Creamy Pesto Chicken with Sun Dried Tomato Pesto
This Creamy Pesto Chicken is pan fried to get the skin all nice and crispy, then simmered in a sweet and tangy, creamy sun dried tomato pesto sauce.
Servings: 4 servings
Calories: 867kcal
Ingredients
- 4 chicken thighs bone in, skin on
- 2 tablespoons olive oil (substitute avocado or grapeseed oil)
- sun dried tomato pesto (see below)
- 10 cloves garlic
- 1 cup chicken broth
- 4 sprigs thyme
- 1 cup heavy cream
- ¼ cup fresh grated Parmesan cheese
Sun Dried Tomato Pesto:
- 4 tablespoons sun dried tomatoes
- ¼ cup pine nuts toasted
- 1 teaspoon sea salt
- ½ teaspoon cracked black pepper
- 3 cloves garlic
- 4 tablespoons olive oil
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400F.
- Place the chicken thighs, skin side down, in a cast iron skillet and heat over medium heat. Cook for about 7-10 minutes, until the skin is golden brown and crispy.
- Remove the chicken from the skillet and set aside. Turn the heat to medium high and add the pesto and garlic cloves and cook for about 3-5 minutes, stirring frequently to prevent burning.
- Add the broth and bring to a simmer.
- Add cream and thyme and bring back to a simmer.
- Add chicken and place the skillet directly in the oven. Cook for about 20 minutes, or until the internal temperature of the chicken reaches 160F.
- Remove from the oven and serve with bread and/or pasta. Or see the notes below for some other ideas.
Sun Dried Tomato Pesto
- Blend the ingredients in a food processor or blender. Add more olive oil if the mixture is too thick (it should be pretty thick, but mixable).
Notes
- Starting the chicken in a cold skillet allows the fat in the skin to slowly render as the temperature rises, which helps to get that nice browned crispy skin.
- I like to leave the rendered chicken fat in the skillet when I add the pesto and tomatoes as it adds richness, but feel free to drain the excess if your prefer.
- Add 1-2 chopped fresh tomatoes to the sauce for a chunkier sauce. Add them in with the broth.
- If the pesto is too thick, add additional olive oil until it thins. Note that it should be slightly thick - it should not be pour-able.
Nutrition
Serving: 1thigh | Calories: 867kcal | Carbohydrates: 13g | Protein: 44g | Fat: 71g | Saturated Fat: 28g | Cholesterol: 318mg | Sodium: 1073mg | Potassium: 990mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 4g | Vitamin A: 1275IU | Vitamin C: 13.4mg | Calcium: 204mg | Iron: 3.1mg