Have you discovered Pesto Chicken?! These chicken pesto roll ups are stuffed with cheese, juicy tomatoes and pesto sauce! This pesto chicken tastes like fine dining with Tuscan flavors but they are so easy to make.

Pesto Chicken. Must-try Chicken Pesto Roll Ups! Stuffed with cheese, juicy tomatoes and pesto! Chicken Pesto Roll Ups taste like fine dining, but are so easy to make. | natashaskitchen.com

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This is my sister, Svetlana’s pesto chicken recipe. She sent me a photo of her dinner last week and I set out to recreate it right away. My Mother (who was trained in the culinary arts), was particularly smitten with this recipe. Mom’s rave reviews are especially valuable to me. 🙂

Chicken Pesto Roll Ups Recipe:

These chicken roll ups are simple enough for weeknight cooking but are also special occasion worthy!

Pesto Chicken Recipe. These Chicken Pesto Roll Ups are stuffed with cheese, juicy tomatoes and pesto!

Ingredients for Pesto Chicken Roll Ups:

The list of ingredients in this pesto chicken is short and uncomplicated: Chicken, simple seasoning, shredded mozzarella and tomatoes. P.S. We fell in love with homemade pesto sauce but the one from Costco also works really well.

Must-try Chicken Pesto Roll Ups! Stuffed with cheese, juicy tomatoes and pesto! Chicken Pesto Roll Ups taste like fine dining, but are so easy to make. | natashaskitchen.com

How to Make Chicken Pesto Roll-Ups:

1. Preheat oven to 425˚F. Cut each chicken breast in half lengthwise so you have 8 thin chicken cutlets. Pound each cutlet in a quart sized ziploc bag or between 2 sheets of plastic wrap to 1/8″ thick. Season both sides of your thin cutlets with garlic salt and black pepper.

Two photos of chicken on a cutting board covered in silicon wrap and a meat hammer in one photo

2. Spoon and spread 1 Tbsp pesto in the center of each cutlet, top with 2 thin slices of tomato and sprinkle with 2-3 Tbsp shredded mozzarella cheese. Roll the chicken up as tightly as you can and seal ends with a toothpick.

Must-try Chicken Pesto Roll Ups! Stuffed with cheese, juicy tomatoes and pesto! Chicken Pesto Roll Ups taste like fine dining, but are so easy to make. | natashaskitchen.com

3. Preheat a large oven-safe skillet over medium/high heat with 1 Tbsp oil and 1 Tbsp butter. Add chicken roll-ups and sear on both sides until golden (4 min per side for a total of 8 minutes on the stove).

Must-try Chicken Pesto Roll Ups! Stuffed with cheese, juicy tomatoes and pesto! Chicken Pesto Roll Ups taste like fine dining, but are so easy to make. | natashaskitchen.com

4. Sprinkle tops with remaining cheese and scatter 1 cup of baby tomatoes over the top. Place the oven-safe skillet on the center rack of your preheated oven and bake 425˚F for 13-15 minutes (13 minutes for these medium chicken breasts and 15 minutes for larger chicken breasts, or until internal temperature of chicken reaches 160˚F on an instant-read thermometer.

Must-try Chicken Pesto Roll Ups! Stuffed with cheese, juicy tomatoes and pesto! Chicken Pesto Roll Ups taste like fine dining, but are so easy to make. | natashaskitchen.com

To serve, remove toothpicks then plate chicken pesto roll ups, spooning pan juices and roasted tomatoes over the top and garnish with freshly chopped basil. Serve with mashed potatoes and roasted asparagus for a fancy (but simple) dinner!

Watch How to Make Chicken Pesto Roll Ups:


Is your mouth watering yet??

⬇Print-Friendly Chicken Pesto Roll-Ups Recipe:

Chicken Pesto Roll-Ups (VIDEO)

4.94 from 163 votes
Author: Natasha of NatashasKitchen.com
These chicken pesto roll ups are stuffed with cheese, juicy tomatoes and pesto sauce! These taste like fine dining with Tuscan flavors but they are so easy to make.
Prep Time: 19 minutes
Cook Time: 21 minutes
Total Time: 40 minutes

Ingredients 

Servings: 8 chicken roll-ups
  • 2 lbs chicken breasts, (4 medium/large chicken breasts)
  • 1 tsp Garlic Salt, (or to taste)
  • 1/4 tsp Black Pepper, (or to taste)
  • 1/2 cup Pesto sauce, (about 8 Tbsp total)
  • 8 oz Mozzarella cheese, shredded,, (reserve 2 oz for topping)
  • 2 tomatoes (medium), thinly sliced into 16 rings
  • 1 cup cherry tomatoes, optional
  • 1 Tbsp Fresh basil leaves, shredded, optional garnish
  • 1 Tbsp olive oil
  • 1 Tbsp unsalted butter

