Chicken with pesto wrapped in bacon. My husband and even my 2-year-old daughter love this chicken! Easy to make, yet tastes like you've spent hours in the kitchen. Simply delicious!
Very easy and really excellent recipe - my changes were to pound the breasts to 1/4 to 1/2 inch - sprinkle a little garlic powder on each along with a tablespoon of parmesian cheese ( on top of the pesto) - roll up and secure. Then I drizzled a very small amount of olive oil on each - turned out just GREAT
Read MoreThe bacon was not crisp enough all the way around. I even elevated it on a rack so it didn't sit in it's juices. I need crisp bacon.
Read MoreVery easy and really excellent recipe - my changes were to pound the breasts to 1/4 to 1/2 inch - sprinkle a little garlic powder on each along with a tablespoon of parmesian cheese ( on top of the pesto) - roll up and secure. Then I drizzled a very small amount of olive oil on each - turned out just GREAT
This was absolutely amazing! I added pine nuts to the pesto and some swiss cheese slices to the chicken. Adding some sriracha sauce around the plate worked perfectly for some added punch when wanted, also good with white whine. Great easy, fast and delicious meal!
Changed the recipe for my family because a half a chicken breast seemed like an appetizer... One whole chicken breast, wrapped in two pieces of bacon... cooked for 30 minutes and then broiled on high for 5 minutes to make the bacon extra crispy. turned out sooooo delicious! Thanks for sharing with a novice chef!
This was pretty basic but good!! I did make some modifications. Added garlic powder, mozerella cheese and paparika. Used sun-dried tomoato pesto (its what I had). Baked at 375 for 25 mins then broiled for 5 mins. Bacon was crispy and delicious. Just though 400 was too high for chicken.
Good recipe. I made a few changes but only because I used what I had on hand. I added a piece of provolone cheese before I wrapped it and instead of bacon I used prosciutto. Turned out great!
Made this last night....I did not use the oil. I know one review said that it was very messy to make, not the case at all. I'm not sure how she went about it but if they gave us every tiny detail then we wouldn't be good cooks now would we. I made my own pesto using raw pine nuts, olive oil, garlic, parmessan cheese and of course fresh basil- just eyeball it to get the correct taste and consistency. I think that was the trick for me. I used 1/2 a breast and pounded with the spike side of my pampered chef tenderizer on both sides of the chicken. The pesto spread easily with a small rubber spatula, I added just a tiny bit of salt and fresh cracked pepper, rolled it and then wrapped the bacon and then a little more cracked pepper on top-keep in mind bacon is already salty you don't want to over do it. I placed it on an elevated rack so the fat could drip down and baked for 20 minutes at 350 and then about 18 minutes more at 400. This kept the breasts moist and made the bacon crispy. Again, I'm not sure why another complaint was about the bacon not being crispy. If you look at my photo you can clearly see it is cooked crispy enough. We paired it with a simple salad but this would be great served over noodles with a touch of olive oil, garlic and parmessan or over a bed of garlic mash....it's a simple dish packed with good flavor. Enjoy!
These came out dryer than I was expecting. Not our favorite recipe for pesto chicken.
Delicious!! I added more bacon, mozzarella and parmesean cheese. I broiled the last 5 minutes for crispy bacon.
Super easy and very tasty! My husband and my two young daughters loved! Will make again!
Tried this recipe for the first time tonight. Very, very good!!! I put a few of my own tweaks to it though. I used Sundried Tomato Pesto and replaced the salt with garlic powder. I also half cooked the bacon prior to wrapping it around the chicken so it would be more crisp and less slimy at the end. Another bonus was my 2 and 3 year olds both ate it up (they are both quite picky)! All in all this was delicious and we will definitely be having it again!
The bacon was not crisp enough all the way around. I even elevated it on a rack so it didn't sit in it's juices. I need crisp bacon.
Very tasty. I put a little extra pesto sauce on the chicken before serving. Yum!
tasty chicken. I had to put it on a baking sheet under the broiler for a few minutes to get the bacon crisper. Made fresh pesto as well. Don't forget the salt and pepper for seasoning..even with the pesto it still needs it.
Better & juicier with boneless chicken thighs, plus a few extra calories for more flavor doesn't scare me. I used olive oil as a substitute for the vegetable oil and I also spread ricotta cheese on the thighs first, then spread the pesto sauce over that before rolling it up in bacon. Was really marvelous!
