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This creamy pesto chicken skillet is made with tender seared chicken breast, and smothered in a dairy-free homemade pesto sauce. Serve it with zucchini noodles for the ultimate meal.
It’s an easy, low carb, 30-minute weeknight dinner for all the pesto lovers out there! Paleo, Whole30, & Keto too!
This pesto chicken skillet is the ultimate flavor bomb. It’s so easy to make, in just ONE pan, and only takes 30 minutes to make! You can’t beat that.
It’s the perfect dish for summer as it’s light, creamy, and so flavorful! It’s filled with healthy fats, proteins, and hidden veggies (aka spinach in the dairy-free pesto!)
I like to use my homemade dairy-free pesto, but if you need to use the store bought pesto that’s cool too! Just make sure to buy a good quality pesto.
HOW TO MAKE CREAMY PESTO CHICKEN
Sear the chicken breast: rub the chicken breast with salt, pepper, and pesto. Sear the breast for 5-8 minutes on each side, or until they reach 165 degrees. You can also grill or air fry your chicken if you want!
Sauté the cherry tomatoes: in the same skillet, sauté the cherry tomatoes for 1-2 minutes.
Make the sauce: whisk together the coconut milk, arrowroot starch, pesto, and minced garlic. Add the sauce to the skillet and bring it to a simmer.
Spoon the creamy sauce over chicken: add the chicken back to the skillet and spoon the sauce over the chicken. Heat the chicken on low heat until chicken is warmed through.
WHAT TO SERVE WITH CREAMY PESTO CHICKEN
Serve creamy pesto chicken with zucchini noodles, roasted broccoli, asparagus, steamed green beans, sautéed mushrooms, a salad, or roasted potatoes. The options are endless!
Cooking the chicken: If you don’t want to pan fry your chicken, feel free to grill the chicken, or air fry the chicken and add it to the skillet once the sauce starts to simmer.
Storage: store this pesto chicken in an air tight container in the fridge for up to 4 days.
If you have leftover dairy-free pesto, it will last in the fridge for up to 7 days.
Substitute the chicken breast with chicken thighs. You will have to adjust the cooking times based on thickness of thighs, and whether they are bone-in, or boneless. Use a meat thermometer to check the internal temperature of the thighs. They are fully cooked when reached 165 degrees.
Coconut milk substitute: I don’t recommend substituting the coconut milk with almond milk, or any other plant based milk. I recommend using Thai Kitchen organic coconut milk that’s unsweetened or Thrive Market coconut milk.
Storage, Freezing, and Reheating Instructions
Storing: once the chicken is cooled, store it in an air-tight glass container in the fridge for up to 5 days.
Reheating: Reheat chicken in the microwave until it is warmed through, or in an oiled skillet on low-medium heat.
Freezing: Once the chicken is cooled, place it in an air-tight, freezer-safe, glass container. The chicken will stay good in the freezer for up to 1 month. Thaw it in the refrigerator the day-night before you plan to have it. Because it’s frozen in gravy the chicken is easy to reheat from its frozen form.
This creamy pesto chicken skillet is made with tender seared chicken breast, and smothered in a dairy-free homemade pesto sauce. Serve it with zucchini noodles for the ultimate meal. It’s an easy, low carb, 30 minute weeknight dinner for all pesto lovers! Paleo, Whole30, & Keto too!
Ingredients
Scale
For the chicken:
4 small-medium boneless skinless chicken breast, or 2 large halved
Season the chicken breast on both sides with salt and pepper, and rub chicken with pesto.
In a large size skillet, heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil over medium-high heat. Sear chicken breast for 5-8 minutes on each side, or until chicken reaches an internal temperature of 165 degrees Fahrenheit. Remove chicken breast from skillet and transfer to a plate.
In the same skillet, add olive oil and reduce the heat to low-medium temperature. Add the cherry tomatoes and sauté for 1-2 minutes.
In a small bowl, whisk together the coconut milk, arrowroot starch, pesto, and minced garlic. Add the sauce to the skillet and bring it to a simmer.
Reduce the heat to low. Add the chicken back to the skillet and spoon the creamy sauce over the chicken. Cook until the chicken is warmed and heated through. Serve hot.
Optional: Serve the pesto chicken with zucchini noodles. See how to make in the notes section below.
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Make zucchini noodles with a spiralizer. Some people choose to squeeze water out of their noodles, but I think the noodles turn out delicious without the extra time and effort of doing that. Heat a tablespoon of olive oil on medium-high heat. Add the zucchini noodles and sauté them for 3-4 minutes. Season the noodles with salt and pepper.
If you are going to use zucchini noodles, don’t add them into your dish until you are ready to serve it. The noodles may get mushy.
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