Celebrate the flavors of summer with this pesto bruschetta chicken recipe! Fresh basil, chopped tomatoes, and garlic are tossed together and piled on top of chicken marinated in flavorful pesto. This rave-worthy dish is guaranteed to become a regular on your dinner menu, no matter the time of year! Bonus: it’s done in under 30 minutes!
Updated and better than ever! Today I’m re-sharing one of my favorite dinner recipes with a few small adjustments to improve the flavor. This bruschetta chicken recipe is a go-to recipe during the warmer months for it’s simplicity and fresh flavor.
What Is Bruschetta Chicken?
If you haven’t had bruschetta before, it’s a simple Italian antipasto that consists of toasted bread rubbed with garlic cloves, then brushed with olive oil. The name bruschetta means “to roast over coals” using a brustolina grill. Most commonly it’s served with toppings like tomatoes, vegetables, beans, cured meat, and/or cheese. More often the tomatoes are tossed with garlic, basil, and olive oil.
Which brings us to today’s chicken bruschetta recipe– combining classic bruschetta with ridiculously flavorful marinated chicken.
Why You’ll Love This Easy Bruschetta Chicken
- Light, fresh and satisfying without being heavy
- Done in just 25 minutes!
- Can easily be prepped ahead of time and cooked later
- Made with just a handful of basic ingredients
- Either grill, bake or sauté the chicken
- Makes wonderful leftovers for lunch during the week
You Need These Ingredients
- Chicken: You can use chicken thighs or chicken breasts– around 1 ½ pounds total. I prefer using chicken thighs as they have more flavor.
- Pesto: The pesto is the is used as the marinade for the chicken giving it a ton of fresh flavor and spread on top of the chicken. You can either use homemade or buy store-bought pesto.
- Tomatoes: Use Roma or beefsteak tomatoes, you need about 1 pound total.
- Basil: Fresh basil for the best flavor, there’s no substitutions.
- Garlic: For the best flavor, use fresh garlic.
- Olive Oil: For cooking and added into the bruschetta.
- Parmesan Cheese: Used shaved parmesan cheese for best results, though grated can be used as well.
- Salt & Pepper: Essential for flavor.
Overview: How To Make Bruschetta Chicken
This bruschetta chicken doesn’t require much effort, but let’s walk through it. The full printable recipe is below.
- Marinate the Chicken: Season the chicken with salt and pepper. Then add the pesto, stirring to combine, making sure the chicken is evenly coated.
- Make the Bruschetta: While the chicken marinates, stir together the tomatoes, garlic, basil, salt, pepper, and olive oil together in a bowl.
- Cook the Chicken: Over medium-high heat, cook the chicken for 10-12 minutes.
- Top with Parmesan & Bruschetta: Place the chicken on a platter and sprinkle with parmesan cheese shavings. Top with the bruschetta.
3 Success Tips
- Salt & Pepper the Chicken: Even though we’re using the pesto as a marinade, it doesn’t have enough salt and pepper to flavor the chicken properly. Make sure you season with salt and pepper for the best flavor.
- Brush with Pesto: Once the chicken is cooked, brush with the remaining pesto. This adds even more flavor!
- Add Parmesan: As soon as the chicken is done, top with shaved parmesan cheese. This allows the cheese to slightly melt into the chicken.
What to serve with bruschetta chicken? Here’s some of our favorites: baked potatoes, lemon garlic roasted zucchini, spaghetti with garlic and olive oil, or crispy zucchini fritters.
More Easy Chicken Dinner Recipes
Pesto Bruschetta Chicken
Celebrate the flavors of summer with this pesto bruschetta chicken recipe! Fresh basil, chopped tomatoes, and garlic are tossed together and piled on top of chicken marinated in flavorful pesto. This rave-worthy dish is guaranteed to become a regular on your dinner menu, no matter the time of year!
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 12 minutes
- Total Time: 30 minutes
- Yield: 4 servings
- Category: Dinner
- Method: Stovetop
Instructions
- Place the chicken in a large bowl, sprinkle with ¾ teaspoon salt and ¼ teaspoon black pepper. Then add ¼ cup pesto. Toss together until the chicken is evenly coated. Set aside.
- In a small bowl add the tomato, basil, garlic, 2 Tablespoons olive oil, and remaining salt and pepper. Stir together and set aside.
- In a large skillet, heat the remaining olive oil over medium-high heat. Add the chicken to the skillet and cook for 5-6 minutes. Flip, brush with remaining pesto and and cook for another 5-6 minutes. The total cook time is 10-12 minutes (this can vary depending on the thickness of the chicken.) You want both sides of the chicken golden brown. The chicken is done when the internal temperature reaches 165ºF. Place the chicken on a large platter. See the recipe notes for other cooking options.
- Sprinkle the shaved parmesan cheese over the chicken while hot (for it to slightly melt.) Then, scoop the bruschetta on top of the chicken. Leftovers stay fresh in the refrigerator for 3 days.
Notes
- Make Ahead Instructions: The bruschetta can be made up to 1 day in advance covered tightly in the refrigerator. The chicken can be marinated with the pesto up to 2 days in advance.
- Freezing Instructions: The marinated chicken and be frozen for up to 3 months stored in a freezer-safe container.
- Chicken: You can use either chicken breasts or thighs for this recipe. The cook time will vary depending on the thickness of the chicken. The chicken is done when the internal temperature reaches 165ºF using an instant-read thermometer.
- Pesto: You can either use homemade or buy store-bought pesto.
- Oven Directions: Preheat the oven to 425ºF. Bake for 10-12 minutes. Flip, brush with remaining pesto and cook for another 10-12 minutes. The total bake time is 20-22 minutes. If desired, broil for 1-2 minutes for additional browning.
- Grill Directions: Preheat the grill to medium-high (500ºF-550ºF). Place the chicken on the heated grill and cook for 5-6 minutes with the lid closed. Flip, brush with remaining pesto and cook for another 5-6 minutes. The total cook time is 10-12 mintes.