I used Serrano ham not bacon. I marinaded the chicken breasts overnight coated in pesto and wrapped in cling film in the fridge. Into the oven with a little olive oil, salt and pepper. 180º for about 20 mins. Delicious moist and scrummy. Served it with a tray of oven roasted aubergines, Vine tomatoes and garlic. 8/10
Fabulous recipe. I did take the suggestion of several previous reviewers and added a mixture of Italian cheeses -- parmesan, romano, mozzarella-- about 2 tsp. to each flattened piece of chicken breast. I also partially cooked the bacon in the microwave before wrapping it around each pesto-stuffed piece and then peppered the rolled chicken before placing it on an olive-oil covered baking sheet in a 400-degree oven. Like other reviewers, I also placed it on broil for about the last 3 minutes of cooking. These were perfect. Yummy and a definite do-again. The wonderful smell permeated the house and made it smell like an Italian restaurant. Fabulous!
This was a great recipe and easy to modify for your own tastes. I added some shredded mozzarella cheese over the pesto sauce to give it a little extra something and did not use any oil - it just wasn't necessary. I put the rolls up on a rack on a pan and cooked at 400 for 30 minutes then flipped them over and broiled for another 5 minutes to cook the bacon on the other side. Next time I would only cook for 25 minutes before broiling though. All in all, a great recipe that my husband and kids enjoyed too!
Made a variation (based on some of the other reviews) of this one tonight at the firehouse. Flattened the chicken breast halves, seasoned the chicken with Adobo (con pimento) and black pepper, spooned on a layer of basil pesto, sprinkled it with chopped pre-cooked bacon, covered it with a slice of provolone cheese and rolled it in prosciutto. Drizzled it with a little olive oil and sprinkled a little fresh-grated pecorino romano on top. Added them to a preheated cast iron skillet and cooked for 30 minutes. Served it with a variation of CookinGirl's "Easy Olive Oil,Tomato and Basil Pasta": quick sauteed some sliced portobellos, sliced sweet onion and garlic, and then tossed it into a pound of cooked tri-color farfalle with the tomatoes, basil and a tsp. of crushed red. Dinner also featured a crisp romaine salad and a garlic tuscan round bread. My crew wants it added to the line-up.
My husband and I just love this recipe, my dogs even loved it! (they only get a taste)The chicken was juicy and the pesto was just right. Went very well with baby spinach salad with italian vinegrette.
This was awesome! I made a few changes which my entire family loved. I first put the pesto on the chicken, added, a little garlic powder and onion powder, placed a piece of provolone cheese on top and then rolled the chicken up. Before wrapping on bacon, I rolled the chicked (which was already rolled up) in breadcrumbs. I then wrapped the bacon over the breadcrumb chicken and baked as stated. The taste was great and the recipe is easy to make. I highly recommend this dish!
good recipe. i could not taste the pesto however so will double the amount of pesto next time. i used turkey bacon, plenty of bacon flavor. will make again for sure!
Excellent recipe! Easy to make and looks elegant plated up with some angel hair pasta. Think I'll try adding some mozz next time.
Great recipe. Like most, I modified it just slightly. Since I was cooking for several people, I made a large portion. I used a 9 x 12 baking dish and layered it with some home made pesto. I decided not to wrap the bacon around the chicken, nor did I roll or "fill" the chicken. Instead, I placed chicken tenderloins on top of the pesto and then spread additional pesto on top of the chicken (generous portion), followed by shredded parmesan cheese. Then I layered thick-sliced bacon on top of it all. I poured some extra lite virgin olive oil on top. I cooked it uncovered at 400 for about 30 minutes, then removed it from the oven and drained most of the oil that accumulated so that the bacon would crisp. I upped the oven temperature to 450 and cooked it for another 20 minutes. Came out great. Chicken was incredibly moist. I also cooked some fettuccine with pesto and placed the chicken on top of the fettuccine when serving the dish. A sure hit! Thanks for the recipe.
Skipped the 1/2 cup oil -not even sure why you would need that and followed the advice on skipping salt, adding the parmesean cheese and pre-cooking the bacon a little. We used a low sodium bacon as well. Huge hit.
Good. I cooked it at 375 for 30 min and then broiled it to crisp the bacon. I actually turned the chicken over with tongs and browned both sides of the bacon at the end. the family really liked it and it was so tasty and easy.
My chicken breasts got dried out and the bacon didn't cook on the bottom (how could it).
