Crispy Pesto Chicken Schnitzel Recipe: A Mouthwatering 20-Minute Chicken Dinner by Donna John


Crispy Pesto Chicken Schnitzel Recipe: A Mouthwatering 20-Minute Chicken Dinner

My basil plants are thriving this year. Basil pesto is one of my favorite things to make, especially if I've grown the basil myself! Who doesn't love farm-to-table recipes? We also eat a lot of chicken breast, so I decided to combine the two into one amazing chicken dinner I called crispy pesto chicken schnitzel.

This chicken is juicy, crispy and loaded with pesto flavor. You won't use all the pesto, regardless if you use homemade pesto or a jar of store-bought pesto, so serve the chicken over pesto pasta. Add a salad with homemade salad dressing (or your favorite store-bought dressing) and you have a complete dinner.

All you need to make this Italian-German dinner is chicken breasts, basil pesto, panko breadcrumbs, freshly grated Parmesan cheese and olive oil. The chicken is seasoned with salt and black pepper, coated with pesto on both sides, then dredged in a mixture of panko and Parmesan. Pan-fry the chicken in olive oil until golden brown and cooked through.

You can have this satisfying dinner on the table in less than 20 minutes! This is one chicken recipe you'll want to make for dinner over and over again.

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Cuisine: Italian / German
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 10 minutes
Total Time: 20 minutes
Servings: 2

Ingredients

  • 2 chicken breasts, pounded to even thickness
  • basil pesto (jar or homemade)
  • panko breadcrumbs (about 1/3 cup)
  • freshly grated Parmesan cheese (about 1/4 cup)
  • olive oil (about 2 tablespoons)

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Recipe Notes

  • When I make pesto, I always make extra and freeze it in freezer containers to use later.

Here's how to make it: 

  1. Put the breadcrumbs and Parmesan onto a plate and toss to combine. Season the chicken breasts with salt and black pepper, then rub about 1 tablespoon of pesto each of the breasts, both sides.
  2. Heat about 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a large nonstick skillet. Dredge the chicken breasts in the panko, pressing so it sticks to the pesto, then place in the hot oil.
  3. Cook until the chicken is golden and crispy on both sides and cooked through, about 3 to 4 minutes per side, depending on thickness.
  4. If using the remaining pesto for pasta, boil the noodles while the chicken cooks. Drain and stir in pesto to coat the noodles.
  5. Serve the chicken with the pesto pasta.

Recipe cooking times and servings are approximate. Need to convert cooking and baking measurements? Here are some kitchen conversion charts. Here's how to submit your recipes to 30Seconds.

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Pesto
Pesto $4 & Up
Panko
Panko $3 & Up
Olive Oil
Olive Oil $4 & Up
Tongs
Tongs $5 & Up
Spatulas
Spatulas $5 & Up

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Elisa Schmitz
Yum yum yum, Donna John ! This chicken dinner looks absolutely delicious. I love how simple it is, but so much flavor and crunch!
bepositive
Great way to use basil pesto on chicken.

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