Chicken Pesto Roll Ups

Chicken Pesto Roll Ups are full of rich flavors from pesto, sun-dried tomatoes, and melted parmesan cheese.

❤️ Why You’ll Love This Recipe: These easy-to-make chicken roll ups are made with simple, flavorful ingredients you buy at the store. The pesto, sun-dried tomatoes and melted parmesan cheese transforms the chicken into something extra special. 

Update: We love this easy chicken breast recipe at our house, so I’ve updated the post with new photos and tips for the recipe!

How to Make Chicken Pesto Roll Ups

Pesto is a mixture of ground pine nuts, basil, oil and a few other choice herbs. It’s very flavorful and a little goes a long way. You can find it in the store or make your own!

The first step in assembling the roll-ups is to prepare the chicken by slicing each breast in half lengthwise creating two cutlets. 

Next, place each cutlet in between plastic wrap. Gently pound the cutlets with a meat tenderizer so they’re an even thickness about until ¼ inch thick.

Then add 2 teaspoons of pesto onto each chicken cutlet. Spread the pesto on each chicken breast so it is evenly covered. Finally, sprinkle on your sun-dried tomatoes and parmesan.

To close the wraps, gently roll each filled chicken filet, keeping the seams on the bottom. Sometimes during sauteing the rolls will want to come undone. If that happens, use toothpicks to keep them closed during sauteing and baking.

Sauteing the chicken rolls should give you a nice golden brown color. Be gentle when flipping each roll in the skillet so it stays together. If you notice any bits of tomato that fell out of the chicken, remove it from the pan before baking so they don’t burn.

Ingredient Notes

You can find pesto and sun-dried tomatoes in the same aisle as the pasta and pasta sauces. Typically they’re kept on a higher shelf as they are a specialty item and the jars are small.

Sun-dried tomatoes are just that, tomatoes dried in the sun (similar to a raisin). This process concentrates the flavor of the tomatoes and brings out their sweetness. They come in jars with oil.

Parmesan cheese is the perfect cheese for this recipe. A little goes a long way. Parmesan is strong and salty, making it the perfect complement to the savoriness of the tomatoes and pesto.

Fresh diced tomatoes and parsley are optional but add a bright and fresh taste. They balance the savory flavors of the chicken rolls perfectly as garnish.

Tip: If you like sauce, we recommend adding a drizzle of balsamic vinegar. A good quality balsamic should be thicker like maple syrup. A little goes a long way.

Serving Suggestions

Serve your chicken pesto roll-ups immediately. First, be sure to remove any toothpicks if you use them. Sprinkle with diced tomatoes, parmesan and parsley. Drizzle with balsamic vinegar an extra dose of sweet/savory flavor.

You can store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to three days.

A Note on Reheating 

Be careful when reheating stored roll-ups. Chicken breast is a lean meat and can dry quickly if overheated. Start by microwaving for 30 seconds and then continue to heat in 10-second intervals until desired temperature is reached. Or reheat pot in pot in an Instant Pot. 

More Easy Chicken Dinner Recipes

Try these quick and easy chicken recipes next:

• Crispiest Chicken Tenders are made in the air fryer with an ultra-crisp coating of breadcrumbs. 
• Chicken Cordon Bleu Melts are loaded with melty cheese and tender chicken breast.
• Kung Pao Chicken is a fast Asian-inspired recipe with diced chicken and colorful vegetables.

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Chicken Pesto Roll Ups

Chicken pesto roll ups with sun-dried tomatoes, dicedf tomato and seared chicken breast.

Prep Time10 mins

Cook Time20 mins

Total Time30 mins

Course: Beef

Cuisine: American

Servings: 6

Calories: 155kcal

Author: Barbara Bakes LLC

Cook ModePrevent your screen from going to sleep

Equipment

• RSVP International Endurance (NCP-6) Measuring Cups, Medium, Stainless Steel
• Victorinox Firbox Pro Chef’s Knife, 7.5 Inch, Black
• Lodge Cast Iron Skillet

Ingredients

• 3 large chicken breasts
• 6 tsp of prepared pesto
• ½ cup sun dried tomatoes chopped
• shredded Parmesan cheese
• salt and pepper to taste
• 1-2 tsps olive oil for pan

Instructions

• Ppreheat oven to 375º.
• Split each chicken breast into two pieces horizontally and place between 2 sheets of plastic wrap. Using the flat side of a mallet (tenderizer), gently pound chicken into ¼ inch thick cutlets. Season both sides with salt and pepper.
• Spread 1 teaspoon of prepared pesto over each chicken cutlet. Sprinkle the sun-dried tomatoes and shredded Parmesan cheese over the pesto. Starting from the small side, roll cutlet being careful to keep filling inside. Seal the opening with a toothpick if necessary. (These can be made ahead up and stored in the fridge for a few hours until ready to cook.)
• Heat 1 tabelspoon olive oil in an oven-proof skillet and gently place each chicken roll in hot pan. Cook each side until golden brown, using tongs to gently turn rolls. Once all sides of the chicken are seared to golden brown, place oven-proof skillet into the preheated oven. (If you do not have an oven-proof skillet, just transfer chicken into a baking dish greased with nonstick spray.)
• Cook chicken in the oven for approximately 20 -25 minutes or until chicken is completely cooked through and has an internal temperature of 165º.

Notes

adapted from Aggie’s Kitchen

Nutrition

Serving: 1g | Calories: 155kcal | Carbohydrates: 3g | Protein: 20g | Fat: 7g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 5g | Cholesterol: 53mg | Sodium: 139mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 2g