Creamy Pesto Chicken Scallopini
This Creamy Pesto Chicken Scallopini pairs lightly seasoned, pan-crusted chicken with an irresistible herby, nutty, and creamy pesto sauce. This recipe comes together in just 35 minutes and pairs beautifully with fettuccine, making it the perfect weekday dinner.
Servings: 6
Ingredients
- 3 chicken breasts (about 1½ pounds), flattened to ½ inch thickness or cut in half horizontally
- ½ tsp sea salt, more to taste
- ¼ tsp cracked black pepper, more to taste
- ⅓ c plus 2 tsp unbleached all-purpose flour
- 1 Tbsp avocado oil, divided
- ½ yellow onion, diced
- 8 oz baby bella or button mushrooms, sliced
- ½ c dry white wine
- ½ c 2% milk
- ¼ c fresh kale pesto or jarred basil pesto
Instructions
- Place the chicken breasts on a cutting board. Cut the breasts in half lengthwise. Place the chicken between two sheets of parchment paper or plastic wrap and use a meat tenderizer to flatten each breast until it is about ½ inch thick. Alternately, you can use a sharp knife to carefully cut the chicken breast in half horizontally to create two roughly equal chicken cutlets (no need to use a meat tenderizer here). Repeat with other two chicken breasts to form six cutlets total. Season the cutlets on both sides with salt and pepper.
- Add ⅓ cup of flour to a shallow plate or bowl. Dredge the chicken in the flour, coating both sides. Set the dredge chicken aside and discard the leftover flour.
- Heat ½ tablespoon of avocado oil in a large frying pan over medium-high heat. Once the oil is warm, add three of the cutlets to the pan. Cook until browned on one side, about 4 minutes. Then flip the chicken over and brown on the other side, another 2 to 3 minutes. Remove the browned chicken from the pan to a plate lined with paper towel. If the oil is dark, wipe the pan carefully with a dry paper towel and add the other ½ tablespoon of avocado oil. Immediately add the three remaining cutlets to the pan and repeat the browning process on both sides, about 6 to 7 minutes total. Remove the browned chicken from the pan and reduce the heat to medium-low.
- If the oil is dark, carefully wipe it out with a dry paper towel. Add the onion and mushrooms to the pan and cook, stirring often, until the mushrooms are browned, about 5 to 6 minutes. Whisk in the remaining 2 teaspoons of flour to the pan.
- Add the wine and cook, stirring often, until the liquid is reduced by half, about 3 to 4 minutes. Warm the milk in a microwave safe bowl for about 45 seconds. Add the warmed milk and pesto sauce to the pan and whisk to incorporate. Season with additional salt and pepper, if needed. Add the chicken cutlets back to the pan and spoon the sauce over the top of them. Let the chicken warm for 1 to 2 minutes, then remove from heat and serve. This dish pairs wonderfully with spaghetti.