This Pesto Chicken and Potato Sheet Pan Dinner is a fresh take on a classic Italian trifecta. Tender chicken gets tossed with a flavorful spinach pesto and baked alongside red potatoes for a healthy weeknight dinner the whole family will love.
Table of Contents
- This recipe is…
- Why You’ll Love This Pesto Chicken Recipe
- Chicken Pesto Recipe Ingredients
- Recipe Variations and Modifications
- How to Make Baked Chicken Pesto
- Pesto Chicken Recipe Tips
- How to Serve Chicken Pesto
- How to Store and Reheat
- Frequently Asked Questions
- More Favorite Pesto Recipes
- Baked Chicken Pesto and Potatoes Recipe
This recipe is…
Who doesn’t love pesto? The classic sauce hailing from Italy’s coast has remained popular for centuries for good reason. But…that doesn’t mean the recipe has to stay exactly the same.
Traditionally, pesto was made in the summer using fresh basil. But the bright, addictive, and flavor-packed sauce – which goes on everything from pasta to chicken, fish, veggies, and is also delicious slathered on crostini – lends itself to all seasons, and so many different types of ingredients.
For this recipe, we replaced the basil with fresh spinach, which is packed with vitamins and nutrients. It gets tossed with juicy chicken thighs and baked alongside red potatoes, which really brings all the flavors together. And since it all gets cooked on one sheet pan, this weeknight-friendly dinner is really, really easy to pull together – with only one pan to clean.
If you’re looking for more delicious, easy, chicken dinners, we’ve got you covered! Our One-Pan Greek Chicken and Potatoes, Sheet Pan Sweet and Sour Chicken, and Balsamic Chicken Sheet Pan Dinner are some of our favorites.
Why You’ll Love This Pesto Chicken Recipe
- Spinach pesto is a nutritious, flavor-packed take on the traditional recipe
- Just 10 minutes of prep
- Versatile recipe will work with whatever greens, herbs, and nuts your have on hand
- Great for meal prep!
Chicken Pesto Recipe Ingredients
Here’s how this easy chicken pesto sheet pan dinner comes together. Find ingredient notes (including substitutions and swaps) below.
For the Spinach Pesto:
- 3 packed cups of fresh spinach
- ½ cup of raw walnut halves
- ½ cup shredded Parmesan cheese
- ½ teaspoon of garlic powder
- Pinch of sea salt
- Pinch of ground black pepper
- 2 tablespoons of fresh lemon juice (about 1 lemon)
- ½ cup of extra-virgin olive oil
For the Sheet Pan Dinner:
- 1 ½ pounds of boneless skinless chicken thighs
- 1 ½ pounds of red potatoes, cut into ½-inch cubes
- 1 tablespoon of extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 ¾ teaspoons of coarse sea salt
- ½ teaspoon of black pepper
A full ingredient list with exact amounts can be found in the recipe card below.
Recipe Variations and Modifications
Try these easy swaps to make this recipe your own.
- Pesto greens – we call for fresh spinach for the pesto, which has a subtle flavor and is packed with vitamins and nutrients. But pesto is a blank slate for different types of greens and herbs. You can also swap in greens like kale, arugula, or even carrot tops. Feel free to swap in the same amount of basil for a traditional pesto. Or, experiment with a mix of different herbs like parsley, chives, mint, cilantro, or tarragon. Choosing one green and one herb yields delicious results too! And of course, if you’re pressed for time, there’s no shame in grabbing a store-bought pesto sauce instead of making your own!
- Nuts – walnuts are a great choice for pesto, but the sky’s the limit here too: you can use any nuts you like better, or that you happen to have on hand. Pine nuts are the traditional choice for pesto…but they’re usually expensive unless you find them on sale. We’ve had great results with almonds, pecans, hazelnuts, and even seeds like pepitas too.
- Chicken – likewise, you can use chicken breasts or tenders in this recipe instead of thighs. But if you do, we recommend using a meat thermometer to make sure these leaner cuts get cooked – but not overcooked.
How to Make Baked Chicken Pesto
Here’s how this easy chicken pesto recipe comes together.
Step 1: Preheat the oven to 375°F, and line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper.
Place the potatoes on the baking sheet and toss them with 1 tablespoon of olive oil, ¾ teaspoon coarse sea salt, and black pepper. Spread the potatoes across the pan and bake for 20 minutes.
Step 2: While the potatoes are cooking, make the pesto. Add the spinach, walnuts, Parmesan, garlic powder, salt, and pepper to a food processor, and pulse until the mixture is a coarse, sandy texture. Then, add the lemon juice to the food processor, turn it to high speed, and slowly drizzle in the olive oil. Keep the food processor running for an additional minute, until the pesto is nice and smooth.
Step 3: Coat the chicken thighs with a ⅓ cup of pesto and 1 teaspoon coarse sea salt.
Step 4: Remove the potatoes from the oven, and add the chicken to the pan. Bake the potatoes and chicken together for 25 minutes, until the potatoes are easily pierced with a fork and the chicken is fully cooked through.
Remove from the oven, serve with additional pesto, and enjoy!
Pesto Chicken Recipe Tips
- Homemade Pesto v. Store-Bought – If you’re short on time (or just don’t want to take on the task of making your own pesto), feel free to use store-bought. When shopping for store-bought pesto, you’ll want to look for one that has pretty pure, simple ingredients (think: herbs, pine nuts, parmesan, oil, and salt).
