Chicken Pesto Rice Bowl (Print Version)

Tender basil pesto chicken served over warm rice with fresh tomatoes and toasted pine nuts. Gluten-free and ready in 35 minutes.

# What You Need:

→ Chicken

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

→ Pesto

05 - 1/2 cup basil pesto
06 - 2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese

→ Rice

07 - 2 cups cooked white or brown rice, warm

→ Toppings

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

# How To Make:

01 - Season chicken pieces evenly with salt and black pepper.
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 to the skillet, and stir thoroughly to coat chicken evenly. Cook for 1 to 2 minutes until pesto is heated through.
04 - Divide warm rice equally among four serving bowls.
05 - Top each rice bowl with pesto-coated chicken, diced tomatoes, Parmesan cheese, and toasted pine nuts.
06 - Garnish each bowl with fresh basil leaves and serve immediately.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • It tastes like restaurant quality but uses ingredients you probably already have sitting around.
  • The pesto does all the heavy lifting for flavor, so you don't need to fuss with complicated spice blends.
  • You can have it on the table in half an hour, even on a weeknight when you're running on fumes.
  • It's flexible enough to swap in whatever vegetables or proteins you have on hand without losing that comforting, vibrant vibe.
02 -
  • Don't crank the heat too high when adding the pesto or it'll break and turn oily instead of staying creamy and coating the chicken.
  • If your rice is cold, the pesto won't melt into it the way it should, so always reheat it or use freshly cooked rice.
  • Cut your chicken into even pieces or some will be overcooked and dry while others are still undercooked, which I learned the hard way my first attempt.
03 -
  • Toast your pine nuts in a dry skillet over medium heat for just two or three minutes, shaking the pan constantly, because they go from golden to burnt in seconds.
  • If you want extra richness, stir a tablespoon of butter into the rice before assembling the bowls, it makes everything taste more luxurious.
  • A squeeze of fresh lemon juice over the finished bowl brightens everything up and cuts through the richness of the pesto in the best way.
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