This 40 minute bacon wrapped pesto chicken looks fancy, but it’s really an easy weeknight dinner! Read on…
I am notorious for making dinners (and breakfasts and desserts) that are quick and easy to prepare, but that are still loaded with flavor and variety and this bacon wrapped pesto chicken is no exception.
We eat a lot of chicken over here, mainly because I am not the biggest red meat fan and I will be the first one to admit that I get bored, like seriously bored to DEATH of bland chicken recipes. So, in order to save myself, I started to get more creative with our chicken dinners. That’s how this bacon wrapped pesto chicken was born! I like bacon and I like pesto! Wa-la!
Don’t let the fancy appearance of this chicken fool you, it really is SUPER easy to put together; all you need are a few toothpicks and some bacon. Just slice the chicken breasts open (creating a pocket), spoon in some pesto, wrap the bacon around the outside, loosely place a toothpick to secure, sear them on each side, cover them with shredded cheese, and bake them up. When this bacon wrapped pesto chicken comes out of the oven, it’s bubbly, crispy, and bursting with flavor!
Note: I often use homemade pesto in my recipes, but you can easily use a good quality jarred pesto too. If you need a great pesto recipe, here’s the one I use. It comes out perfect every time.
Ingredients
- 4 boneless skinless chicken breasts
- 1 TBS olive oil
- Salt and pepper to taste
- 8 + slices of bacon
- Pesto
- 1-2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
- Heat olive oil in a cast-iron skillet over medium-high heat.
- Slice chicken breasts down the center creating a pocket.
- Spoon pesto inside chicken and stuff with shredded mozzarella cheese.
- Wrap bacon around chicken breasts and secure with a toothpick.
- Sprinkle with salt and pepper.
- Place prepared chicken breasts in hot skillet for 3-5 minutes on each side.
- Turn breasts right side up, spoon more pesto over the top and sprinkle with shredded cheese.
- Bake for 30 minutes.
- Remove from oven and let stand 5 minutes prior to serving.
Try these other easy weeknight favorites too! You’ll love this healthy beef stew or this easy baked ziti – you can make them both in one pot! Boom!
This looks great! I’ve never thought to pair pesto and bacon but it sounds really delicious. I think we’ll give it a try in February.
Thank you so much! The flavors really work well together, this has become one of our favorites! Hope you enjoy it!
Hello to a fellow Christine-
What a great simple recipe for dinner! I adore pesto and bacon so this is a wonderful dinner option. Yum!
Hello Christine!! You are so kind, thank you! It has become one of our dinnertime favorites! 🙂
What a lovely dish! Love the freshness of pesto and BACON! My husband’s gonna want this one!
Thank you so much, Lisa! Heck yes, this is totally a husband pleasing meal. 🙂
This chicken looks absolutely divine. I love pesto, I love bacon and I love chicken. Nice.
Thank you so much! That was my thought exactly. 🙂
Love recipes that are simple ingredients but packed with flavor (and who doesn’t like bacon?!). 🙂
Thank you Lisa! I totally agree! My husband is a fan of anything if I add a little bacon!
chicken on a weeknight dinner.. that sounds interesting.. even though I am a vegetarian I still found it appealing.. You got me there with this beautiful pictures,
Thank you Sushma! 🙂
I love how simple and easy this is to make. I always have pesto on hand so this would be perfect for my quick cooking . Thanks
Quick cookin’ with lots of flavor, win! Thank you, Veena!
This looks fantastic I love chicken wrapped in bacon too, it’s such a great combination.
Thank you Angela! Heck yes, well actually bacon wrapped anything sounds good to me – LOL!
LOVE how simple this recipe is and how SHORT the ingredient list is! I just happen to have some freshly made pesto in the fridge, too!
Thanks so much, Sue! I agree, short real ingredients make the best meals! 🙂
What a great recipe! And your pictures just look awesome! Made me hungry …
Aw shucks! Thank you, Cecilia! You’re so sweet! I hope you enjoy it if you try it, it’s become one of our all-time favorite dinners. 🙂