Chicken Pesto Rice Bowl (Print Version)

Tender basil pesto chicken over warm rice with fresh tomatoes and pine nuts. Ready in 35 minutes.

# Ingredient List:

→ Chicken

01 - 1.1 lbs boneless, skinless chicken breast, cut into bite-sized pieces
02 - 1 tbsp olive oil
03 - 1/2 tsp salt
04 - 1/4 tsp black pepper

→ Pesto

05 - 1/2 cup basil pesto, store-bought or homemade
06 - 2 tbsp grated Parmesan cheese, optional

→ Rice

07 - 2 cups cooked white or brown rice, warm

→ Toppings

08 - 2 medium tomatoes, diced
09 - 2 tbsp pine nuts, toasted, optional
10 - Fresh basil leaves for garnish

# Recipe Steps:

01 - Season chicken pieces with salt and black pepper, ensuring even coating.
02 - Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add seasoned chicken and sauté for 6 to 8 minutes until golden brown and cooked through.
03 - Reduce heat to low, add basil pesto, and stir to evenly coat all chicken pieces. Cook for 1 to 2 minutes until pesto is heated through.
04 - Divide warm rice evenly among four serving bowls.
05 - Top each rice bowl with pesto chicken, diced tomatoes, Parmesan cheese, and toasted pine nuts if desired.
06 - Garnish each bowl with fresh basil leaves and serve immediately.

# Expert Suggestions:

01 -
  • It comes together faster than ordering takeout and tastes like you spent an hour in the kitchen.
  • The pesto does all the flavor work while you just stand there stirring, which is exactly what weeknights need.
  • Leftovers actually get better the next day when the rice soaks up all that herby oil.
  • You can swap the protein or add whatever vegetables are wilting in your crisper drawer.
02 -
  • Do not add the pesto over high heat or it will turn bitter and lose that bright green color, low and slow is the only way.
  • Warm rice is essential because cold rice will seize up and refuse to absorb any of the pesto oil, leaving you with a dry, sad bowl.
  • If your pesto is too thick, thin it with a tablespoon of pasta water or chicken broth so it coats instead of clumps.
03 -
  • Toast your pine nuts in a dry skillet over medium heat, watching them constantly because they go from golden to burnt in about ten seconds.
  • If you're using store-bought pesto, taste it first and add a squeeze of lemon juice or a pinch of salt if it tastes flat or too oily.
  • For extra richness, stir a tablespoon of butter into the rice right before assembling the bowls, it makes everything taste more luxurious.
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