Family loved this! So easy to make. I did cook my bacon a little before wrapping around chicken so it would be crispier.
The dish is easy to make and quite basic. The taste is good but my wife complained about the grease splatter in the oven from the bacon and oil used in the recipe. Pumps
Amazingly simple and delicious. The bacon keeps the chicken very moist. It doesn't crisp up, but is still great! I could imagine that stuffing the chicken with goat cheese or something else would be just a good!
I loved how simple preparation was, and even my picky four-year-old liked this recipe! I prepared ours with pesto and a mix of Italian cheeses before I laid the bacon over top of the breasts. I actually forgot to add any oil, salt or pepper (the bacon grease worked marvelously). And baked at 375 for 25 mins and 400 for 5, and broiled for a minute to crisp the bacon and give the cheese a little broiled top over the pesto. Bubbly and delicious, I added the salt after cooking, and served it with some garlic red-skinned mashed potatoes.
I give this a solid meh. It was easy and quick to make but it isnt fabulous and not 5 star worthy. The chicken came out kind of dry but greasy from the oil on top. It was definately edible and bettwr than plain chicken, but not in ny favorites. Will most likely not make again. I see some loved it, but even as a pesto fan this was not my cup o tea.
Really nice and simple meal, I used Pruschetto and sliced the chicken breasts into medium siced strips, served with steamed vegtables and creamy mashed potatoes. Make sure you use good quality Pesto, not the cheap stuff walter
Very good and very easy to prepare. I always have pesto on hand as I make tons of it in the summer and have it frozen and ready to use anytime. This dish is great for company as it can be prepared ahead of time and makes a very nice presentation.
I made the chicken and bacon recipe. But I used regular fresh chicken tenders wrapped in bacon and cooked on the grill. I did put foil down because of how greasy the bacon is. Right before almost done - took foil off and browned them up a little more.They were fantastic. Highly recommend.
I admit I made half as the recipe stated, in the oven. The other half I put on the grill. It tasted very good, though I will probably spread on a little more pesto next time. I haven't tasted the oven version yet but I'm am completely sold on the grilled version. May just stick to grilling it. We'll see. Definitely adding this to the repertoire.
I was excited to make this and had all the ingredients on hand. It was pretty messy to make. After the chicken were wrapped, I placed them in a baking dish. Didn't use the oil since bacon already has enough fat. Baked it and then broiled it for 3-5 minutes to crisp the bacon. I didn't like the fact that the chicken was swimming in 1/4 inch of bacon fat, even though I used lean strips of bacon. It should state to place a cooling or baking rack to elevate the chicken so it doesn't drown in the fat. After draining, we ate it with rice. To my surprise, it was pretty bland. Something was missing, I don't know what but I don't think I'd make this again.
I added a small chunk or handful of mozzarella cheese in the middle and sealed the pouch with the toothpicks. My family loves this. I even added additional shredded mozzarella on top because we are cheese lovers. Served with angel hair pasta with pesto and broiled fresh broccoli with garlic, lemon & olive oil. Superb dinner for company!!!
This is one of mine & my husbands favorite! He is a picky eater and every time a try a chicken recipe he says "chicken again?" Now he can't wait till I make it again.
I made this exactly as the recipe called and it turned out great. My chicken breasts were quite large and it took 10 more minutes to finish cooking. The chicken came out moist and it was super delicious. The bacon added a wonderful flavor. My son is a picky eater and usually has to dip his chicken in a sauce ate the whole meal without needing any seasoned sauce. My husband kept raving about how good it was and wants me to make it again. This will make a great meal to prepare the chicken in advance and serve to company. Update: I sprinkled grated mozzarella to the chicken before rolling them up and it makes them taste even better.
This is a delish recipe but I made a few tweaks. I used smoked gouda cheese, which was AMAZING. I also added cooked bacon pieces inside the chicken as well as the wrap around the chicken. And prior to wrapping the bacon on the chicken, I cooked it first then wrapped and baked. And I tend to love spices, so I added onion powder, garlic powder and paprika to the chicken. My family loved this dish, the gouda really adds something special to the overall taste.
This was a great recipe; I will make it again. Only issue was that I felt the chicken was a little over cooked but I worried I made have had some user error involved so I'll try it again! I love simple recipes and this was super simple.
Delicious. I took the advice of a couple reviewers and added garlic powder and Parmesan cheese to the chicken. I used pre-cooked bacon (two slices for each) and it was nice and crispy without the broiler. Try the recipe on this site for homemade Basil Pecan Pesto.
