This recipe for Pesto Prosciutto Chicken Breasts features a dairy-free roasted garlic pesto for a big flavor boost, and though it may look complicated, it comes together quickly with simple ingredients!
I hereby dedicate this pesto prosciutto chicken breasts recipe to all my fellow basil pesto lovers. Prosciutto lovers, too.
This past spring, Austin (my fiancé) and I put our heads together and decided that we’d start our own little backyard garden. He got to work building 3 impressively sturdy 4’x8’ wooden planters and I started my plant research. Though our garden needed another month of construction before it was ready for plants, I couldn’t WAIT to get started. I collected a variety of organic, non-GMO seeds and started the little cuties within the comfort of our own kitchen.
As it turns out, 30 well cared for basil sprouts turn into 30 MONSTROUS basil plants. I gave away the majority of my basil babies, but the 6 I kept have given me enough basil to last until next summer.
Insert my STRONG desire to develop another pesto-centered recipe for you all! Enter these pesto prosciutto chicken breasts.
The Roasted Garlic Pesto recipe I used in this chicken is a tried-and-true Fed+Fit classic from a few years back. It’s dairy-free and FULL of amazing flavor. I’ve re-listed the recipe here for quick reference! I highly recommend you make several batches at a time, especially if your basil is begging to be picked. To make use of whatever pesto you don’t use right away, pour it into an ice cube tray, freeze, and then store in a Ziploc bag for portioned-out pesto for when you need it!
Once the pesto is made, this whole recipe comes together in no time. I flattened two chicken breasts with a mallet until they were about ½”-thick, spooned the pesto along the center, and rolled it up in several pieces of delicious prosciutto. A quick wrap of kitchen twine holds it all together while it bakes to crispy, delicious perfection in the oven!
You can serve it alongside any vegetable you like. I chose the cauliflower mash from last year’s Fed+Fit Holiday Feast eBook!
Pro-tip: for the easiest stuffed-breast construction, I highly recommend you lay several cuts of 8”-long kitchen twine down on a piece of plastic wrap first. Lay the 6 pieces of prosciutto on top of the twine and the chicken breast on top of the prosciutto. Spoon in the pesto, and then use the plastic wrap to help you roll the whole thing together. It will resemble a small pork tenderloin when you’re finished.
Enjoy!
Pesto Prosciutto Chicken Breasts
Ingredients
Roasted Garlic Pesto Ingredients::
- 1 cup packed fresh basil leaves
- 1 garlic bulb
- 1/4 cup pine nuts
- 1 lemon juiced
- 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
- 1/4 teaspoon sea salt
- cracked pepper to taste
Pesto Prosciutto Chicken Breast Ingredients::
- 2 chicken breasts pounded to 1/2”-thick
- 12 pieces prosciutto
- 4 tablespoons roasted garlic pesto
- kitchen twine
Instructions
- Roasted Garlic Pesto Directions
- Preheat oven to 375 F.
- To roast the garlic: peel the outer layers of the garlic skin off leaving the cloves still attached. Cut the top of the bulb off. Cut the tops of cloves hiding on the side. Wrap in aluminum foil with the cut side up. Bake at 375 F (muffin pans work great to keep them upright) for 30-45 minutes. Remove from oven and let cool completely before you handle.
- Toast the pine nuts in a medium-sized pan over low heat. Stir them constantly and remove from heat when they’re slightly brown and fragrant. Careful, they can burn easily.
- Add basil, lemon juice, roasted garlic, ½ the EVOO, and toasted pine nuts to a food processor. Pulse until it’s evenly combined.
- Add the salt, pepper, and remaining EVOO to the food processor. Pulse until it’s smooth and creamy.
- Use right away or spoon into an ice cube tray to freeze and store in a Zipoc bag for easy access in the future.
Pesto Prosciutto Chicken Breast Directions:
- Lay several cuts of 8”-long kitchen twine down on a piece of plastic wrap first. Lay the 12 pieces of prosciutto on top of the twine and the chicken breast on top of the prosciutto.
- Spoon the pesto along the long center of the chicken and then use the plastic wrap to help you roll the whole thing together. It will resemble a small pork tenderloin when you’re finished.
- Place the stuffed breasts on a parchment paper-lined baking sheet.
- Bake at 375 F for 35 minutes.
- Let it rest for about 5 minutes, cut the twine away, slice and serve!
Nutrition
Love this recipe! The chicken came out so moist and tender and the prosciutto add a nice bit of saltiness to the chicken. I’m adding this into my meal rotation. Thanks for sharing such a great recipe!
So glad you loved it Sandra! Thanks so much for trying it 🙂