Chicken Pesto Rice Bowl (Printable)

Tender pesto chicken over warm rice with fresh tomatoes and Parmesan. A simple, flavorful Italian-inspired bowl ready in 35 minutes.

# What You'll Need:

→ Chicken

01 - 1.1 lbs boneless, skinless chicken breast, cut into bite-sized pieces
02 - 1 tablespoon olive oil
03 - 1/2 teaspoon salt
04 - 1/4 teaspoon black pepper

→ Pesto

05 - 1/2 cup basil pesto
06 - 2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese, optional

→ Rice

07 - 2 cups cooked white or brown rice, warm

→ Toppings

08 - 2 medium tomatoes, diced
09 - 2 tablespoons pine nuts, toasted, optional
10 - Fresh basil leaves for garnish

# How To Make It:

01 - Season chicken pieces evenly with salt and black pepper
02 - Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add seasoned chicken and sauté for 6 to 8 minutes until golden brown and cooked through
03 - Reduce heat to low, add basil pesto, and stir continuously to coat chicken evenly. Cook for 1 to 2 minutes until heated through
04 - Divide warm rice among four serving bowls, creating an even base
05 - Top each rice portion with pesto-coated chicken, diced tomatoes, and optional Parmesan cheese and toasted pine nuts
06 - Garnish generously with fresh basil leaves and serve immediately while warm

# Expert Suggestions:

01 -
  • It tastes like you spent an hour on it but really it's just tossing hot chicken with pesto and calling it dinner.
  • The tomatoes add this juicy freshness that keeps every bite from feeling too rich or heavy.
  • You can make it with whatever rice you have sitting in the rice cooker and it still works perfectly.
  • It's one of those recipes that looks impressive in a bowl but doesn't dirty up your whole kitchen.
02 -
  • Don't add the pesto while the heat is still high or it can separate and lose that creamy texture, low heat keeps it silky.
  • Warm rice is key, cold rice makes the whole bowl feel sad and the pesto chicken cools down too fast.
  • If your pesto tastes too strong or salty, a squeeze of lemon juice over the finished bowl mellows it out and adds brightness.
03 -
  • Toast your pine nuts in a dry skillet over medium heat and watch them closely, they go from golden to burnt in about ten seconds.
  • If your pesto is really thick, stir in a teaspoon of the pasta water or chicken broth to loosen it up before tossing with the chicken.
  • Cutting the chicken into even sized pieces means everything cooks at the same rate and you won't end up with some pieces dry and others undercooked.
Go Back