Sun Dried Tomato Pesto Chicken Skillet
This sun dried tomato pesto chicken is an easy and delicious meal perfect for busy weeknights! Ready in less than 30 minutes and made with flavorful tender chicken, fresh asparagus, tomatoes and sun dried tomatoes, you only need 6 ingredients to make this recipe.
This sun-dried tomato pesto chicken skillet is the kind of dinner that feels a little special, without asking much of you.
Tender chicken cooks quickly in one pan, then gets tossed with asparagus, cherry tomatoes, sun-dried tomatoes, and pesto for a meal that’s flavorful, fresh, and easy to pull together. It uses just a handful of ingredients and comes together in under 30 minutes, which makes it a great option for busy weeknights when you want something reliable but not boring.
Served with rice, pasta, or bread on the side, it turns into a complete, comforting meal without extra effort.
Why this recipe works for real life:
This skillet dinner earns its place in rotation because it’s:
- quick to make with very little prep
- cooked entirely in one pan
- built on familiar flavors kids often already recognize
Pesto, chicken, and tomatoes are a dependable combination – the sun-dried tomatoes simply deepen the flavor without changing the feel of the meal.
A note on sun-dried tomatoes & pesto
Sun-dried tomatoes might sound fancy, but they’re actually very approachable. They’re slightly sweet, a little tangy, and blend easily into familiar dishes.
Paired with pesto, they add richness and depth without overwhelming the plate. For families, that makes them a great “bridge ingredient”, something a little different that still feels safe.
How to make this chicken skillet
For the full instructions, scroll to the recipe card below. Here’s the big-picture flow:
- Sauté the chicken with some of the sun-dried tomatoes until golden
- Remove the chicken and keep it warm
- Cook the asparagus and remaining sun-dried tomatoes
- Add the chicken back to the pan
- Stir in pesto and cherry tomatoes just until warmed
Dinner is ready with minimal cleanup.
How to serve this meal
This chicken works well with simple sides, depending on what you have on hand:
- rice or pasta
- crusty bread like wheaten bread
- a simple fruit or salad
Because the skillet itself is light and flavorful, pairing it with something neutral helps round out the meal.
Meals like this don’t need a lot of explanation to work. They succeed because they’re simple, familiar, and easy to make on a regular night — which is often exactly what families are looking for.
For busy, real life families
A gentle place to make meals feel easier
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Skillet Pesto Chicken and Veggies
Ingredients
Method
- Slice the chicken thighs into strips.
- Drain the sun dried tomato oil off and roughly chop.
- Heat a large skillet over medium heat with 2 TBSP olive oil.
- Add the sliced chicken thighs and season with salt, half of the chopped sun-dried tomatoes, and cook on medium for 5-10 minutes, flipping occasionally.
- While the chicken is cooking, cut the cherry tomatoes in half, and trim the ends off of the asparagus and cut into 2" pieces.
- When the chicken is cooked through, remove to another plate and keep warm. Keep the oil in the pan, and then add the asparagus and the rest of the dried-tomatoes and cook for 5 minutes, or until the asparagus is cooked but not limp.
- Add the chicken back to the skillet and add the pesto and the cherry tomatoes, and stir to coat well and the chicken is reheated, about another minute or two.
- Serve, and Enjoy!
Nutrition
Nutrition information is provided as a general estimate and may vary based on ingredients, brands, and substitutions. For specific dietary needs, we recommend calculating nutrition using your preferred tool.
Tried this recipe?
Let us know how it was!It seems like every other day I meet kids who refuse to eat pretty much everything. Mamas are always telling me their kids only eat frozen chicken nuggets, certain brands of cheese sticks, and other “kid” food. I definitely hear that kids refuse to eat anything plant based all the time.
I mean, I get it! Dinner is HARD!
Everyone is tired, crabby, hungry… its a sucky time of day. The very last thing you want to do is fight with kids about what they are eating. It totally makes sense in a tired parent brain to just feed them food you know they will eat. Its much better to know they are full and everyone is happy than to spend an hour fighting and have them go to bed hungry, right?
Except for when it all backfires and your kid is overly hungry because there are no options they will eat. I mean, don’t get mad – but its kind of, just ever so slightly, your fault.
See, kids only know what they are taught. If you only teach them to eat chicken nuggets and goldfish crackers because its easier – that’s all they will know. If you want to teach them to love and enjoy a variety of foods, you need to teach it to them – by nurturing, discovering, and exploring all the food world has to offer.
Wanna know my #1 secret to get kids interested in eating their veggies in a fun way?
GROW A GARDEN!
Kids love to be involved! Giving them the opportunity to help care for, harvest and prepare their own food teaches them not only responsibility and a love of nature, but it also gets them super interested in checking out what they are growing! Check out my entire post on Gardening with Kids for more information.
And while you are at it – give them a paring knife (and some super supervision) and let them help slice the veggies a little, too! Learn more about how to teach your kids to cook.
This recipe was so yummy and refreshing! My picky hubby and son loved the flavor of the chicken. They hate tomatoes though but that just meant more tomato goodness for me 🙂
Very nice post. Thanks
This looks delicious and a perfect summer meal! I'll be pinning it for later!