Air Fryer Pesto Chicken

This air fryer pesto chicken is such a delicious flavorful chicken that is easy to make! The whole family loves this delicious tender chicken made with simple ingredients that create a great flavor!

I love a quick and easy meal that is also delicious! This pesto air fryer chicken makes a tasty dinner or quick lunch that comes together easily!

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How to serve this chicken-

This chicken is super tasty on it’s own served up with a simple side of veggies or salad for a complete meal. It is also great served over your favorite pasta or even zucchini noodles for a low-carb dinner. You can also use it as a topping for pizza or to make a chicken pesto flatbread. I like to add some fresh cherry tomatoes and fresh mozzarella cheese for a perfect simple pizza!

Can I use chicken thighs?

Yes! In this recipe I used boneless skinless chicken breasts but you can also use boneless skinless chicken thighs. Chicken things are dark meat and have more fat content so the texture and flavor will be a little different, but still delicious!

Can I use premade pesto sauce?

Yes! I like to make homemade pesto sauce to make this chicken but you can easily swap it out for store-bought pesto. There are several brands you can get from the store from shelf stable jars like Prego basil pesto sauce or you can find refrigerated pesto in the produce section of many grocery stores.

Don’t overcook your chicken-

Depending on the size of your chicken, and your air fryer your cooking time may vary. Use a meat thermometer to check to make sure it is cooked to an internal temperature of 165. If you’re unsure you can do a test batch with a few pieces to see how long to cook your chicken and get the right timing.

Ingredients for Air Fryer Pesto Chicken

1 lb chicken breast

1 Cup of fresh basil

2 tbsp pine nuts

3 garlic cloves

4 tbsp grated Parmesan Cheese

1/3 cup olive oil

salt, black pepper

Here’s how to make this Air Fryer Pesto Chicken

To make the pesto–

Place basil leaves in a food processor add pine nuts, grated parmesan, a pinch of salt and pepper, chopped garlic cloves.

Pulse the food processor until the pesto is well blended.

Add in olive oil gradually pulsing between additions until you have a smooth pesto

Pat the chicken breast dry with paper towels, cut into small pieces and put in a bowl. Sprinkle with salt and pepper and stir to coat.

Pour the pesto sauce over the chicken and stir to coat. If desired reserve 1/4 of the sauce for serving.

Place the chicken in the basket of the air fryer, and cook for 10 minutes on 400

Turn the chicken pieces over and air fry for 4- 5 more minutes.

Remove from the air fryer and top with additional sauce or sprinkle of parmesan cheese if desired.

Store any leftovers refrigerated in an airtight container.