This easy one-dish pesto chicken bake is your weeknight dinner hero! Ready in under an hour, a cinch to pull together, and flavor to spare you’ll want to add this recipe to your regular recipe rotation. Not only is it easy to make, with little clean up, it’s real-deal delicious too! 

Tender baked chicken is smothered in creamy, herbaceous, and peppery arugula pesto topped with sweet roasted tomatoes and ooey-gooey bubbly cheese. All together, this bite is bursting with fresh and satisfying flavors, and is a beautiful representation of the season’s produce. 

I have made this version nut-free, but if you would like to add pine nuts or walnuts to this recipe feel free. I would start with ⅓ cup and add more from there based on your preference. 

I like to serve this chicken bake over spaghetti squash for a complete and nutritious meal. The spaghetti squash soaks up all those wonderful pesto pan drippings and makes for a great sauce in and of itself too. If your chicken breasts are on the small side, feel free to skip the butterflying step, you may just have to bake the breasts a little bit longer to reach 165°F. Here’s to your new favorite warm weather meal! Enjoy!

Looking for other weeknight meal ideas? Check out my Sweet Orange Sesame Chicken, SCD Turkey Meatloaf with Easy Homemade Ketchup, Easy & Delicious Dairy-Free & SCD Indian Butter Chicken, or my Quick & Easy Sheet Tray Chicken Fajitas with Fresh Salsa

Quick & Easy One-Dish Nut-Free Arugula Pesto Chicken Bake

Serves 4
Prep: 20 min
Cooking: 35 min
Total 55 min
Beginner

Ingredients:

For the Pesto: 

4 cups baby arugula, packed

½ bunch of fresh parsley (about 1 cup)

½ cup basil, fresh 

½ cup Parmesan cheese, grated from block

2 cloves of garlic

1 oz. lemon juice, fresh (about 1 lemon)

½ tsp. salt

⅛ tsp. pepper

¼ cup olive oil, extra virgin 

For the Chicken: 

2 chicken breasts, butterflied & cut in half

½ tsp salt

¼ tsp pepper 

½ tsp basil, dried 

½ tsp oregano, dried 

6 cloves garlic, minced 

2 Tbsp. butter, melted 

2 Tbsp. white wine vinegar  

2 cups cherry tomatoes, halved  

½ cup provolone cheese, shredded from block

½ cup Parmesan cheese, grated form block  

A few fresh basil leaves, for garnish

  Method Of Prep:

1. Gather and prep ingredients.
2. Preheat the oven to 425°F.
3. Start by making your pesto. Add all pesto ingredients except the olive oil to a food processor or blender.
4. Pulse continuously and slowly drizzle in olive oil, until your pesto is smooth, set aside.
5. Butterfly (cut in half lengthwise) your chicken breasts.
6. Next, in a small bowl mix together salt, pepper, dried basil, oregano, and garlic.
7. Season the breasts on each side with the mixture, set aside.
8. Get a large baking dish and add half of the pesto on the bottom along with the melted butter and white wine vinegar. Whisk together to incorporate.
9. Add the seasoned chicken breasts on top of the pesto mixture. Spoon the rest of the pesto on top of the chicken breasts.
10. Next, add cherry tomatoes on top and around the chicken and pesto.
11. Bake for 20-25 minutes or until the chicken reaches 155°F.
12. Remove from the oven and add the mixture of ½ cup parmesan and ½ cup provolone shredded cheese to the top.
13. Turn your broiler on high. Place the chicken back in the oven for 5 minutes or until the cheese has melted and begins to brown and the internal temperature of the chicken reaches 165°F. Watch this process closely as it can go from brown to burnt quickly.
14. Remove from the oven and serve immediately over spaghetti squash or your favorite side. Spoon the pan drippings over the chicken and enjoy!

Nutrition Facts:
Calories- 453
Carbs- 9.2 g
Fat- 30.8 g
Protein- 32.3