Pesto Cream Cheese Chicken Recipe
This low-carb Pesto Cream Cheese Chicken comes together in under 30 minutes using simple, readily available ingredients. Try my easy recipe here.
Servings: 4 people
Ingredients
- 4 boneless skinless chicken breasts or thighs
- 4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 1 teaspoon minced garlic
- ½ cup sliced button mushrooms
- ½ cup basil pesto
- ½ cup chicken broth
- ½ cup unsweetened heavy cream
- 7 ounces cream cheese 200 g
- 1 cup milk
- ¼ cup shredded parmesan cheese
- salt to taste
- black pepper powder to taste
- fresh basil leaves for garnishing (optional)
Instructions
Prepare The Chicken
- Rinse the chicken breasts and pat them dry using paper towels.
- Pound the chicken using a meat tenderizer or a rolling pin until they are thin and even in thickness.
Fry The Chicken
- Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat.
- Once the oil is hot, arrange the chicken breast in the pan in a single layer.
- Note – You can fry the chicken in batches if the pan is not large enough to accommodate all 4 breasts at the same time.
- Cook for 5-8 minutes on each side until nicely browned on the outside and cooked through.
- Transfer to a plate and cover to keep warm.
Make The Pesto Cream Cheese Sauce
- Add garlic and mushrooms to the same pan and saute over medium heat till the garlic is fragrant and the mushrooms are tender about 3-4 minutes, stirring frequently.
- Add basil pesto to the pan and saute for 1 minute.
- Now add chicken broth and stir to combine with pesto.
- Add the heavy cream and cream cheese and continue stirring until the sauce is smooth.
- Now add milk and parmesan cheese and stir until the cheese is melted and combined with the sauce.
- Note - If the sauce looks thick, add some milk to thin it down.
- Check for salt and pepper and add as required.
- Transfer the chicken to serving plates and pour the hot sauce on top.
- Garnish with grated parmesan cheese and fresh basil leaves and serve hot.
Video
Notes
My recipe serves 4, but you can easily double or triple the recipe as per your requirements.
I use boneless skinless chicken breasts to make this recipe, but you can use chicken thighs too. If you like skin, then you can also use skin-on chicken pieces.
If using chicken thighs, the cooking time will be slightly longer than chicken breasts.
Use any variety of mushrooms that you like. I used button mushrooms as they are readily available and economical too.
Add more veggies, like fresh spinach, cherry tomatoes, green beans, broccoli, bell peppers, snow peas, etc., to this dish.
For a nice crunch, top it with nuts like pine nuts, walnuts, etc.
Chopped sun-dried tomatoes are also a great addition.
Add some red pepper flakes or chopped red chilies to spice the sauce.
Nutrition
Calories: 713kcal | Carbohydrates: 10g | Protein: 34g | Fat: 60g | Saturated Fat: 24g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 3g | Monounsaturated Fat: 19g | Trans Fat: 0.01g | Cholesterol: 171mg | Sodium: 819mg | Potassium: 618mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 7g | Vitamin A: 1916IU | Vitamin C: 2mg | Calcium: 275mg | Iron: 1mg
