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This quick and easy healthy one-pan Pesto Chicken and Veggies recipe is not only delicious, but it’s also keto-friendly, low-carb, and gluten-free! It’s perfectly cooked juicy chicken breast that is sautéed together with tender green beans, fresh cherry tomatoes, and herby basil pesto sauce!
Easy Pesto Chicken And Veggies Recipe
If you’re looking for a tasty chicken dish that is easy to make and healthy too, look no further! This one ticks all the boxes! Very similar in some ways to my Italian Sheet Pan Dinner in that this recipe too only requires one pan. However, the cooking process and flavor profile are a tad bit different.
With just 8 simple ingredients this pesto chicken and veggies recipe is going to show you how you don’t always need a long list of ingredients to create a lot of flavor. In this case, I use the juices from the chicken to saute the green beans and basil pesto sauce to add herby Italian flavor. This means that the recipe requires fewer ingredients and less work. It’s then garnished with a bit of parmesan cheese for one last layer of flavor and it’s unbelievably yummy.
The dish itself is a complete meal. However, it can also easily be paired with almost any side dish like my Instant Pot Rice or my Cauliflower Rice if you are watching carbs. And if you aren’t worried about calories, it’s wonderful with my Pasta Alfredo.
Why You’ll Love this Pesto Chicken And Veggies
- One Pan Recipe! With very little prep and almost no cleanup, this is a simple 30-minute meal that is so easy peasy that it only requires 8 ingredients and one pan.
- Healthy Chicken Dish! This yummy recipe is easy on your waistline! It’s made with fresh veggies and chicken breasts, which means it’s gluten-free and low-carb.
- Family Favorite! Who doesn’t love sautéed veggies and chicken topped with a sprinkle of parmesan!?! The adults and kids will both be excited about this dinner.
Ingredients You’ll Need
- Chicken – You will need boneless skinless chicken breasts. You can also use chicken boneless skinless chicken thighs if you prefer.
- Salt – No chicken recipe is complete without a touch of salt for seasoning.
- Black Pepper – Use fresh ground black pepper if you have it on hand.
- Olive Oil – Ideally, you want to use Italian extra virgin olive oil for the most flavor. But vegetable oil will also work.
- Green Beans – Use fresh green beans. Frozen will work, but be limp.
- Cherry Tomatoes – You can also use grape tomatoes or Roma tomatoes cut into chunks.
- Basil Pesto – You need about half a cup of your favorite store-bought basil pesto. You can also use homemade if you prefer.
- Parmesan Cheese – Used to finish the dish, it adds a lovely salty cheese component to the dish. Better quality Parmesan like Reggiano will elevate the taste even more.
With very little prep involved, this healthy one-pan chicken recipe is an ideal quick and easy weeknight meal! Just follow these easy steps and you’ll have dinner on the table in just 30 minutes!
Cook The Chicken
To begin, the breasts need to be patted dry with paper towels to remove any excess moisture. Then generously sprinkle them with salt and pepper to season. Now, heat the olive oil over medium-high heat in a large skillet. Next, lay the chicken breasts in the pan in a single layer and cook them for about 5 to 7 minutes without flipping them over. Then once the chicken has browned on one side, flip all the breasts over and cook them for another 5 to 7 minutes or until cooked through. Finally, when the chicken is done cooking, transfer the breasts to a cutting board and set them aside for now.
Cook The Green Beans
To cook the beans, you will use the same skillet that you just used to cook the chicken. So it’s important to leave all the juices and oil in the pan. It’s a fairly simple process. All you need to do is add the trimmed green beans to the hot skillet once the chicken has been removed. Then saute them for about 10 to 15 minutes while moving them around the pan often. You want them to be cooked until tender but still crisp. Once the green beans are cooked, slice the chicken breasts into strips.
Finish The Dish
Transfer the chicken back to the skillet with the beans. Now, add the tomato halves and pesto and stir to coat everything with the pesto. Yet, when doing this step try not to smush the tomatoes.
