Pesto Chicken

Juicy grilled Pesto Chicken made with an all-purpose basil pesto marinade that works on thighs, breasts, or tenders for an easy weeknight dinner.

Course Main Course

Cuisine Italian

Keyword Pesto Chicken

Prep Time 10

Cook Time 20

Total Time 30

Servings servings

Calories 73kcal

Place chicken in a gallon sized bag and set aside.
In a medium-sized bowl, whisk together all of the ingredients. Reserve half of the marinade and place in an air-tight container in the fridge. Pour the remaining marinade over the chicken, toss to coat. Place in fridge for 4-6 hours to marinate.
Take chicken out of marinade and grill over medium heat until internal temperature reaches 165 degrees. Baste chicken with reserved marinade every few minutes while cooking.

You can also use this for pork chops, vegetables, etc.
The secret to a really moist chicken is first a marinade with some type of acid in it. In this recipe, we use apple cider vinegar.
The second factor is to make sure it is not overcooked. This is especially important with white meat chicken, invest in a meat thermometer and pull the chicken off the grill at 165-degrees.
Now, my personal favorite tip is basting the chicken while on the grill. I make a double batch of marinade so I can keep basting the chicken every few minutes. This helps to keep it moist while adding more and more layers of flavor.
Lastly, you have to let the meat rest before cutting into it. This lets the juices rest into the meat instead of just running everywhere as soon as you cut into it. If you are worried about it getting cold, just lightly place a piece of foil on top.
This chicken can be frozen, see my tips above.