Italian Chicken Skillet with Pesto
Italian chicken skillet with pesto is a one-skillet meal with chicken and veggies that are coated in pesto and topped with melty mozzarella cheese for a delicious dinner that’s ready in only 25 minutes!
Yield: 4 servings
Ingredients
- 1 ¼ teaspoons dried Italian seasoning
- 1 ¼ teaspoons kosher salt
- ¾ teaspoon black pepper
- 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided 1 ½ lbs. boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1-inch cubes
- 1 small onion, chopped
- 1 medium zucchini, halved and sliced into half moons
- 1 red bell pepper, cut into strips
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- ¼ cup pesto
- ½ cup shredded mozzarella cheese
- ¼ cup fresh basil, chopped, for serving
- ¼ cup grated Parmesan cheese, for serving (optional)
Instructions
- In a small bowl, combine the dried Italian seasoning, salt and pepper. Sprinkle half of the seasoning mix over the cubed chicken.
- Heat 1 tablespoons of the oil in a large skillet over medium high heat. Add the seasoned chicken and cook, stirring occasionally, until seared on all sides and nearly cooked through, about 5-6 minutes. Remove and keep warm.
- Add the remaining 1 tablespoon of oil to the skillet. Add the onion, zucchini and bell pepper and sauté for 6-7 minutes, until softened.
- Add the garlic and remaining seasoning mix and sauté for 1 more minute.
- Return the chicken to the pan, add the pesto and stir until everything is well combined and coated. Cook another 2-3 minutes, until the chicken is cooked through and the liquid is somewhat evaporated.
- Add the mozzarella cheese on top of the chicken and veggies, then cover the skillet, turn off the heat and let sit for 2-3 minutes, to melt the cheese.
- Serve with fresh basil and Parmesan cheese sprinkled on top.
Notes
Chicken: We’re using boneless, skinless chicken breasts and cutting them down into 1-inch pieces. This helps them cook more quickly and evenly.
Bell pepper: I love using a red bell pepper for color and sweetness, but you could swap it out for another other color bell pepper.
Pesto: Use a good quality pesto for this recipe. Try my homemade basil pesto for the best flavor.
Mozzarella cheese: I just use the shredded mozzarella I always have on hand, but you could definitely use some sliced fresh mozzarella if you prefer.
Parmesan cheese: This is optional, but I say use it if you’ve got it.
Serving ideas:
- Serve the chicken and veggies over some steamed brown or white rice.
- Choose cauliflower rice if you want to keep this dish low-carb.
- It would also be great over some polenta, pasta or quinoa.
- Or serve it as is and have some crusty bread to go along with it.
Video
Nutrition
Serving: 1serving | Calories: 509kcal | Carbohydrates: 9g | Protein: 60g | Fat: 25g | Saturated Fat: 6g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 16g | Cholesterol: 161mg | Sodium: 788mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 3g
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