Description
Swap out your pine nuts for pistachios with this delicious and healthy pan seared chicken w/pistachio pesto.
Ingredients
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- 4 large boneless chicken breasts (mine totaled 3.85 pounds)
- 1-2 teaspoons salt, depending on size of chicken
- 1/2 teaspoon pepper
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil for cooking
Pistachio pesto
- 2 heaping cups of fresh basil leaves
- 1 1/2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice (maybe 1/2 a small lemon)
- 1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
- 1/3 cup parmesan shaker cheese (or fresh grated parm if you have it)
- 1 small garlic clove, grated (won’t need all of it - I used maybe 1/4 teaspoon total)
- 1/3 cup roasted salted pistachios
- Salt to taste (if needed)
NOTE: You’ll need a large pan with a lid for this.
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Instructions
- Make the pesto first. Add all pesto ingredients to a mini food processor and blend. Take a taste and adjust to your taste preference. I used roasted and salted pistachios so I felt it didn’t need more salt. I usually end up adding a little more oil. When you serve it in a bowl, pour a little extra olive oil over the top.
- Trim any fat from the boneless chicken breasts. Season both sides of the chicken with a light sprinkling of salt, pepper, and paprika. I let my chicken sit 5-10 minutes after seasoning.
- Heat a couple tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil in a pan and get it hot. With heat on medium-to-high, place the chicken in the pan (smooth side down – this is the side we want to sear) and cook for 7-8 minutes without touching it.
- Turn the chicken over after 7-8 minutes, turn the heat down a bit, and put the lid on the pan. Cook an additional 10-12 minutes while covered until the chicken is cooked through.
- Let chicken rest a couple of minutes, remove from pan, discard any liquid from pan. Place chicken pieces on a serving plate and add a hefty scoop of the pistachio pesto to the top. Spread across chicken. If you have larger chicken breasts like the ones I used, you can cut the chicken pieces in half before serving.
- Optional garnish of sliced cherry tomatoes, fresh grated parmesan cheese, red pepper flakes. Serve with a salad, your favorite veggies or baked sweet potatoes.
