Pesto Chicken Recipe

Quick, easy, and can be made in advance. This pesto chicken recipe is loaded with added bonuses like bacon and crème fraîche. It poaches in a foil bag to retain the moisture, and browns at the last second. You and your guests will love it!

Prep Time: 10 mins

Cook Time: 1 hr

Difficulty: Easy

Serves: 2 People

Ingredients

  • Chicken Breasts - 2

  • Streaky Bacon - 8 rashes

  • Pesto - 75g

  • Crème Fraîche - 75g

  • (Optional) Garlic Paste - 2 tsp

  • (Optional) Dried Thyme - 1 tsp

  • (Optional) Grain Mustard - 2 tsp

  • Fresh Basil - to serve

  • Salt and pepper

Method

Pesto Chicken Step One - Bacon

Pre-heat the oven to 180°C / 355°F for a fan oven.

Tear off a large rectangle of foil (enough to wrap the chicken in with plenty of room) and on top of that place a smaller rectangle of grease proof paper. Do this for each of the chicken breasts (so for this recipe you’ll need 2 squares; if you’re cooking for 4 people then 4 squares).

Place 4 rashers of back next to each other on the grease proof paper (ie. 2 rashers on each square).

 

Pesto Chicken Step Two - Butterfly Chicken

Next up is to flatten the chicken. To do this we’ll butterfly cut the chicken breast.

Place the chicken breast on a chopping board and with your hand on top of the chicken, cut horizontally across the middle of the chicken about two-thirds of the way into the chicken.

Then fold the chicken open; like a butterfly, and flatten with a rolling pin / back of the knife.

For more instructions / photos on how to butterfly cut chicken, see the BBC Food’s website here.

 

Pesto Chicken STEP Three - Loaded

Place one chicken breast on each of the bacon parcels.

Place onto each of the chicken breasts: 1 tbsp of pesto, 2 tbsp of crème fraîche, and (if you’re using them) split the optional ingredients of garlic paste, thyme and mustard across the two chicken breasts as well.

Using a spoon or your hands mix the ingredients together and rub into the top side of the chicken.

 

Pesto Chicken STEP Four - That’s a Wrap

Fold the chicken back together with the paste inside, and wrap the bacon around it.

Turn the chicken / bacon over so the loose ends of the bacon rashers are on the bottom, and rub another tablespoon of pesto on the top.

 

Pesto Chicken STEP Five - Foil Parcel

Seal the foil around the chicken (like a foil Cornish Pasty), leaving some room in the foil for the chicken to steam as it cooks.

Fold the edges over a couple of times to stop steam escaping, but jut bear in mind, you’ll have to open the foil part-way through cooking, so don’t make it too hard to open.

Place in the oven and cook for 40 minutes.

 

 

PEsto Chicken STEP SIX - Opening Up

Opening Up.jpg

After the chicken’s been cooking for 40 minutes, remove from the oven and open up the foil.

Return to the oven to allow the chicken to cook uncovered for another 20 minutes. This will allow the chicken and bacon to brown and the sauce to reduce.

 

Pesto Chicken STEP Seven - Pesto CHicken

Pesto Chicken.jpg

Once the chicken and bacon have browned, remove from the oven and serve, pouring over the sauce from the foil parcel and a few leaves of basil.

And that’s it, hope you enjoy!