Stuffed chicken is often dry so I was delighted to find this so juicy - I guess all that oil really does work even if we do lose the health value of skinless breasts. I did what others suggested and precooked the bacon and it was definitely worth it. I'd try this again.
This was quick and easy to prepare. Even the pickiest eaters in my family loved it. I've even wrapped it in deli ham when out of proscuitto.
We really loved this recipe. I added more bacon but it didn't end up getting crispy. I think the recommended amount would have been perfect. I also just drizzled olive oil over it instead of using 1/2 cup oil. Perfect! The next day I sliced up the leftover and put it on a sandwich with Avocado, onion, and mayo. So yummy!
Hella easy and hella rich! A small piece fills you up! Don't even need a full breast. You can use chicken tenders, pound them out, smooth on the pesto, roll up and add bacon. Great idea/recipe. Thank you!
Don't be afraid to splurge on the amount of pesto you use. The bacon was fairly soft, maybe consider cooking it a bit on a grill or pan before putting it in the oven if you're more Team Crispy. (I dumped juices twice in thirty minutes.)
Yum!!! The only change I made was that I cooked the bacon a little before wrapping the chicken because I used thick sliced bacon. I will make this again!
10 stars! After one bite, my husband said he wants me to make this again. And, he went back for seconds. Instead of pounding chicken breasts, I bought chicken cutlets (thin sliced) and instead of using vegetable oil, I just drizzled olive oil over the tops of all the bundles. The chicken was perfectly seasoned and juicy...such an easy and delicious dinner.
Actually I used full breasts not pounded out, I also used basil pesto Alfredo and transferred to a broiler after cooking for a few minutes to crisp up the bacon, the chicken was still very moist
Yummy!!! I think next time that I might add cheese to it as well, but everyone loved it. Def cooking again!
I tried this when I was short on time, instead of beating the chicken, I just used a whole chicken breast, added the pesto, and wrapped in bacon. I added 10 minutes to the cooking time. It was a hit at my house.
This was tasty and easy. I followed the advice of some other reviewers and broiled them the last 5 minutes.
My kids and I thought this was FANTASTIC! And that's saying something, because sometimes getting my kids to try something new is tough. But we all loved this recipe. To crisp up the bacon, instead of baking it I broiled it and rotated the chicken breasts to cook it all the way around. Now my husband can't wait for me to fix it for him!
It's great! I used chicken breast tenders and it was the perfect size! Quick and easy! Perfect!
Really easy to make, very tasty recipe. We made ours a little less healthy by smothering the chicken in pesto then wrapping the bacon.
My family loved this, we used some double smoked slab bacon. Save yourself some time and get thin breast and avoid the pounding.
Delicious! Like other reviewers, garlic powder & Parmesan cheese adds a nice flavor.. I’ll definitely make this again
I made this with halved breast fillets. I tenderized, sprinkled them in paprika and then smeared a heaping tablespoon of pesto on each flat-half. Then I cut some strips of canned roasted red pepper and placed them perpendicular to the fillet on top of the pest. I sprinkled mozzarella and goat cheese on top of that and then ground some fresh pepper on everything. I then rolled my fillets (like a swiss roll) and began to wrap the bacon. It was very tricky to wrap the bacon, I had thick sliced bacon on hand, which made it more difficult to stretch around the rolled breasts. I ended up using large bamboo skewers to secure the bacon to the breasts, about two skewers per breast. I placed them in a raised roasting pan and baked at 350 for 40 minutes, then broiled about 10 minutes, rotating them for an even brown. They came out well. I like a lot of flavor, which they kind of lacked. They could have used more tang, perhaps more goat cheese, or maybe stuffing some kalamata olives? I love salt so those might be my additions next go around. I did not add extra oil. The chicken was slightly dry.
Turned out great! I added Parmesan cheese on top of the pesto sauce. Very easy. I took longer than 40 minutes. Love it!
The breast filets that I had on hand were large. 3 filets weighed 2.6 pounds. It took 4 pieces of bacon for each one. I baked them for an extra ten minutes, then turned them over onto a rack above my baking dish. 5 minutes under the broiler cooked the bacon to perfection. I served this with spinach and cheese tortelloni drizzled with Alfredo sauce. It was super easy to make. My wife thinks I’m a culinary genius!
