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

  • Paige
    September 24, 2021

    These were absolutely delicious but did anyone else have trouble with the thickness of the chicken? I had large breasts and they didn’t roll up like Miss Natasha’s. And even as big as they were I did the less a time of 13 minutes and they were over done. Against DELICIOUS!!!! But I would like to get them to look better. Oh, and be sure to add the cherry tomatoes.

    Reply

    • Natashas Kitchen
      September 25, 2021

      Hi Paige, you want to get them as thin as you can – make sure you cut your large breasts into two or three if very large and then pound each one down even more to 1/8″ thickness. Regarding it cooking too fast, was the temperature possibly too high?

      Reply

  • Teresa
    September 16, 2021

    Love love love the pesto chicken. Made in iron skillet so good. I did add a splash of wine to it couple minutes before final removal from oven. Salad, pasta and crunchy on the outside, soft on the inside bread on the side. Delicious! But no surprise, has never made any recipe from Natasha that wasn’t!!!!

    Reply

    • Natasha's Kitchen
      September 17, 2021

      Thanks for your good feedback, Teresa. Glad you’re enjoying the recipes that you tried!

      Reply

  • Gail Urban
    August 23, 2021

    Can’t wait to make!! Such a summery, luscious twist to a chicken fontaine blu recipe. The pesto and field tomatoes…make it fabulous! Gail, Hamilton, Ont.

    Reply

    • Natashas Kitchen
      August 23, 2021

      The perfect summer dinner! I hope you love it, Gail!

      Reply

  • Brent
    August 8, 2021

    natasha I made this last night for the family it was amazing and so simple. i will be trying more of your recipes they all look so good thanks

    Reply

    • Natasha's Kitchen
      August 8, 2021

      Thanks for sharing that with us, Brent. Glad you and your family enjoyed this recipe!

      Reply

  • Meri Jo
    August 6, 2021

    I made this tonight and it was fantastic. I used your pesto recipe as well(so yummy). My husband doesn’t even like pesto. The tomatoes on top were so sweet after roasting.

    Reply

    • Natashas Kitchen
      August 7, 2021

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

      Reply

  • Charity Smith
    May 26, 2021

    WOW, just WOW. AMAZING recipe as always. Your recipe’s never let me down. Thank you for giving us great recepies, they make us feel like we’re gourmet chef’s! They do me anyways! Lol.

    Reply

    • Natashas Kitchen
      May 26, 2021

      You’re welcome Charity! I’m so happy you enjoyed this recipe. Thank you for sharing that with us!

      Reply

  • Angela Reynolds
    May 6, 2021

    My husband is not a fan of chicken, but he loves this recipe. I now make this once a week. Very delicious!!

    Reply

    • Natashas Kitchen
      May 6, 2021

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

      Reply

  • Elizabeth
    February 26, 2021

    Omg YUMMMMMMY. I’m 56 years old and cook a lot and well, but this is a too 10 favorite thing I e ever cooked. I had a 6 ounce jar of organic pesto (check ingredients find one with basil and olive oil as first ingredients. Some use spinach and sunflower oils. Ewww. Most use cashew. This has pine nuts and cashew.) I only used two chicken breasts so it made 4 servings. I cooked 1/2 lbs of whole wheat pasta and mixed all the left over jarred pesto and a sprinkle of Parmesan. Served with airfried asparagus with garlic lemon and olive oil. Delicious

    Reply

    • Natasha's Kitchen
      February 26, 2021

      Perfect! Thanks for sharing your experience and great feedback with us, Elizabeth. We appreciate your review!

      Reply

  • Elaine
    February 25, 2021

    Gotta try this one! I’ve done this with sun-dried tomatoes and feta but never with pesto! I love all your recipes! Дякою!

    Reply

    • Natasha's Kitchen
      February 25, 2021

      Thank you, I’m glad to hear that you’re enjoying my recipes! I hope you like this one too.

      Reply

  • Sue elliott
    February 23, 2021

    delicious

    Reply

    • Natasha's Kitchen
      February 23, 2021

      Thanks, Sue!

