This Pesto Chicken with Roasted Tomatoes & Spinach is proof that a creamy, restaurant-worthy dinner doesn’t need a long list of ingredients or a ton of dishes. Thinly sliced chicken gets seared until golden, then finished in a rich pesto cream sauce loaded with juicy blistered tomatoes and wilted spinach. It all comes together in one pan in under 30 minutes. Taste this dish and you’ll think somebody should be paying you for it. Put out those tip jars!

This is one of those dinners I come back to on repeat, especially on weeknights when I want something that’s a little different but doesn’t require anything special. The sauce does most of the work here, and it’s ridiculously good spooned over rice, pasta, or even just a big piece of crusty bread. If you’re into creamy chicken dinners, you’ll also want to try my Creamy Tuscan Chicken Pasta or Lemon Chicken Orzo.

😍 Why You’ll Love This Pesto Chicken

One pan, minimal cleanup: The chicken, tomatoes, and sauce all come together in the same skillet from start to finish.
Creamy without being heavy: The pesto and cream build a sauce that’s rich but still bright, thanks to all that pesto and those blistered tomatoes.
Ready in under 30 minutes: Perfect for a weeknight when you want something that’s different but doesn’t take all evening.
So versatile: Serve it over rice, pasta, mashed potatoes, or on its own with a piece of crusty bread to mop up the sauce.

🍅 Ingredients You’ll Need To Make This Pesto Chicken

Chicken breasts: butterflied and sliced thin so they cook quickly and stay tender in the sauce. Tenders work here too if that’s what you have on hand.
Olive oil: used to sear the chicken and then to cook down the garlic, shallot, and tomatoes, so use a good extra virgin one.
Garlic: minced and cooked down with the shallot and tomatoes.
Shallot: finely chopped for a softer, slightly sweeter flavour than regular onion would give.

Cherry tomatoes: halved and cooked until they blister and release their juices.
Spinach: roughly chopped with the stems removed, then folded in near the end so it wilts down without turning mushy.
Pesto: the star of the sauce, bringing basil, garlic, and Parmesan flavour into every bite.
Heavy cream: what turns the pesto and stock into a silky, restaurant-style sauce.
Chicken stock: thins the sauce out just enough and adds savoury depth. Use a lightly salted stock so you can control the seasoning yourself.

Salt: used to season the chicken and adjust the sauce to taste.
Pepper: balances the richness of the cream and pesto.
Garlic powder: adds another layer of garlic flavour straight onto the chicken itself.
Onion powder: rounds out the seasoning on the chicken alongside the garlic powder.
Red pepper flakes (optional): for a bit of heat that cuts through the cream. Leave these out if you’d rather keep it mild.

✔ How To Make Pesto Chicken with Roasted Tomatoes & Spinach

Begin by preparing the chicken into thinly sliced pieces. Set aside until ready to use.

Prepare your garlic, shallot, tomatoes and spinach. Set aside until ready to use.

Season chicken on both sides with salt, pepper, garlic powder and onion powder.

To a large frying pan, add 1 tbsp of olive oil and set to medium/high heat.

Fry the chicken breasts on each side for 1-2 minutes, just until they begin to brown.

Remove from the pan and set aside for a few minutes.

🤝 Sammy’s Tip for Pesto Chicken with Roasted Tomatoes & Spinach

• Don’t worry about fully cooking the chicken during this step as you will finish cooking them in a later step.
• Taste here to see if the sauce needs any additional seasioning.

Add your second tbsp of olive oil to the same pan along with the garlic, shallot, tomatoes and red pepper flakes. Cook on medium/high heat, until the tomatoes begin to brown and release some of their juices. About 5 minutes.

Add the spinach, pesto, heavy cream and chicken stock and stir to combine.

Let sauce simmer for 2 minutes before adding the chicken back to finish cooking.

Return chicken back to the pan and continue to simmer.

Spoon some of the sauce onto the chicken as it simmers, basting the chicken to allow it to finish cooking evenly.

Once the chicken is fully cooked (which should only take 2-3 minutes) and your sauce has slightly thickened, remove from heat.

Add your chicken, along with a generous spoon of sauce onto rice or pasta of choice.

🗒 Variations

Extra veggies: stir in a handful of mushrooms or roasted red peppers along with the tomatoes for even more depth.
Cheesy finish: grate some fresh Parmesan over the top right before serving for an extra hit of savoury flavour.
Lighter version: swap the heavy cream for half-and-half if you want to lighten things up slightly. The sauce won’t be quite as thick, but it’ll still be delicious.
Extra heat: double up on the red pepper flakes, or add a pinch of cayenne, if you like your pesto chicken with a real kick.

🗒 Substitutions

Chicken: boneless, skinless chicken thighs work well here too if that’s what you prefer, just adjust your cook time slightly since thighs can take a touch longer.
Pesto: store-bought works great, but homemade pesto takes this dish to another level if you have a few extra minutes.
Heavy cream: half-and-half or full-fat coconut milk both work as substitutes, though the sauce will be a bit thinner.
Spinach: baby kale or arugula can be folded in near the end in place of spinach for a slightly different texture and flavour.

🍴 Leftovers? Lucky you.

Leftovers keep well in an airtight container in the fridge for up to three days. To reheat, warm gently in a pan over medium-low heat with a splash of chicken stock or cream to loosen the sauce back up, stirring occasionally until heated through.

🤔 FAQ’s

👩‍🍳 Hungry For More?

If you loved this pesto chicken recipe, then make sure to check out a few of my other recipes you may also love:

• Tomato Orzo
• Creamy Boursin & Tomato Pasta
• Boursin Spinach and Sun-dried Tomato Orzo Bake
• Spicy Pasta Alla Vodka with Pesto
• Stuffed Tomatoes

💌 Let’s Stay Connected

Keep in touch with me on Instagram, TikTok, Facebook, and Pinterest! If you do make this Pesto Chicken recipe (or any recipe of mine) don’t forget to leave a review.