Description
This Pesto Baked Chicken with Tomatoes is a flavorful and easy-to-make dinner featuring tender chicken breasts marinated in pesto and balsamic vinegar, baked alongside a vibrant mix of cherry tomatoes, shallots, and mozzarella cheese. The dish is garnished with fresh basil, delivering a perfect balance of savory, tangy, and fresh flavors in just under an hour.
Ingredients
Scale
Pesto Chicken
- 1 1/2 pounds chicken breasts
- 1 tablespoon pesto
- 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
- 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 3/4 teaspoon kosher salt
- freshly ground black pepper to taste
Tomatoes
- 2 cups cherry tomatoes
- 1/4 cup finely sliced shallots
- 1/3 cup pesto
- 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
- 2 cloves garlic, grated or minced
- 1 tablespoon maple syrup
- 1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
- Chopped fresh basil for garnish
Instructions
- Marinate Chicken: Combine the pesto, balsamic vinegar, garlic powder, Italian seasoning, kosher salt, and black pepper in a freezer bag. Add the chicken breasts, press out the air, and seal the bag. Massage the marinade into the chicken breasts and let them marinate for 30 to 60 minutes.
- Preheat Oven and Prepare Tomato Mixture: While the chicken is marinating, preheat the oven to 425° F. Halve some of the cherry tomatoes, leaving some whole if desired. In a bowl, combine the tomatoes, finely sliced shallots, pesto, balsamic vinegar, maple syrup, and grated or minced garlic.
- Arrange Ingredients in Skillet: Place the marinated chicken breasts in the middle of a 12-inch oven-safe skillet. Scatter the tomato mixture evenly around the chicken.
- Bake the Chicken: Bake in the preheated oven for 18 to 24 minutes, or until the chicken is cooked through and reaches an internal temperature of 165° F.
- Add Cheese and Finish Baking: During the last 2 to 3 minutes of baking, sprinkle the shredded mozzarella cheese on top of the chicken. Continue baking until the cheese is melted and bubbly.
- Garnish and Serve: Remove the skillet from the oven. Garnish the dish with chopped fresh basil before serving.
Notes
- For best flavor, marinate the chicken for at least 30 minutes but up to 1 hour before baking.
- You can substitute mozzarella with other melting cheeses like provolone or fontina if preferred.
- If you don’t have an oven-safe skillet, transfer the chicken and tomato mixture to a baking dish before baking.
- Fresh basil can be substituted with fresh parsley if basil is not available.
- To reduce sodium, adjust the amount of kosher salt added to the marinade.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 serving
- Calories: 420 kcal
- Sugar: 7 g
- Sodium: 550 mg
- Fat: 20 g
- Saturated Fat: 7 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 12 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 12 g
- Fiber: 2 g
- Protein: 39 g
- Cholesterol: 110 mg