- Meal Prep – This pesto chicken and potato bake is a really great one to meal prep! Go ahead and bake it all the way through, then package it in lunch (or dinner) sized portions. To reheat, simply pop it in the microwave (a skillet or oven will work too) until warmed through.
How to Serve Chicken Pesto
Plate the chicken and potatoes together next to the rest of the pesto (for dipping). Simple and delicious!
How to Store and Reheat
Store your leftover pesto chicken thighs and potatoes in an airtight container in the refrigerator. Stored this way, it’ll last for up to 5 days. Reheat in the oven or microwave.
We don’t recommend freezing your chicken and potatoes. Potatoes tend to get watery and lose a lot of their creamy texture when frozen. This meal is best eaten the day it’s made, or within about a week.
Frequently Asked Questions
The coastal city of Genoa, Italy is the birthplace of classic basil pesto. Traditionally, basil leaves, garlic, and pine nuts were crushed together using a mortar and pestle before adding olive oil and Parmesan cheese. (Both “pesto” and “pestle” come from the Italian verb pestare, which means “to crush” or “to grind.”)
One of the best things about pesto is how flexible it is: it’s fun to experiment with different herbs and greens instead of just using basil.
Here, we call for fresh spinach, which has a subtle flavor and is packed with vitamins and nutrients. But you can also swap in other greens like kale, arugula, or even carrot tops. Or, experiment with a mix of different herbs like parsley, chives, mint, cilantro, or tarragon. Choosing one green and one herb yields delicious results too – just use the same amount in total that we call for in the recipe.
You can also play around with different types of nuts. Instead of walnuts (or the traditional pine nuts), try almonds, pecans, hazelnuts, or even seeds like pepitas.
You may want to make a double batch of this pesto recipe because it goes on EVERYTHING! For starters, you can try it on fish, chicken, steak, or veggies, mix it with cream cheese, goat cheese, or yogurt for a dip. Or, mix it into butter, dollop it onto a Caprese salad, or slather it on crostini to make bruschetta.
More Favorite Pesto Recipes
If you tried this recipe for Pesto Chicken and Potato Sheet Pan Dinner, or any other recipe on the Fed & Fit website, please leave a 🌟 star rating and let us know how it went in the 📝 comments below!
Baked Chicken Pesto and Potatoes
Ingredients
For the Spinach Pesto:
- 3 packed cups packed fresh spinach
- ½ cup raw walnut halves
- ½ cup shredded Parmesan cheese, omit for Paleo and/dairy-free/Whole 30
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder, omit for Low-FODMAP
- Pinch of coarse sea salt
- Pinch of ground black pepper
- 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice, about 1 lemon
- ½ cup extra-virgin olive oil
For the Sheet Pan Dinner:
- 1 1/2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken thighs
- 1 1/2 pounds red potatoes
- 1 tablespoons olive oil, divided
- 1 3/4 teaspoon coarse sea salt, divided
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper, divided
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375 F.
- Clean the potatoes then cut into 1/2 inch cubes. Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper, then place the potatoes on the baking sheet and toss with olive oil, 3/4 teaspoon coarse sea salt, and black pepper. Spread the potatoes across the pan and bake for 20 minutes.
- While the potatoes are cooking, make the pesto. Place the spinach, walnuts, Parmesan, garlic powder, salt, and pepper in a food processor. Pulse until the mixture has a coarse, sandlike texture. Then, add the lemon juice to food processor, then turn it to high speed and slowly drizzle in the olive oil. Keep the food processor running for an additional minute, until a smooth consistency is achieved.
- Coat the chicken with 1/3 cup pesto and 1 teaspoon coarse sea salt.
- Remove the potatoes from the oven, then add the chicken to the pan. Bake for 25 minutes, until potatoes are easily pierced with a fork and chicken is fully cooked through. Remove from oven and serve with additional pesto.
Recipe Notes
- You can substitute an equal amount of arugula or kale for the spinach in this recipe.
Nutrition
Loved this recipe! Next time I will leave one chicken without the pesto for a picky eater but overall delicious!
I’m so glad you loved it, Barb! Anything with pesto gets my approval!!
I’m wondering if you have a low carb/non-potato recommendation. My husband has type 2 diabetes and has to avoid potatoes. Thanks!
Cauliflower florets would be yummy here, Heather!
Made this last night but with jarred pesto I needed to use up. So easy and quick to throw together! Great use for pesto and the chicken thighs only took 20 minutes in my oven!
Tasty and quick is always a win!
Huge hit with the family! The chicken was so flavorful and everything cooked perfectly. Served it with corn on the cob.
So glad to hear that, Sarah! Thank you for sharing this with us!
Any recommendations on subbing walnuts for a nut free option? (Sunflower seeds or pepitas maybe?) I know pesto typically has nuts but looking for an option for our nut-free fam!
Sunflower seeds would work, Leigh! Enjoy!
What are the nutrition facts for this recipe?
Just added them to the recipe card, Elise!
Thank you so much Brandi! I just made it the other night when I had some guests coming over and it was so delicious!!! Everyone loved it!
Wahoo!! So glad to hear that, Elise!!
This is the most delicious pesto ever! I was just eating it by the spoonful!!
Hi! Just leaving a comment to let y’all know that potatoes are nightshades! So actually this isn’t a nightshade free recipe, even though it’s tagged as one.
Thank you Alex! Edited 🙂
I haven’t made this whole recipe yet, but I did use your spinach pesto last week with zucchini noodles — it turned out great! I love the flexibility of using something else when I can’t get basil. Thanks for the recipe!
Glad you liked it Kristen!