Easy Pesto Marinated Chicken Thighs

This pesto chicken recipe uses store-bought pesto to turn boring boneless skinless chicken thighs into the perfect weeknight meal. These can be cooked in the air fryer or in a hot skillet. With only 2 main ingredients, you will be making this simple recipe on repeat.

Easy Pesto Chicken Recipe

What better way to make an easy meal than to work smarter and not harder. Yes, you could make your own homemade basil pesto, but I am a huge fan of shortcuts, especially on busy weeknights, so I love the idea of using store-bought basil pesto as a quick chicken marinade.

The jarred pesto from the grocery store has all of the good stuff just like homemade pesto and is so flavorful: olive oil, parmesan cheese, pine nuts, and basil. Now if you have your own fresh basil plants, please make your own fresh basil pesto! All it takes is a quick chop in the food processor. I might try that next time.

What I love about pesto is that it is naturally low carb friendly at only 1 total carb per tablespoon. Served with some quick low carb side dishes like Green Beans with Crispy Bacon, Keto Mashed Potatoes, cauliflower rice, or as the protein for your favorite salad makes this a complete meal for the whole family.

How to make pesto marinated chicken thighs

The best way to get optimum flavor in your chicken is to apply a marinade. Basil pesto has so much flavor, it can impart it's flavor into the chicken in as little as an hour. You can also marinate this easy recipe overnight, or freeze this to make a quick freezer meal.

Cooking methods

In the recipe card below I provide instructions for air frying and pan frying this easy chicken pesto recipe. I personally prefer air frying because it does not spatter all over my stovetop. I am not a fan of baking as the chicken does not get very brown unless you put it under the broiler.

Easy Pesto Marinated Chicken Recipe

This pesto chicken recipe uses store-bought pesto to turn boring boneless skinless chicken thighs into the perfect weeknight meal. These can be cooked in the air fryer or in a hot skillet.

5 from 1 vote

Course: dinner

Cuisine: American

Prep Time: 5 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 20 minutes minutes

Marinating: 1 hour hour

Total Time: 1 hour hour 25 minutes minutes

Servings: 4

Calories: 240

Author: Jennifer Banz

This post may contain affiliate links

Ingredients

US CustomaryMetric

• 4 boneless skinless chicken thighs
• 4 ounces Basil pesto
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• ½ teaspoon kosher salt
• ¼ teaspoon black pepper

Equipment

• Meat Thermometer (Click here for the one I like best on Amazon

Instructions

• Combine all of the ingredients in a gallon sized zip-top bag and seal well. Move the outside of the bag around with your hands to mix the ingredients together and make sure the chicken thighs are evenly coated with the marinade. Alternatively you can add the ingredients to a large bowl, mix well with tongs, and cover with a lid or plastic wrap. Let marinate in the refrigerator for 1 hour and up to overnight.

Air Fryer

• Remove the chicken from the container and add to the air fryer in a single layer. Cook for 20 minutes at 400F (200C), or until a meat thermometer probe inserted halfway through the thickest portion of chicken reads an internal temperature of 165F (74C). The cooking time will vary depending on the size of each piece of chicken.

Skillet

• Heat a large skillet over medium high heat. Since the basil pesto has oil, there should be no oil needed to cook the chicken, but you can add a little to the pan if you like. Add the chicken to the pan in a single layer and sear the chicken for a few minutes on both sides, until golden brown. Reduce the heat to medium. Continue to cook the chicken, flipping periodically so it doesn't burn on either side, until a meat thermometer probe inserted halfway through the thickest portion of chicken reads an internal temperature of 165F (74C).

Notes

1. Boneless Chicken Breast: this recipe can be made with boneless, skinless chicken breasts as well.  You will want to use 2 chicken breasts that have been cut in half lengthwise to make 4 chicken breast cutlets.  I go into detail on how to do this in my recipe for Chicken Mozzarella
2. Fresh tomatoes: for a quick addition of vegetables, toss in a package of cherry tomatoes a few minutes before the cook time is up and they will wilt and burst and add a nice sweetness to the dish.
3. Storage: store the leftover chicken in the refrigerator in an airtight container for up to 4 days.

Servings: 4

Nutrition per serving

Calories: 240 | Carbohydrates: 1g | Protein: 25g | Fat: 15.5g | Fiber: 0g

Nutrition is provided as a courtesy only. Please re-calculate on your own with the ingredients and amounts you used for the most accurate data.

Keyword :recipe for pesto chicken