Garnish And Serve
With the pesto chicken and veggies done, it’s time to serve! The dish is best served immediately after being topped with some freshly grated parmesan cheese.
Can I Use Other Veggies?
Yes, of course! You could use broccoli, zucchini, or asparagus in place of the green beans. Any vegetable or mixture of vegetables will work. Just keep in mind that different vegetables have different cooking times. You also want to keep the amounts of ingredients about the same when you make changes to any recipe.
Can I Bake The Chicken?
Ideally, you want to use a skillet to make this dish as instructed in the recipe. However, there are a few possible ways to use the oven. You could first bake the chicken like I do in my Baked Chicken recipe and then just do the veggies in the skillet on the stove. However, in this case, you would just follow the process of how to cook the chicken, yet only season it with olive oil, salt, and pepper.
Or, you could do the entire dish on a baking sheet like I make my Italian Sheet Pan Dinner, but you’d want to add the pesto after it was cooked. Pesto dries out when baked.
Expert Tips
- Pat the chicken dry. To get a good sear on the chicken breasts make sure to pat them dry with paper towels to remove any excess moisture before seasoning them with salt and pepper.
- Don’t overcook the veggies. Depending upon their size, green beans vary in how long they take to cook. So to ensure that they get tender but stay crisp, don’t walk away from the pan for too long without moving them around.
- Temp the chicken. For food safety, make sure that your chicken is fully cooked and has reached at least 165°F (75°C) before serving. I always use my easy to read digital cooking thermometer.
Storage
Leftovers will keep in the fridge for up to 5 days or in the freezer for up to 3 months in an airtight container. To reheat, put them in the microwave for a few minutes on medium power or reheat them in the oven at 350°F (177°C) for about 10 minutes. However, if the leftovers have been frozen, it’s best to let them thaw out in the fridge overnight before reheating.
Other Delicious One Pot Recipes You’ll Love
- Mushroom Cauliflower Skillet
- Creamy Chicken Gnocchi
- Chicken Stir Fry
- Creamy Tuscan Chicken Pasta
- Meatballs With Mushrooms Gravy
Pesto Chicken And Veggies
Equipment
Ingredients
- 3 medium chicken breasts boneless and skinless
- salt and pepper to taste
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 pound green beans ends trimmed
- 2 cups cherry tomatoes halevd
- ½ cup basil pesto
- ¼ cup Parmesan cheese grated
Instructions
- Generously season the chicken breasts with salt and pepper.
- Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the chicken breasts and cook for 5 to 7 minutes without moving them or turning them over. Flip the chicken breasts over and cook for another 5 to7 minutes or until cooked through. Transfer the chicken breasts to a cutting board. Set aside.
- Add the green beans and cook until crisp tender, should take 10 to 15 minutes.
- Cut the chicken breasts into strips and return to the pan. Add the tomato halves and the pesto to the skillet and stir until everything is fully coated in pesto.
- Serve immediately sprinkled with freshly grated Parmesan cheese.
Tips & Notes:
- Pat the chicken dry. To get a good sear on the chicken breasts make sure to pat them dry with paper towels to remove any excess moisture before seasoning them with salt and pepper.
- Don’t overcook the veggies. Depending upon their size, green beans vary in how long they take to cook. So to ensure that they get tender but stay crisp, don’t walk away from the pan for too long without moving them around.
- Temp the chicken. For food safety, make sure that your chicken is fully cooked and has reached at least 165°F (75°C) before serving. I always use my easy to read digital cooking thermometer.
- Leftovers will keep in the fridge for up to 5 days or in the freezer for up to 3 months in an airtight container. To reheat, put them in the microwave for a few minutes on medium power or reheat them in the oven at 350°F (177°C) for about 10 minutes. However, if the leftovers have been frozen, it’s best to let them thaw out in the fridge overnight before reheating.