      Reply

  • Sue elliott
    February 23, 2021

    Your dishes I have cooked are delicious

    Reply

    • Natasha's Kitchen
      February 23, 2021

      I’m glad you’re enjoying them, Sue!

      Reply

  • Roger E Cowan
    February 21, 2021

    I made this today, and delivered it to my adult children! Needless to say, they absolutely loved it! Excellent! I added some red onion to a couple of them for added flavor, and it worked also. Thanks for the recipe!

    Reply

    • Roger E Cowan
      February 21, 2021

      My son-in-law said it tasted like it came from a 5 Star Italian restaurant!

      Reply

      • Natasha's Kitchen
        February 22, 2021

        Wow! That’s so great, thanks for the amazing comment.

        Reply

    • Natasha's Kitchen
      February 22, 2021

      Hi Roger, you are very welcome. I’m happy to know that they all loved this recipe!

      Reply

  • Monique
    February 19, 2021

    made this last week and the family loved it! super easy and love when I have all the ingredients on hand…thank you for your yummy recipes!

    Reply

    • Natashas Kitchen
      February 19, 2021

      You’re welcome, Monique! I’m glad you enjoyed it.

      Reply

  • Annemarie
    February 3, 2021

    Seriously, one of The BEST chicken dishes I have ever tasted. So amazing & mouth-watering… fabulous for “company,” too! ++++

    Reply

    • Natasha's Kitchen
      February 4, 2021

      Yay, that is so awesome! Thank you so much for your great feedback, Annemarie.

      Reply

  • Dee
    January 23, 2021

    Fantastic and easy! My husband said – this is the top 3 recipes I’ve ever tasted. Thank you!

    Reply

    • Natashas Kitchen
      January 23, 2021

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

      Reply

  • Ronda
    January 10, 2021

    Made this for my son & daughter-in-law after the birth of their baby. They loved it! Didn’t have large tomatoes, so I used Trader Joe’s sun dried tomatoes & TJ’s Pesto sauce. It was a hit and will make again. Had more than enough for dinner for 3. Then froze the left overs so they could have another meal. It seems to freeze well.

    Reply

    • Natasha's Kitchen
      January 10, 2021

      Thank you for sharing that with us, Ronda. It’s great to hear that your family loved this recipe! Thank you for sharing.

      Reply

  • Kurt Henneck
    December 13, 2020

    This recipe was a hit, despite my lack of skill in one aspect of the preparation. Besides being somewhat sloppy to handle (again, my fault) it tasted great. I look forward to making it better on my next try.

    Reply

    • Natasha's Kitchen
      December 13, 2020

      I’m sure you did great, Kurt! Thanks for sharing that with us.

      Reply

  • Jim Martin
    December 1, 2020

    Is that a cast-iron roasting pan with a plastic handle you used. The manufactures name??

    Reply

    • Natasha's Kitchen
      December 1, 2020

      Hi Jim, this was the Staub braiser and we LOVE it! It’s very versatile

      Reply

      • Colleen Rowan
        July 21, 2021

        Are you using Kirkland chicken breasts here?

        Reply

        • Natasha
          July 22, 2021

          Hi Colleen, these were a little smaller than the kirkland ones I believe. The Kirkland brand ones from Costco are definitely very large, but they would still work here and you’d get larger roll-ups which would need slightly longer cooking time. For reference, 4 chicken breasts in this recipe weighed 2 lbs.

          Reply

  • Rosemary Ford
    November 26, 2020

    Made this last night and will be saved in my ‘keeper’ list! Thanks very much for creating this it was very well received!

    Reply

    • Natasha's Kitchen
      November 26, 2020

      You’re so welcome, Rosemary. I’m happy to know that you loved the roll ups!

      Reply

  • Pjay99
    November 17, 2020

    What an impressive dish! We loved it.

    Reply

    • Natashas Kitchen
      November 17, 2020

      That’s so great! I’m so glad you enjoyed this recipe!

      Reply

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