Instructions

  • Preheat oven to 425˚F. Cut chicken breast in half lengthwise so you have 8 thin chicken cutlets. Pound each cutlet in a quart sized ziploc bag or between 2 sheets of plastic wrap into 1/8" thick cutlets. Season both sides of chicken with garlic salt and black pepper.
  • Spoon and spread 1 Tbsp pesto in the center of each cutlet, top with 2 thin tomato slices and sprinkle with 2-3 Tbsp mozzarella cheese. Roll the chicken up tightly and seal ends with a toothpick.
  • Preheat large oven-safe skillet over medium/high heat with 1 Tbsp oil and 1 Tbsp butter. Add chicken roll-ups and sear on both sides until golden (4 min per side or 8 minutes total on the stove).
  • Sprinkle tops with remaining cheese and 1 cup of cherry tomatoes. Place the skillet on the center rack of oven and bake 425˚F for 13-15 minutes (13 min for these these medium chicken breasts and 15 min for larger chicken breasts, or until internal temp of chicken reaches 160˚F on instant-read thermometer.

Notes

To serve, remove toothpicks then plate chicken pesto roll-ups, spooning pan juices and roasted tomatoes over the top and garnish with freshly chopped basil. Serve with mashed potatoes and asparagus for a fancy (but simple) dinner!

Nutrition Per Serving

295kcal Calories3g Carbs32g Protein16g Fat5g Saturated Fat95mg Cholesterol745mg Sodium520mg Potassium1g Sugar765IU Vitamin A7.8mg Vitamin C256mg Calcium0.7mg Iron
Nutrition Facts
Chicken Pesto Roll-Ups (VIDEO)
Amount per Serving
Calories
295
% Daily Value*
Fat
 
16
g
25
%
Saturated Fat
 
5
g
31
%
Cholesterol
 
95
mg
32
%
Sodium
 
745
mg
32
%
Potassium
 
520
mg
15
%
Carbohydrates
 
3
g
1
%
Sugar
 
1
g
1
%
Protein
 
32
g
64
%
Vitamin A
 
765
IU
15
%
Vitamin C
 
7.8
mg
9
%
Calcium
 
256
mg
26
%
Iron
 
0.7
mg
4
%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
Course: Dinner, Main Course
Cuisine: American
Keyword: chicken pesto roll-ups
Skill Level: Easy
Cost to Make: $$
Calories: 295
Natasha's Kitchen Cookbook

If you make this recipe, I’d love to see pics of your creations on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter! Hashtag them #natashaskitchen

Must-try Chicken Pesto Roll Ups! Stuffed with cheese, juicy tomatoes and pesto! Chicken Pesto Roll Ups taste like fine dining, but are so easy to make. | natashaskitchen.com

Q: Have you tried Pesto Chicken?

P.S. These chicken pesto roll ups reheat really well if you’re lucky enough to have leftovers! I hope you and your family love these easy, excellent chicken pesto roll-ups.

If you love chicken, check out this popular one-pan Chicken Madeira and all of our favorite chicken recipes HERE.

Must-try Chicken Pesto Roll Ups! Stuffed with cheese, juicy tomatoes and pesto! Chicken Pesto Roll Ups taste like fine dining, but are so easy to make. | natashaskitchen.com
4.94 from 163 votes (29 ratings without comment)

Leave a Comment

Recipe Rating




Comments

  • Elena
    January 6, 2018

    delicious! they turned out really good, Thanks Natasha for sharing your wonderful recipes.

    Reply

    • Natasha's Kitchen
      January 7, 2018

      You’re welcome Elena! I’m glad you enjoy the recipe. Thanks for sharing your great review!

      Reply

  • Laura
    December 27, 2017

    WOW! ABSOLUTELY AMAZING! Definitely a recipe to impress when having company over.
    I learned that its important to make sure to pound the chicken slices thinner then you think they should be so theres no pink in the middle. Used a mandolin slicer to slice really thin tomatoes–made it easier to roll up. Oh…and my house smelled like an Italian restaurant. 🙂 My family LOVED these! Thanks for the recipe. 🙂

    Reply

    • Natasha's Kitchen
      December 28, 2017

      My pleasure Laura! I’m glad to hear how much you enjoy the recipe. Thanks for sharing your fantastic review with other readers!

      Reply

  • Stephanie Marsh
    December 27, 2017

    This is the best!!! I have made it several times and it’s a great dish. It’s an easy delicious, foolproof dish. For anyone who likes pesto, this is a GREAT dish to make. It’s easy to follow the recipe and you can’t go wrong with it.

