Chicken Pesto Roll-Ups: the tasty chicken recipe rich in Mediterranean flavor

Chicken Pesto Roll-Ups is an easy recipe for chicken breast, inspired by Mediterranean Italian flavors. Tomatoes, basil, and mozzarella all come together in a symphony of flavors—it’s just what you need to brighten up bland midweek dinners. Chicken breasts are filled with pesto, tomatoes, and cheese, and then baked until golden.

This is a great way to put up a satisfying meal for dinner, especially if you’re short on time. Every bite is filled with great flavor and moist and tender chicken. Think chicken breast is boring? Then make this recipe, it will definitely change your mind!

Chicken Pesto Roll Up Ingredients

Chicken breast – use high-quality chicken breast. Make sure to pound it in equal thickness to ensure even cooking.

Seasoning – this recipe has enough flavor, so we only used salt and pepper. But feel free to use chicken seasoning too.

Tomatoes – use fresh garden tomatoes, or pick up a few from a farmer’s market. The ones at the store often don’t have enough flavor.

Pesto sauce – for a shortcut, we use store-bought version. You can also make your own pesto by blending together 1 cup fresh basil leaves, 3 cloves garlic, 3 tbsp pine nuts, 1/3 cup grated parmesan cheese, salt and pepper, and 1/3 cup olive oil.

Mozzarella cheese – mozzarella does not have much flavor itself, so it matches well with flavorful tomato and basil. But you can also use cheddar cheese or Swiss cheese.

How To Make Chicken Pesto Roll-Ups

If you’re using large chicken breasts, you will need to half them before flattening them. If the breasts are small, you can leave out this step. After flattening, sprinkle it with salt and pepper. Spread with pesto, top with tomato slices, and then cheese. Carefully roll up the chicken breast and pin it with a toothpick.

Sauté the chicken breast in a mixture of olive oil and butter, then top with mozzarella cheese and bake until cooked through.

Tips

To prevent the roll-ups from falling apart, use both hands to roll up the chicken breasts, and use more than one toothpick if necessary.

Add more flavor, by spreading cream cheese on the chicken breast. You can also add parmesan cheese.

This recipe is suitable for a keto diet.

How To Store Chicken Pesto Rolls Ups

Store leftover Chicken Pesto Roll-Ups in the fridge (in an airtight container) for up to 5 days.

Instructions 

Preheat the oven to 425˚F. Cut each chicken breast in half lengthwise so you have 6 thin chicken cutlets.

Pound each cutlet in 1/8″ thick. Season both sides of your thin cutlets with salt and black pepper.

Spoon and spread 1 tbsp pesto in the center of each cutlet. Top with 2 thin slices of tomato.

Sprinkle with mozzarella cheese.

Roll the chicken up as tightly as you can.

Seal the ends with a toothpick.

Preheat a large oven-safe skillet over medium heat with olive oil and butter.

Add chicken roll-ups.

Fry on both sides until golden.

Sprinkle tops with remaining cheese and cherry tomatoes over the top. Place the skillet in the oven and bake 425˚F for 13-15 minutes.

To serve, remove toothpicks then plate chicken pesto roll-ups, spooning pan juices and roasted tomatoes over the top, and garnish with freshly chopped basil.

Notes

You can make the dish meatier by adding bacon or ham to the filling.