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This pesto chicken bake is packed with creamy, herby flavor and a whopping 49 grams of protein per serving. With tender chicken breasts smothered in pesto, cream cheese, and bubbling mozzarella, it's the kind of easy dinner recipe that hits all the right notes on a busy weeknight.
Why You'll Love This Recipe
There's something magical about the way pesto transforms a dish-it adds brightness, richness, and that unmistakable basil flavor in every bite. This cheesy pesto chicken recipe layers it all on top of juicy, skinless chicken breasts, then bakes until the cheese is melted and golden.
It's quick to prep, low on cleanup, and incredibly versatile-even easy to make dairy-free. Pair it with your favorite pasta and a big green salad, and you've got a perfect weeknight meal. This one's become a go-to in our rotation for good reason-it's that easy meal you'll actually look forward to eating again.
If you love this, be sure to check out my Skillet Pesto Meatball & Gnocchi Bake or Creamy Boursin Chicken Bake for more pesto-inspired comfort food.
Ingredients You'll Need
Just a handful of simple ingredients and one baking dish, and you've got a delicious dinner the whole family will love.
- Chicken breasts: Small to medium, about 2.5 lbs total. You can also use chicken thighs if you prefer a juicier cut.
- Olive oil spray: Helps keep the chicken moist while baking.
- Seasonings: Just salt, pepper, and garlic powder to enhance the savory flavors.
- Cream cheese: Adds body and richness to the pesto topping-feel free to sub with a dairy-free version.
- Jarred pesto: Grab a high-quality store-bought pesto from your local grocery store, or use your own homemade pesto if you have it.
- Grated parmesan + shredded mozzarella: For that gooey, cheesy top layer.
Dairy-Free Option:
This keeps the dish rich and creamy without the dairy.
- Use a plant-based cream cheese (like Kite Hill or Violife).
- Swap in dairy-free shredded mozzarella.
- Use a store-bought pesto labeled dairy-free, or make your own using basil, olive oil, lemon, garlic, and nutritional yeast.
Optional Swap:
- Stir in a tablespoon of heavy cream for an even silkier pesto mixture.
How to Make This Pesto Chicken Bake
Step 1: Preheat your oven to 375°F and coat a 9×13-inch baking dish with olive oil spray. Arrange the skinless chicken breasts in a single layer in the dish. Season with salt, pepper, and garlic powder.
Step 2: In a bowl, stir together the cream cheese and pesto until smooth.
Step 3: Spread evenly over the chicken.
Step 4: Sprinkle the top with Parmesan cheese and mozzarella cheese. Cover the dish with foil and bake in your preheated oven for 30 minutes.
Step 5: Remove the foil and bake for another 15 minutes, or until the chicken reaches an internal temperature of 165°F. Use a meat thermometer to check for doneness. Let rest for 5 minutes before serving.
This is one of the easiest chicken recipes to pull off on a weeknight-and it tastes like you spent way more time on it.
Storage + Reheating Tips
Let the leftovers cool completely, then store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3-4 days. Reheat in the oven at 350°F or microwave until warmed through.
Make it ahead tip: Assemble everything in the baking dish earlier in the day, cover, and refrigerate. Bake when ready to serve.
Can I freeze pesto chicken bake?
While this dish is best enjoyed fresh, you can freeze it after baking. Let it cool completely, then transfer to an airtight container or wrap individual portions in foil and freeze for up to 2 months. To reheat, thaw in the fridge overnight and bake at 350°F until warmed through.
Recipe FAQs
Absolutely. Boneless, skinless chicken thighs bake up beautifully in this recipe and stay extra moist under the cheesy pesto layer.
Yes! This is a great way to use up your homemade basil pesto. Just keep it thick enough to mix with cream cheese for spreading.
It's great over gluten-free penne, zucchini noodles, or rice. On the lighter side, try a big green salad or roasted veggies for balance. See my Sheet Pan Pesto Salmon for more pairing inspo.
Check with a meat thermometer-the thickest part should read 165 degrees F for safe, juicy chicken.
Yes. You can prep the dish and refrigerate it covered until ready to bake, or freeze baked leftovers and store them for another night.
This pesto chicken bake is easy, cheesy, gluten-free, and packed with protein. If you give it a try, let me know how it turned out in the comments-and tag me on Instagram so I can see your spin!
Want more easy dinners? Try my Spinach Artichoke Chicken Casserole next!
More Easy Dinner Recipes
Pesto Chicken Bake (Easy, Cheesy, High-Protein Dinner)
Equipment
Ingredients
- 6 chicken breasts , small to medium sized. I used 2.5 lbs chicken total
- Olive oil spray
- ½ tsp salt
- ½ tsp pepper
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 8 oz cream cheese
- ½ cup jarred pesto
- ¼ cup grated parmesan cheese
- 1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375. Spray a 9 x 13 inch baking dish with cooking oil.
- Lay the chicken breasts in a single layer. Sprinkle generously with salt, pepper, and garlic powder.
- In a bowl, mix the cream cheese and pesto together.
- Use a spoon to spread the mixture over top of the chicken breasts so they're mostly covered.
- Sprinkle evenly with the Parmesan cheese and the mozzarella.
- Cover with foil and bake for 30 mins. Remove the foil and continue baking for 15 mins or until the chicken reaches 165 degrees and the cheese is browned and bubbling.
- Serve with Jovial Foods gluten free penne pasta and steamed broccoli or pasta and veggie of choice, and enjoy!
Notes
Nutrition
All nutrition facts are an estimate and automatically calculated. While I fact check them using My Fitness Pal, please note that they may not always be 100% accurate and depend on ingredients used. Weigh your total and divide by the number of servings for the most accurate grams per serving size.
Oh, my goodness!! So delicious!!! And so easy to “throw” together for a great meal! We eat low carb, so I steamed broccoli and pored the sauce over the broccoli and served. We all LOVED IT!! Thanks once again, Mary!
Another winner! So easy, so delicious!
This was so delicious! Super easy. My chicken came out juicy and flavorful! I used Trader Joe’s vegan pesto even though I’m not vegan and added extra cheese. Definitely a keeper. Thank you for sharing, I’ll have to check out some of your other recipes!
Easy to make and very tasty! You can pair it with so many different sides!
Very easy to make, and delicious! I made it dairy free with substitutes suggested.
Easy and good!
Once again, Mary has provided a delicious recipe that is quick to put together and so flavorful. Served this to company, and they were reaching for seconds and thirds!
My family loved this!
Delish!! Such an easy dinner, made it with penne and a salad on the side. Added a little chicken broth to the dish — which probably didn’t need but was afraid of it drying out and it received RAVE reviews for being moist! Will def try with tomatoes next time too.
This was so easy and delicious!! I had some grape tomatoes I needed to use, so I threw those in the pan too. I will definitely make this again!