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Home » Dinner » Chicken » Margherita Chicken Recipe

Margherita Chicken Recipe

Created: April 1, 2015 Updated: March 21, 2021 by Lyuba Brooke 8 Comments

1.4K shares
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Wonderful chicken recipe that’s super tasty and very easy to make. Juicy chicken breast seared and smothered in homemade pesto, topped with tomatoes and lots of gooey mozzarella cheese.

Margherita Chicken Recipe with cheese, tomato, pesto and lemon on top in a cast iron skillet



I have been obsessed with pesto lately. I always love it but lately it’s been like that commercial…

“I put that %$#* on everything!”

I use it on sandwiches, instead of mayo or mustard. I mix it with pasta, add it to meats and veggies. I even add it to salads.

One of my favorite quick sandwiches is a slice of bread with pesto, tomatoes and mozzarella cheese. After having it the other day, I thought that it would be great on a chicken breast for dinner. Oh boy, I love it when I’m right!

It was super easy and super delicious!

Margherita Chicken Recipe with cheese, tomato, pesto and lemon on top in a cast iron skillet

I am so excited to plant my own basil soon. Normally, I would have already had basil growing because we start getting warm weather early here, in FL. But this year, I ordered special pots for my herbs and they are taking their sweet time to come in.

They better get here fast because I want some fresh basil growing in my home asap!

Margherita Chicken Recipe with cheese, tomato, pesto and lemon on top in a cast iron skillet

black skillet on a purple wood tray with Margherita chicken dish on it

Margherita Chicken Recipe

Juicy chicken breast seared and smothered in homemade pesto, topped with tomatoes and lots of gooey mozzarella cheese.
5 from 1 vote
Print SaveSaved! Rate
Course: dinner
Cuisine: American
Prep Time: 5 minutes minutes
Cook Time: 20 minutes minutes
Total Time: 25 minutes minutes
Servings: 4
Calories: 427kcal
Author: Lyuba Brooke

Ingredients

  • 2 boneless skinless chicken breasts
  • 2 Tbsp olive oil
  • 1/2 cup fresh pesto
  • 2 medium tomatoes
  • 8 oz mozzarella cheese block, sliced into about 1/8 inch thick slices
  • Salt
  • Fresh cracked pepper

Instructions

  • Preheat a large oven-safe skillet over medium heat and add oil.
  • Cut chicken breasts in half, width-wise. Season with salt and pepper and cook in the skillet until golden on both sides and almost done.
  • Preheat oven to 375.
  • Spread about 2 tablespoons of pesto over each breast.
  • Add 2-3 slices of tomato and cover with slices of mozzarella cheese all over the top of the breast.
  • Place skillet in the oven and bake until cheese is melted, about 5 minutes.
  • Optional: squeeze a little lemon over the cooked chicken.

Nutrition

Calories: 427kcal | Carbohydrates: 6g | Protein: 27g | Fat: 33g | Saturated Fat: 11g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 9g | Trans Fat: 0.01g | Cholesterol: 83mg | Sodium: 714mg | Potassium: 398mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 3g | Vitamin A: 1537IU | Vitamin C: 9mg | Calcium: 345mg | Iron: 1mg
Tried this recipe?Mention @willcookforsmiles and tag #willcookforsmiles

Margherita Chicken Recipe with cheese, tomato, pesto and lemon on top in a cast iron skillet

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Margherita Chicken Recipe with cheese, tomato, pesto and lemon on top in a cast iron skillet

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LYUBA

ABOUT LYUBA

I’m Lyuba Brooke, mother of 2, the cook, recipe developer, photographer, and author behind willcookforsmiles.com. I share many classic and original recipes, cooking tips, and tutorials. My passion is sharing delicious meals for everyone to try. Read more...

1.4K shares

Filed Under: 30 Minute Meals, Chicken, Dinner

All images and text ©Lyubov Brooke for ©Will Cook For Smiles. Please do not use my images without prior permission. If using my posts in collections and features, please link back to this post for the recipe. Disclaimer: Nutrition information shown is not guaranteed to be 100% accurate as most ingredients and brands have variations.

Comments

  1. Lori says

    April 1, 2015 at 8:27 pm

    oh my, what a striking entree for dinner parties, I love it.

    Reply
    • lyuba says

      April 7, 2015 at 6:54 pm

      Thank you so much, Lori! I hope you will serve it at your next one 🙂

      Reply
  2. Veronika says

    April 1, 2015 at 6:29 pm

    What would you serve as a side dish with your margherita chicken?
    Does it go with rice, pasta or potatoes the best?

    Reply
    • lyuba says

      April 7, 2015 at 6:53 pm

      When I make this, I served it with a salad. I think mashed potatoes, asparagus or roasted potatoes will go nicely. It will also be good served over some spaghetti.
      Thank you, Veronika!

      Reply
  3. Marisa Franca @ All Our Way says

    April 1, 2015 at 4:26 pm

    Hm! Hm! Hm!! Looks darn tasty to me. We eat LOTS of chicken and having different recipes helps!! I love the photos you took of the dish. I wanted to buy herbs when we were in Florida but the herbs we found were puny and the basil was scarce — they said some of the plants had a disease. Well, now that we are back in the cooler weather we can’t find any plants — just the pathetic looking scraps in the grocery store. Lucky you!!

    Reply
    • lyuba says

      April 7, 2015 at 6:51 pm

      Oh no, that’s no good. I usually get my basil and other herbs at Whole Foods, unless I grow it myself.
      I hope you’ll give this chicken a try 🙂

      Reply
  4. Katy says

    April 1, 2015 at 10:21 am

    I love chicken, this recipe looks so good! The pesto adds so much flavor to the dish

    Reply
    • lyuba says

      April 7, 2015 at 6:49 pm

      Absolutely! Thank you so much, Katy! Hope you will give t a try 🙂

      Reply

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Well, hey there!

I’m Lyuba Brooke, mother of 2, the cook, recipe developer, photographer, and author behind willcookforsmiles.com. I share many classic and original recipes, cooking tips, and tutorials. My passion is sharing delicious meals for everyone to try. Read More.

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