Yummy!!! Will defiantly make this dish again. The chicken comes out tasty and super moist. I found it easier to spread the pesto on the bacon and then placed the chicken on top.
The combination of favors is very good,however the bacon(pork) does not get crisp in the cooking time. Next time I will use prochuto . I served it with pasta coated with a little more pesto (home made) and a small amount of the pasta cooking liquid.
After reading the reviews, I partially cooked the bacon before wrapping. It was a little less pretty but the bacon came out crispy. I had chicken tenders on hand so I used those, and let them sit in a sealed bag with pesto for about 3 hours. I also skipped the oil pour, instead spraying the wrapped chicken with cooking spray just before baking, and sprinkling some parmesan over the whole thing. Delicious!
My family loved it! I made half a chicken breast each (butterflied), covered the top of the roll with bacon, totally forgot the vegetable oil (oops!), and baked 40 mins. So totally delicious! I will definitely make this again. No added garlic, pine nuts, or Parmesan since pesto already has all that. Served with basil fried potatoes and asparagus.
My whole family loves this - including two very picky eaters
Great recipe. I am on a reduced-sodium diet, so I left the bacon off. Added cheese to the pesto, then sprinkled Italian seasoning over the chicken rather than the salt. I baked this in a 350 degree oven for nearly 30 minutes and it came out perfect. I must also add that I didn't use any of the 1/2 cup of vegetable oil called for. The oil in the pesto was plenty for this recipe, and much healthier than original. Wife and I both loved it and will have to try it again.
My husband and teen sons loved it!! I used some of the suggestions - olive oil, garlic powder and parmesan cheese and it was delicious!!
I made this last night and we all loved it! I split each chicken breast as they were thick and then no need to pound thin. Followed recipe with salt and pepper. Bought a basil pesto in a jar. Wrapped them each in one slice of bacon. I sprayed the finished chicken rolls with olive oil spray before baking. I baked at the 400 for about 25 minutes then broiled at the end for about 5 min to crisp bacon little more. I spooned the broth in the pan over each chicken roll before serving. These are definitely going to be a regular dish at our house. I will change them up some with different pesto's and sauces. Enjoy.
Loved it! Made it also with chicken thights and chicken tenders - both were so good and delicious.
I made it exactly as directed, it was very good but next time I think I will add some mozzarella cheese and broil for a minute or two to crisp the bacon.
loved this brushing butter over the bacon every now and then makes it a little crisper so good
I'm a firefighter and this is a station favorite. Quick, easy and delicious. Perfect for a hearty dinner! I marinate the chicken for a few hours before putting in the oven.
I made homemade pesto today and was wanting to use it in a recipe, this was perfect! Read reviews and cooked bacon a bit before wrapping, added garlic powder and parmesan. SO good! Will definitely keep this in my recipe box
Not only was this recipe delicious (both boyfriend and I agree), but it was fun and easy. I forgot the oil over the top, but with all the oil in the pesto, it really didn't need it, so next time I won't bother.
Great chicken dish. I cooked it in my Dutch oven. After I browned the chicken and removed the chicken. I left the sauce from browning the chicken and added 1/2 diced White onion with diced garlic. I sautéed adding chardonnay. Layered pesto bacon topped chicken back in the Dutch oven. I slow cooked it for an hour at 350• in the covered Dutch oven. It was awesome.
i tried this recipe tonight. i so enjoyed it, the chicken was moist, the bacon just rite. i shared this recipe with a friend, and will share it many more times.
Super tasty! We upped the servings to 12 and double wrapped a couple pieces that cooked about the same as the single wrapped. I forgot to use vegetable oil, but it hardly seemed to matter, it was still delicious. I only wish the bacon was a bit crispier; it was rather floppy on both the double and single wrapped. I made garlic green beans as a side, tasted pretty good together.
I've made this several times and feel it's a great way to step-up dinner, even if you're short on time. I love the addition of the pesto, hidden under the bacon, in a way that even my 9 year-old doesn't notice he's eating something green. The bacon does not get really crispy, but I feel that would make it more difficult to eat. It is perfectly cooked and cuts through easily, which is what you want so you can have a taste of all ingredients together. The chicken stays very moist and the flavor combination is nice .
This is an awesome, easy to make make dish that is nice enough for company. I omitted the vegetable oil but added some shredded mozzarella to the pesto.
I am new to cooking and I made a similar recipe, I liked it only it made the chicken dry. Is there anyway to avoid that in this recipe?
