If you love old-fashioned comfort food AND want to eat healthy, then this recipe is for you.
What makes this creamy pesto chicken so special
Unlike most pesto chicken recipes, this one adds the pesto at the very end. We do that so that the pesto stays a bright green color (rather than turning dark green like it does when cooked) AND so that the flavor remains fresh.Rather than pouring in a ton of unhealthy heavy cream and thickening it with flour, we mix store-bought cashew butter with some water. When the cashew cream cooks, it thickens to make a beautifully rich sauce.The neutral flavor of the cashew cream lets the pesto flavor shine through.Dotted with cherry tomatoes for extra veggies and a punch of color.A 30-minute dinner recipe that is loved by kids and adults alike.Leftovers are AMAZING!
How to make basil pesto chicken
This is a very simple recipe that you’ll be able to pull together in about 30 minutes. If you’re serving this with rice or mashed potatoes, start them first before you begin cooking the chicken.
What is cashew pesto cream sauce?
Only the best sauce ever! It’s a thick and luscious cream sauce flavored with delicious basil pesto. You’ll want to eat it by the spoonful. The amount of sauce in the recipe might seem a little overkill, but once you sit down to dinner, it will go fast. The cream part comes from mixing cashew butter (like peanut butter but made from cashews) with water. It has the consistency of milk but will turn thick and creamy once it cooks.
Our other favorite cashew-based cream sauces:
Dairy-Free Pork Chops and Mushroom Soup ← the recipe that started our obsession with cashew sauces!Creamy Cashew Butter ChickenCashew Cream of Mushroom SoupCashew Coconut Salmon Curry
What to serve with this pesto chicken recipe
We’ve eaten this pesto chicken several times all on its own and it’s delicious. But all that magical cream sauce really begs to be poured over something. Our favorites are:
Brown Butter Mashed Cauliflower (or even some plain mashed cauliflower)Smoky Roast PotatoesCauliflower rice (for me!) or regular rice (for everyone else!)Mashed potatoes
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Favorite Dairy-Free Chicken Recipes
Perfect Baked Chicken BreastsJuicy Baked Chicken ThighsHoney Garlic Chicken Creamy Coconut Chicken Curry20 Minute Cashew Chicken Zoodles
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