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)

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Recipe Rating




Comments

  • Jean Hershey
    October 13, 2020

    Never write reviews…BUT this is amazing! Saved to my “keepers” file.

    Made as written…tweeked by putting seared chicken on top of halfway cooked spaghetti (in oven proof bowl) and adding the sauce…then cooking in 375degree oven as stated. Added basil and about 3 T. Of olive oil to pasta.

    Reply

    • Natashas Kitchen
      October 13, 2020

      That’s so great! It sounds like you have a new favorite!

      Reply

  • Sarah M.
    October 6, 2020

    Hi Natasha. This recipe looks amazing. I would love to recreate your masterpiece; however, my family is anti-tomato. I personally love tomatoes. In order to please everyone, do you think I can substitute tomatoes with mushrooms? Or will that ruin the pesto flavor? I know someone earlier mentioned roasted red peppers. I would appreciate any feedback. Thanks again.

    Reply

    • Natasha's Kitchen
      October 6, 2020

      Hello Sarah, we love this recipe with tomatoes and haven’t tried without it yet but others commented and shared this. “Didn’t have regular tomatoes but substituted baby spinach leaves. Used fresh basil from the garden and homemade pesto. It smells wonderful. Thanks for this recipe!” I hope that helps.

      Reply

  • Nonna Nette
    September 28, 2020

    I would like to make your chicken pesto rollups for a dinner party, when they will be the third course and I have the following two questions:

    1) Could I substitute goat cheese for the mozzarella inside the rollup and continue to sprinkle mozzarella on top? Or use goat cheese within the roll-up and on top.

    2) Could I prepare the chicken up to Step 3 and then do step 4 (bake in oven) later?

    Please advise.

    Reply

    • Natasha
      September 29, 2020

      Hi Nonna, I haven’t tried this with goat cheese inside, but if you test it, please let me know how it goes. You can prep them ahead and bake later. That would work great.

      Reply

  • Bmarie
    September 11, 2020

    So I didn’t have tooth picks and really dont trust I have fully cooked rolled meat. Instead I fried the chicken cutlets flat then added the pesto and cherry tomatoes and put it in the oven until the tomatoes began to burst. Once that happened I sprinkled it all with cheese then put it in the broiler to brown it a bit. Served on side of plain spaghetti with butter. This was so good! Thanks for the inspiration ☺️

    Reply

    • Natashas Kitchen
      September 12, 2020

      You’re welcome! I’m so happy you enjoyed this recipe!

      Reply

  • Bev Jackson
    September 6, 2020

    Tried your chicken pesto roll-ups last night and served them to 3 good friends. They were a bit tricky to roll but were absolutely delicious and looked lovely , I will make them again

    Reply

    • Natasha's Kitchen
      September 6, 2020

      Hello Bev, thanks for sharing that with us. I am so glad that you and your friends loved this pesto roll!

      Reply

  • Blaine Maus
    August 27, 2020

    Great recipe !! I have made this dish about 5 times so i decided to mix things up a little bit by adding stuffing to each roll up and extra in the pan in the oven. Great results my son and i loved it and decided to keep it Try it its a fun new enjoy Natasha’s dish

    Reply

    • Natashas Kitchen
      August 27, 2020

      That’s just awesome! Thank you so much for sharing that with me!

      Reply

  • Pam
    August 27, 2020

    Made this last night, so good. I have made a couple other of your recipes. They are always so delicious!!

    Reply

    • Natashas Kitchen
      August 27, 2020

      I’m so happy to hear that Pam!

      Reply

  • Sherrie
    August 17, 2020

    I made this tonight. It was delicious. It had all our favorite things in it. Will surely make it again. So glad I have found your videos and recipes on Facebook.

    Reply

    • Natasha's Kitchen
      August 18, 2020

      Awesome! So happy to know that you enjoyed this recipe. Thanks for sharing!

      Reply

  • Teri
    August 16, 2020

    Delicious! I served it over PARMESAN, SUN-DRIED TOMATO, AND BASIL RICE – found on Pinterest.

    Reply

    • Natasha's Kitchen
      August 16, 2020

      That is great! Thanks for your good feedback.

      Reply

  • Debbie Moore
    August 2, 2020

    They are so good and excellent as leftovers. Don’t let the recipe intimidate you, it is easy!!!

