- The sauce is so velvety and rich that people will assume you spent hours reducing it on the stove.
- Sun dried tomatoes and pesto together create a flavor combo that tastes like summer in Italy even in the middle of January.
02 -
- Do not skip the sear or rush it because that golden crust is where half the flavor lives and the fond left behind seasons the entire sauce.
- The chicken does not need to be fully cooked when you remove it after searing because it finishes gently in the sauce and stays much juicier this way.
03 -
- Let the sauce simmer uncovered for the last two minutes if it looks too thin because a little reduction goes a long way without needing any thickeners.
- Grate your Parmesan directly into the warm sauce off the heat so it melts smoothly instead of clumping into strings.