Grilled Chicken Breasts With Arugula Pesto
Published July 10, 2024
- Total Time
- 30 minutes, plus 1 hour marinating
- Prep Time
- 10 minutes
- Cook Time
- 20 minutes, plus 1 hour marinating
- Rating
- Notes
- Read community notes
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Ingredients
Yield:4 servings
- ½cup walnut halves and pieces
- 5ounces arugula
- 1½cups/2 ounces grated Parmesan
- 3tablespoons fresh lemon juice
- 2small garlic cloves, peeled
- ¾cup olive oil, plus more for drizzling
- Salt and pepper
- 4medium boneless, skinless chicken breasts (about 8 ounces each)
- Lemon wedges, for serving
Ingredient Substitution Guide
Nutritional analysis per serving (4 servings)
800 calories; 60 grams fat; 10 grams saturated fat; 0 grams trans fat; 34 grams monounsaturated fat; 13 grams polyunsaturated fat; 6 grams carbohydrates; 2 grams dietary fiber; 1 gram sugars; 60 grams protein; 808 milligrams sodium
Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.
Powered byPreparation
- Step 1
Toast the walnuts in a small skillet over medium heat until fragrant and the oils just begin to release, about 5 minutes. Remove from the heat and cool completely.
- Step 2
When the walnuts have cooled, transfer to the bowl of a food processor along with the arugula, Parmesan, lemon juice and garlic. Turn on the machine and, with the motor running, slowly add the olive oil. When the pesto is slightly smooth, season with salt and pepper. (There will be a scant 2 cups.)
- Step 3
Place the chicken breasts in an even layer in a shallow bowl or baking dish. Add ⅔ cup of the pesto to coat the chicken. Cover and refrigerate for at least 1 hour and up to 4 hours.
- Step 4
Light a grill. Remove the chicken breasts from the marinade, shaking off any excess and discarding the used marinade. Season the chicken all over with salt and pepper then grill, flipping once, until lightly charred and a thermometer inserted into the thickest part reads 165 degrees, about 10 minutes.
- Step 5
Transfer the cooked chicken breasts to a cutting board to rest for 10 minutes before thinly slicing. Drizzle with more olive oil, then serve with extra pesto and lemon wedges.
Private Notes
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Cooking Notes
Lal B., New Orleans
Nice to see a recipe in English for something akin to a Provencal pistou roquette (often made with almonds rather than walnuts). Two suggestions (born of experience): Don't overdo the machine chopping, or the arugula will taste like a freshly mowed lawn. Also, it's a good idea to cover the refrigerated leftover sauce with a thin layer of olive oil to prevent darkening oxidation.
Suzanne Dunaway
Just pulled out four feet of arugula grown from seeds from Paestum in Italy where I first ''stole''my original plant, haha. Have been making arugula pesto for 30 years for the daughter of a friend. She was practically an addict...So glad it's getting its due. Now to pull the leaves off of the plants...tedious but so worth it. It cames up every year in my garden and is the wild kind, not domestic. LOVE it.
Vicki
Jessica, I used the air fryer for the chicken, lots of spice, sliced in half, 400 degrees around 12 minutes ish, turn often, as I like the chicken to be a bit crispy and dry on top but juicy inside, and this helps.
Phil
I was worried about the pesto sticking to the chicken, so I scored the chicken breasts across the top, about 4-6 deep scores per breast. This gave the pesto plenty of room to sink down and get nestled in the meat, and gave some nice crispy bits when I grilled them. I also added a few spoons of mayo to the marinade bag. Next time I will add a little more salt to the marinade too - the pesto was perfect, but as a marinade was undersalted. You needn't worry about marinating for longer than 4 hours.
Nancy
That was fun. A new recipe that went better than predicted. I made only one breast and so now I have pesto remaining. This meal will happen again before the week is up. I really liked it and it was simple. He isn't a pesto fan but he ate every last bit:)
Peg Abrams
Absolutely wonderful dish! We made it with regular pesto and added a side of rice with more pesto mixed in. It was easy and delicious - highly recommend for a weeknight dinner.
elissa-wa
Really good pesto - delish on pasta. Chicken was good but a bit blander/drier than I thought it would be. It probably needed more marinading time than just 1 hour so go longer.
vm
This was good, not great. If you want something very similar but far more delicious, check out Kenji’s recipe for chimichurri chicken: https://cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/1020543-mayo-marinated-chicken-with-chimichurri.
LBrennan
It's bland as written. Next time I'm going to add mayo and marinate the chicken in that. The pesto as written with a little mayo I find to be really, really good.
Val
One and a half cups of grated cheese is about 6 ounces. A half cup of cheese is about 2 ounces. What the heck does 1½cups/2 ounces grated Parmesan mean?
Carolyn
Since it makes scant 2 cups, I would assume they meant 1/2 cup or 2 ounces.
Donna
Parm cheese is REALLY fluffy. 2 ounces is 1.5 cups.
LMD7
I love pestos and have been using walnuts for years because I get pine mouth from pine nuts. Then I discovered Italian pine nuts which do not give me pine mouth but are wildly expensive so I save them for garnishes, salads, etc. I also make a great pecan-cilantro pesto for salmon.
Larry Butchins
Add a knob of salted butter to the pesto. It adds a smoothness without degrading any of the other flavors.
Suzanne Dunaway
Just pulled out four feet of arugula grown from seeds from Paestum in Italy where I first ''stole''my original plant, haha. Have been making arugula pesto for 30 years for the daughter of a friend. She was practically an addict...So glad it's getting its due. Now to pull the leaves off of the plants...tedious but so worth it. It cames up every year in my garden and is the wild kind, not domestic. LOVE it.
substitute
Added red pepper flakes and extra garlic
Frank_w
Ok, but bland.
Vicki
Jessica, I used the air fryer for the chicken, lots of spice, sliced in half, 400 degrees around 12 minutes ish, turn often, as I like the chicken to be a bit crispy and dry on top but juicy inside, and this helps.
bigD
Covering a piece of protein with a marinade does practically nothing yet recipes continue to follow this practice. Use a jacarrd then place the protein in a plastic bag turning frequently. This will allow the marinade to quickly penetrate the meat.
Kiki
Added a cup of wine to the marinade. Yum!
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