    Reply

    • Natasha's Kitchen
      December 28, 2017

      I’m happy to hear how much you love the recipe Stephanie! Thanks for sharing your excellent review with other readers!

      Reply

  • w
    December 27, 2017

    I didn’t bother with the oven. Folded the tenderized chicken on over the pesto and mozzarella, (no tomates) and skillet fried on low heat with butter. Added lemon the end for a brown butter lemon sauce. Excellent.

    Reply

    • Natasha's Kitchen
      December 27, 2017

      I’m happy to hear the recipe is a success. Thanks for sharing your great review!

      Reply

    • Ann
      January 4, 2018

      I haven’t tried yet, but I think I would stick with the stove…adding a cup of white wine and letting it reduce to half would give a lovely sauce…very similar to a basic chicken in white wine sauce but I love the stuffing of pesto, tomatoes, and cheese…definitely going to try!

      Reply

  • Lisa
    December 27, 2017

    Do you know how many calories this didn’t would be, approx. per chicken?

    Reply

    • Natasha's Kitchen
      December 27, 2017

      Due to time constraints, I don’t typically include nutritional info, but check out this nutrition analyzer – you can plug in the ingredients from any recipe, select the serving size and it will give you nutritional info, calories, etc. I hope that is helpful to you!

      Reply

  • Kimberly Gandara
    December 26, 2017

    I made this for Christmas dinner. It was excellent. I only had chive and onion cream cheese and it gave the dish that extra burst of flavor. My husband could not stop raving about this dish.

    Reply

    • Kimberly Gandara
      December 26, 2017

      I also added fresh spinach. Scrumptious!

      Reply

    • Natasha's Kitchen
      December 26, 2017

      I’m happy to hear you both enjoy the recipe. Thanks for sharing your great review!

      Reply

  • Kristin
    December 22, 2017

    I love these! Had some difficulty rolling and keeping the ingredients in the roll but I read your suggestions from another post and I’ll try those next time.

    Reply

    • Natasha
      natashaskitchen
      December 22, 2017

      Thank you for making them Kristin. Let me know how it goes next time. Have a great Christmas 😬

      Reply

  • Carolyn Schultz
    December 11, 2017

    I have made these 3 times in the last month and a half! So delicious!! How can you go wrong with anything with Pesto in it ;+). I also add a pint of sliced mushrooms when I add the grape tomatoes. They come out so buttery! My only challenge is still how to flatten the chicken breast where it will roll up so tight with the tomato slices and cheese in it. I try to cut them in half and flatten them but I tend to put holes in the chicken. But I’ll keep practicing because this recipe is so easy and delicious!! I serve it over a small amount of Angel Hair Pasta. Thank you for sharing this recipe!!

    Reply

    • Natasha
      natashaskitchen
      December 11, 2017

      Hi Carolyn, I’m so glad you loved the recipe enough to make it 3 times! Thanks for sharing that with us :). There are different sized chicken breasts – some smaller, some larger and the larger ones are definitely easier to pound and roll. Also, I keep the tomato slices really thin which helps in rolling and you might try sliced cheese instead of shredded and see if that makes the process even easier.

      Reply

  • Amanda
    December 5, 2017

    Do you know what the nutrition facts are for these? Especially the calories.

    Reply

    • Natasha
      natashaskitchen
      December 5, 2017

      Amanda, I don’t typically include calorie counts because of the time constraint that I have. I really need to hire some help to do that for me! When I need a quick answer though; I have used Caloriecount.com (their recipe analyzer is free).”

      Reply

      • Coni Carter
        January 8, 2019

        This page is showing the nutrition facts on it, but my question is it for 1 roll-up? In other words, how many in a serving?

        Reply

        • Natashas Kitchen
          January 8, 2019

          Hi Coni, Yes, that is for one roll. This recipe makes for 8 rolls or “8 servings”. I hope that helps.

          Reply

          • Coni Carter
            January 8, 2019

            yes, adding ingredients to my shopping list, can’t wait to try this!

  • Tori
    December 4, 2017

    Another amazing recipe Natasha! I am new to cooking, but following your recipes is always so easy 🙂

    Reply

    • Natasha's Kitchen
      December 4, 2017

      I’m glad to hear how much you’re enjoying the recipes! Thanks for following Tori!

      Reply

  • Paula Margonie
    December 2, 2017

    Wow!!!! We loved these Pesto Chicken Roll-Ups! This recipe is perfect and a keeper!!!

