Chicken, Italian, Main

Chicken Margherita

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Chicken Margherita is an easy and delicious meal bursting with cherry tomatoes, gooey mozzarella cheese, and garlicky pesto. From start to finish, this is a true one-pan meal that’s packed with flavor. It is based on one of my favorite styles of pizza, which I occasionally put chicken on to add some additional “chewy protein.” 

Serve it with some pasta for a complete meal, I prefer something elegant like butterfly or angel hair.  In addition, you can try your hand at some breadsticks, so you can really feel like you’re at Olive Garden, but your entre’ will be so much better. 

Use a store-bought pesto to make meal prep easy or go completely homemade. If you want to go that route, garden-grown basil at the end of summer is perfect for going into big batches of pesto that you can enjoy later in the year.

Chicken Margherita
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Chicken Margherita

Course: MainCuisine: ItalianDifficulty: Easy
Servings

4

servings
Prep time

15

minutes
Cooking time

25

minutes
Total time

40

minutes

Chicken Margherita is an easy and delicious meal bursting with cherry tomatoes, gooey mozzarella cheese, and garlicky pesto.

Ingredients

  • 1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breast

  • 1 teaspoon dried oregano

  • 1/4 teaspoon salt, or to taste

  • 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper, or to taste

  • 1 tablespoon olive oil

  • 1/4 cup white wine

  • 4 tablespoons butter

  • 3 cloves garlic, minced

  • 2 tablespoons lemon juice

  • 1/2 pound fresh mozzarella, sliced

  • 1 cup pesto sauce

  • 2 cups cherry tomatoes, quartered

  • 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese, grated

Directions

  • Season the chicken breasts with dried oregano, salt, and pepper. Preheat the oven to 400 F.
  • Heat the olive oil in a large cast-iron skillet or sauté pan on medium-high heat. Add the chicken to the pan and brown it on both sides for 3 to 5 minutes. 
  • Remove the chicken from the pan and place it on a plate. Turn down the heat, add the white wine to the pan, and deglaze it by scraping at the browned bits on the bottom. Add the butter, garlic and lemon juice as well. Cook for 2 to 3 minutes, or until the butter is completely melted and the garlic is fragrant.
  • Add the chicken back to the pan and top each piece with an equal amount of the fresh mozzarella. Place it in the preheated oven until the top of the cheese is melted and slightly browned.
  • Top each chicken breast with an equal amount of the pesto, cherry tomatoes, and Parmesan cheese. Serve immediately with a side salad, pasta, or bread to make it a complete meal. 

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