This is a dinner that feels like it came straight from a restaurant! It starts with a quick homemade pesto, though you can always use store-bought if you prefer. Pound out some chicken, fill it with pesto and sun-dried tomatoes, and roll it up. It gets smothered in a creamy pesto sauce, loaded with cheese, and then baked to perfection. Serve it over rice, pasta, or mashed potatoes for a dinner that will impress everyone at the table.
For more pesto goodness, try our creamy pesto chicken pasta or our roasted parmesan pesto potatoes.
Why Our Recipe
- A restaurant-quality dish that is easy enough for weeknights and impressive enough for guests.
- Perfectly juicy and tender chicken every time.
- The creamy pesto sauce will have you wanting to serve it over rice, pasta, or mashed potatoes so you can lick the plate clean.
Pesto chicken roll ups have quickly become a staple in the Stay at Home Chef house. You need a bit of skill to pull off this dish, but it’s worth every second of prep work! While you can always use store-bought, you’ll definitely want to go for homemade pesto. It’s super easy to make, comes together in a matter of minutes, and the results are simply mouthwatering. This recipe is perfect for those nights when you want something special without spending hours in the kitchen. The chicken stays juicy and tender, thanks to the quick browning and baking method.
Ingredient Notes
- Pesto: uses basil, fresh garlic, parmesan, olive oil, and pine nuts. You can always use store-bought, but it’s super quick to make.
- Pine Nuts: can be expensive, so sunflower seeds are one of the most inexpensive substitutes. You can also use walnuts, pecans, or even almonds.
- Boneless Skinless Chicken Breasts: Large ones work best for this recipe as they will be sliced in half.
- Salt and Black Pepper: Essential for seasoning the chicken just right.
- Garlic Powder: Adds an extra layer of garlic flavor to the chicken in addition to the pesto.
- Sun-dried Tomatoes: Finely chopped for easy incorporation. The kind packed in oil is preferable for this recipe.
- Heavy Cream: Gives the pesto sauce its rich, creamy texture.
- Shredded Mozzarella Cheese: Melts beautifully for that gooey factor.
- Grated Parmesan Cheese: Adds a deliciously cheesy finish with that sharper flavor.
Chicken Options
For pesto chicken roll ups, you’ll want thin, even pieces of chicken to ensure they can roll up and cook quickly and evenly. We call for chicken breasts and have you slice them in half horizontally and pound them out into thin, even pieces. The only problem is that sometimes grocery stores are selling what we will call “less-than-plump” chicken breasts that may be too thin. So let’s go over your options really quick:
Standard Chicken Breasts: These are your traditional plump, boneless, skinless chicken breasts. If they seem less-than-plump, you may not be able to slice them in half, so buy 6 pieces instead of 3. You’ll skip the slicing and just work with those to pound them out thin so they can roll up.
Chicken Cutlets: If you want to save time, you can buy chicken cutlets, which are chicken breasts already sliced thinly. This convenient option ensures uniform thickness and speeds up the preparation process.
Butterflied Chicken Breasts: Another option is butterflied chicken breasts, which are sliced horizontally but not all the way through, creating a piece that opens like a book. You can finish slicing these to create two thin pieces, perfect for rolling up with the pesto and sun-dried tomatoes.
Serving Suggestions:
If you’re wondering how to make pesto chicken roll-ups into a full meal, you’ve got quite a few options! It has such a great sauce that it deserves to be served over something that can allow you to enjoy it even more!
- Pasta: Serve over plain buttered pasta, our super easy olive oil pasta, or our brown butter garlic angel hair pasta.
- Potatoes: The creamiest mashed potatoes or herbed butter mashed potatoes
- Rice: Simple steamed rice works great, try our easy cheesy rice pilaf or you could add a whole new flavor dimension with easy coconut rice
- Salad: A classic side salad always works, or try an equally simple restaurant-style arugula salad that feels a little more fancy.
Storage and Reheating Instructions
Refrigerate: Store any leftover pesto chicken roll ups in an airtight container. They will stay fresh for up to 3 days in the refrigerator.
To reheat in the oven, preheat your oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Place the chicken roll ups in an oven-safe dish and cover with foil to prevent drying out. Reheat for 15-20 minutes or until heated through.
To reheat in the microwave, place the roll ups on a microwave-safe plate and cover with a microwave-safe lid or another plate. Heat on medium power for 2-3 minutes, checking halfway through to ensure they heat evenly.
I loved this recipe. I did modify the pesto sauce by adding salt, pepper, fresh lemon juice and a bit more olive oil then suggested. Try it, you’ll taste the difference.
This looks delicious! Do you use the oil-packed sun dried tomatoes or the dry ones?
We use the oil packed ones.
I love the fact that I can change the recipe to fit my family since theres only two of us in our late 70’s, thank you so nuch