Chicken Pesto Recipe | Creamy Pesto Chicken

Make dinner easy and delicious with this mouth-watering Chicken Pesto recipe! It's a dinner everyone will want on regular rotation each week, and you'll love it too because of how simple it is to throw together!

Why This Creamy Pesto Chicken Is A Must For Dinner Tonight

• Fast. Dinner ready in less than 30 minutes.
• Easy. A simple pour and cook recipe.
• Low Carb. Only 6 net carbs per serving.
• Delicious. Packed with amazing pesto flavor.

I'm pretty sure we've all had those days when cooking isn't enjoyable, it's a chore. Whether it's because we're tired, or just don't feel like we have the right ingredients to make something delicious, it can make mealtimes tough.

This Instant Pot Pesto Chicken is a recipe I like to make on days like that. It's super easy to make and uses just the leftover ingredients in your pantry.

On its own this Pesto Chicken recipe is keto-friendly, but I'll show you some ways you can make it a well-rounded meal and keep it low-carb. But if you're not doing low-carb or Keto, I'll give you some other meal options too.

How To Make This Pesto Chicken Recipe

1. Place the chicken, onions, tomatoes, garlic, 1 tablespoon pesto, Italian seasoning, water, salt, and pepper in the inner liner of your Instant Pot or pressure cooker.
2. Cook for 5 minutes at high pressure. At the end of the cooking time, allow the pot to rest undisturbed for 10 minutes and then release any remaining pressure.
3. Remove the pieces of chicken and set aside.
4. Add the whipping cream and pesto to the vegetables in the pot. Using an immersion blender, purée until you have a smooth and creamy sauce. At this point, if you would like a thicker sauce, turn the Instant Pot to Sauté and when the sauce boils, add the Xanthan gum or cornstarch slurry and cook until the sauce has thickened (about 2-3 minutes). 
5. Add the chicken to the sauce and serve. 

Tips And Tricks For Making This Creamy Pesto Chicken Recipe

• If you're doing Keto or low-carb, this is a great recipe to serve over cauliflower or zucchini noodles. If you're not doing one of those diets, you can serve over regular rice or pasta for a delicious meal.
• I wrote the recipe with boneless, skinless chicken thighs. If you want to use chicken breast, cut the breast in half at the thickest part, and cook for about 6-8 minutes.
• If you'd like to freeze this recipe, there are a few different ways to do this:
  • You can put all the ingredients except the pesto and the cream in a ziplock bag, shape that bag into a circle, and freeze it that way. When you're ready to cook, just pour the frozen block into the instant pot and cook as directed. You do not need to increase time under pressure.
  • You can freeze leftovers and thaw in the microwave, or in the refrigerator or on the countertop. But don't re-pressurize it since the cream will separate if you do that.
  • You can double the recipe and remove half before you add the cream and pesto. Then, once you defrost the recipe, you can add cream and pesto before serving for a fresh taste.
• If you want a thicker sauce you can add xanthan gum or a cornstarch slurry. But I didn't do that.
• The sauce thickens as it stands so if you're going to let it sit for a bit before you serve, you may not need to thicken it.

Looking For More Great Instant Pot Chicken Recipes? Check These Out!

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• This Tuscan Chicken recipe is creamy, garlicky, comforting chicken perfection! It’s one of those dishes that you won’t be able to stop eating, and it’s low carb as well so you don’t have to feel guilty for doing so.
• This Chicken Pot Pie Soup recipe gives you all the comforting goodness of chicken pot pie while taking far less effort to make! And who doesn’t appreciate an easy dinner option?
• This low carb Buffalo Chicken Casserole is as deliciously filling casserole with just the right amount of kick. It’s the perfect weeknight keto casserole that takes little effort to make.

This Chicken Pesto recipe is perfect for just a normal, weeknight, everyday meal and I can't wait for you to try it. Make sure to share this recipe with your friends on Pinterest and Facebook so they can enjoy it as well!

Originally Published September 24, 2018

Don't forget to check out my other Best-selling Instant Pot Cookbooks!

Indian Instant Pot, Keto Instant Pot, Instant Pot Fast and Easy, Healthy Instant Pot & Vegetarian Instant Pot.