    Reply

    • Natasha
      natashaskitchen
      December 3, 2017

      Paula, thank you for the nice review and you are very welcome 😬

      Reply

  • nikki
    November 15, 2017

    Hello Natasha!
    I love watching your cooking 🙂
    I have to try your chicken pesto roll- i don’t know is it going to taste like yours BUT i will give it try 😛
    I buy at least 10 of the items on your Costco list. Those are great suggestions Thanks for sharing.

    Reply

    • Natasha's Kitchen
      November 16, 2017

      Hello Nikki! I’m glad to hear how much you’re enjoying my site! Please let me know what you think of the recipe! 🙂

      Reply

  • Michelle
    November 13, 2017

    Good Morning Natasha!
    Where do I begin??? I made your chicken pesto roll-ups for visiting family this weekend. They were a HUGE success! I did not have 1 bit of leftovers. My sister-n-law told me after dinner that she really doesn’t like chicken but this dinner was AMAZING and she might have to try other chicken dinners now :O)~ Thank you again for all your videos and recipes. I LOVE THEM!!!

    Reply

    • Natasha's Kitchen
      November 13, 2017

      Morning Michelle! My pleasure, I’m happy to hear how much everyone enjoys the recipe! Thanks for sharing your fantastic review!

      Reply

  • Liz
    November 12, 2017

    Thank goodness for you, I am becoming a wonderful cook.

    Reply

    • Natasha's Kitchen
      November 13, 2017

      Ahh, you’re so sweet! I’m glad to hear you’re enjoying the recipes Liz! Thanks for following and sharing your encouraging comments!

      Reply

  • Louise
    November 8, 2017

    Hi Natasha,
    I am going to make your Chicken Pesto Rollups tomorrow and was wondering if I could freeze some of them after I have cooked them. They sound delicious and would like to make extra to have in the freezer for the busy holidays ahead.

    Reply

    • Natasha
      natashaskitchen
      November 9, 2017

      Hi Louise, I haven’t tried freezing them so I’m not 100% sure how they would work after thawing and reheating. It will have to be an experiment :-). Let me know if you test that out! It sounds like a good idea!

      Reply

  • Sergio Alonzo
    November 6, 2017

    Made this yesterday, AMAZING flavor, was really hard to wrap and keep them rolled, i believed cut them a bit thick, regardless this dish added to my list of do again.

    Reply

    • Natasha's Kitchen
      November 6, 2017

      I’m glad to hear you enjoy the recipe Sergio! Thanks for sharing your great review! 🙂

      Reply

  • joan
    November 6, 2017

    Hi, I made this already, turned out great.
    Can I prepare the day before?

    Reply

    • Natasha
      natashaskitchen
      November 6, 2017

      Hi Joan, you can prepare everything up until the point you put it in the oven and let it cool instead then refrigerate overnight then bake the following day. Bake a few minutes longer if baking it chilled.

      Reply

  • barb sibila
    November 5, 2017

    I made the Pesto chicken. It was not as pretty as yours but the flavor was excellent!! I will be making this again very soon!

    Reply

    • Natasha's Kitchen
      November 6, 2017

      I’m glad you love the recipe Barb! Thanks so much for sharing! 🙂

      Reply

  • àààà
    November 2, 2017

    This looks so delicious, I will definitely try to make it. Can’t wait, Thank you so much.

    Reply

    • Natasha's Kitchen
      November 2, 2017

      You’re welcome! I hope you love it! Please let me know what you think of the recipe!

      Reply

  • Victoria Michitsch
    November 2, 2017

    These look amazing but my husband doesn’t like pesto do you think anything can be used to substitute the pesto? Thanks!

    Reply

    • Natasha
      natashaskitchen
      November 3, 2017

      Victoria, I really haven’t experienced with substitute my self and can’t think of anything of right now. Has anyone else tried using something else besides pesto?

      Reply

      • Don
        November 3, 2017

        Maybe an olive tapenade, or a sun dried tomato mixture? If it’s the basil he doesn’t like you might try making a pesto with thyme instead? Just thoughts…good luck!
        Don

        Reply

        • Don
          November 3, 2017

          BTW, I added prosciutto to mine and it was amazing. That may also be an alternative in addition to the previously posted options!
          Don

          Reply

          • Natasha
            natashaskitchen
            November 3, 2017

            YUM! That sounds really good!

        • Natasha
          natashaskitchen
          November 3, 2017

          Awesome!! Thanks Don! 🙂

          Reply

      • Linda
        May 9, 2018

        I don’t have a green pesto, but I do have a red pepper pesto which I’m planning to use. Would he like that? I also have a rollup recipe that uses cream cheese and minced garlic. It’s really good.

        Reply

        • Natasha
          natashaskitchen
          May 9, 2018

          Hi Linda, without testing it first, it is difficult to give a recommendation. If you experiment, let me know how you liked it! 🙂

          Reply

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