    Reply

    • Natasha's Kitchen
      August 2, 2020

      I love it! Agreed, it looks intimidating but it’s easy once you get how it works. Thanks for sharing that with us, Debbie.

      Reply

  • Maureen
    July 29, 2020

    Tried this recipe for the first time tonight, and it was delicious!! Outstanding is more like it and two thumbs up from my family! I think I may have “overstuffed” my chicken breasts (LOL!). Not seeing your photo first Natasha, I rolled the breasts up, and literally had 3-4 toothpicks in each one so you can imagine how hard it was to brown them, not to mention when I took them out of the oven, I had to be real careful where I was cutting!! I used a large red heirloom tomato from a farmers market along with heirloom cherry tomatoes, and I used your homemade pesto recipe!! What a great flavorful recipe!!! Yum!!!!!!!!! Thank you!!

    Reply

    • Natashas Kitchen
      July 29, 2020

      I’m so happy you enjoyed this recipe, Maureen! I’m so glad you enjoyed that!

      Reply

  • Bonnie Kivett
    July 23, 2020

    Just had these and they were so good! With so much flavor, they were like a dish at a fancy restaurant. I followed your recipe and again, love that you list amounts in the instructions so I don’t have to scroll up & down. 5⭐️

    Reply

    • Natasha's Kitchen
      July 23, 2020

      Thank you so much for your great comments, Bonnie. We appreciate it!

      Reply

  • mary
    July 9, 2020

    Your recipes are great and your radiant personality only adds to them. I added sundried tomatoes to the chicken breasts instead of fresh ones and it was perfect. Thank you

    Reply

    • Natasha's Kitchen
      July 9, 2020

      Love it, Mary! Thank you so much for sharing that with us, we appreciate it!

      Reply

  • Tina
    May 30, 2020

    I love this chicken dish! Super easy and delicious! Thank you!

    Reply

    • Natashas Kitchen
      May 30, 2020

      I’m so glad you enjoyed that Tina!

      Reply

  • Blaine Maus
    April 26, 2020

    I made this dish tonight The Pesto stuffed chicken roll ups I changed it a little by adding Stuffing in the middle and used 4 inch bamboo pics VERY GOOD Yum
    Thanks for all ur work cooking great food !!

    Reply

    • Natasha's Kitchen
      April 26, 2020

      That is a good idea. Thanks for giving this recipe a try and great feedback!

      Reply

  • Lou
    April 22, 2020

    Delicious! I added garlic powder and more pesto to the drippings and served it over cooked whole wheat pasta.

    Reply

    • Natasha's Kitchen
      April 22, 2020

      Sounds yummy! Thanks for sharing that with u.

      Reply

  • Nancy
    March 29, 2020

    I’m making meals for the freezer. What is the best way to prepare this chicken? Should I prepare it right up to the baking time, then freeze and do the baking when ready to use?

    Reply

    • Natasha's Kitchen
      March 29, 2020

      Hi Nancy, 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

  • BRENDA
    March 8, 2020

    Another one I’d give more stars to! This was fantastic! I made it just as written and it was great. I already can’t wait to make it again-hubby loved it too. I’ve been cooking for almost 50 yrs but I can never have too many recipes, lol.

    Reply

    • Natashas Kitchen
      March 9, 2020

      That’s just awesome!! Thank you for sharing your wonderful review, Brenda!!

      Reply

      • Brenda
        May 17, 2020

        I have another comment-I’ve made this 2 more times but I changed it a bit: instead of the roll ups, I just put the breasts in a skillet and cooked them, then I topped with pesto and mozz cheese and tossed some cherry tomatoes in the pan and covered it until cheese melted. It’s still the same great taste but much easier to make. Thanks again for the recipe

        Reply

  • Luke
    February 20, 2020

    Can this be made in a slow cooker?

    Reply

    • Natasha's Kitchen
      February 20, 2020

      Hi Luke. I haven’t really tested that to advise but if you decide to experiment on it please share with us how it goes.

      Reply

  • stina
    October 1, 2019

    Absolutely amazing! So much flavored packed in these. Thank you for sharing!

    Reply

    • Natashas Kitchen
      October 1, 2019

      You’re welcome! I’m so glad you enjoyed that!

      Reply

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