A scrumptious fusion of basil pesto, chicken, cheese and more, this Creamy Baked Pesto Chicken Thighs Recipe gets baked within 30 minutes and you could spend the rest licking your plates clean, ha!
Once the oil is hot, add chicken in the pan and season with salt and pepper.
Cook for 3-4 minutes on each side until chicken is nicely browned.
Remove the chicken from the pan on a plate.
Add butter in the same pan.
Add flour and cook until flour is slightly browned.
Now add milk and mix well to make a lump free sauce.
Cook until sauce thickens.
Add pesto in the sauce and mix well.
Adjust salt and pepper.
Transfer the chicken in the pan.
Add cherry tomatoes and bell pepper in the pan.
Bake the chicken for 15-20 minutes.
Take out the pan from the oven and sprinkle cheese on top.
Bump the oven temperature to 230 degrees C.
Bake the chicken for another 5-6 minutes until the cheese starts to brown.
Garnish with chopped parsley and basil leaves.
Serve hot with some bread or pasta.
Notes
Use the best quality and fresh Chicken Thighs. You can even use chicken breast but thighs are the most juiciest. I have used thighs with bone and skin on but you can choose to use boneless thighs as well.Make the pesto fresh. It makes a lot of difference.Use a pan which can be put on the stove, is oven safe and is presentable to serve the food in. You don't want to transfer this dish to other pan for serving. Cast iron pan or stoneware is my best bet.Be careful while making the white sauce. There should be no lumps in the sauce. If by chance, the lumps are formed, pass the sauce through a strainer and then use it.You can use vegetables of your choice to go along with this dish. Add mushrooms and broccoli if you wish to.