This is the best air fryer pesto chicken recipe using jarred or homemade pesto sauce. Our favorite is with boneless skinless chicken breasts cut into strips and crispy on the edges with tender meat on the inside.
Pesto chicken in air fryer turns out great. I like boneless skinless so the sauce really bakes on to the outside when it gets crispy. An easy healthy air fryer meal even your kids will love during the week.
Whether you choose white or dark meat this will add a lot of flavor. I will say that air fryer fried chicken thighs are pretty amazing though. Typically this cut is cheaper with more flavor and very tender. I have done both though and will vouch for the fact that it’s been more popular than just some bbq sauce.
First decide whether you want to buy this already made and bottled from the store. There are several styles but they are all basically using the same ingredients. I will say the more expensive versions use better olive oil. If you make it yourself you can use whatever you like.
You don’t have to make homemade pesto with pine nuts, but that is best. Then you can adjust the flavors or even add heat to the mix if you want. Make it as thin or thick as your family likes it.
Ingredient Notes
For boneless breasts you would at least need to slice them in half so it isn’t as thick. Thighs are usually thin enough and don’t need a lot of adjusting. Or we made it as a chicken tenderloins recipe
If you skip making your own pesto sauce then of course it would take less time. You would just skip those initial steps and continue to follow thru on the other steps to cook them. These were cut into frozen chicken tenders sizes so if you left them whole it would take quite a bit longer. You don’t want them too thick though.
Can you use a jar of pesto sauce instead of homemade?
Certainly, you can find a jar at the store if you don’t want to make your own. We have instructions for from scratch below which is always best but for a quicker method you could use ready made.
Pesto Chicken Without Nuts
If you need a nut free sauce because of allergies in your home it is possible. It won’t be as thick as the “normal” version but you can use carrot greens instead of nuts. In the event that it is pine nut specific you could use other types in it’s place instead. You want a softer version like walnuts, pistachios or sunflower seeds ideally.
Ninja Foodi Pesto Chicken
If you want to make air fryer chicken recipes in a Foodi specifically you would follow the same recipe directions below but use the lid that is attached. That one will air fry but the button states air crisp instead.
Air Fryer Pesto Chicken Recipe
Equipment
- 1 air fryer
Ingredients
- 1 pound chicken breast, cut into strips, or thighs, or tenderloins
- 2 bunch basil
- 2 tbsp pine nuts
- 3 tbsp minced garlic
- 4 tbsp parmesan, grated
- 1/3 cup olive oil
- 1 pinch salt, to taste
Instructions
- Place basil leaves in a blender, add pine nuts, grated parmesan, a pinch of salt and pepper + minced garlic cloves. Add olive oil and continue whisking until you get a smooth, thick pesto. Grind in a blender until smooth to make pesto, or use jarred.
- Pat dry the chicken with paper towels, cut into strips and put in a bowl. Add a pinch of salt. Add pesto sauce and mix everything. You can leave for half an hour, covering the bowl with a lid for stronger flavors. Some of the sauce can be reserved for serving.
- Preheat air fryer to 400 F for 5 minutes. Spray basket with non stick spray. Transfer the chicken pieces to the air fryer basket. Air fry for 10 minutes.
- Turn the pieces over and bake for 4 more minutes or until middle of thickest piece reaches a safe 165 f. Transfer the chicken to a plate and serve with the remaining sauce on top.
Video
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Can you make pesto chicken in the oven?
You could do this same thing in the oven if you’d like too. You would want to follow my chicken breast in oven at 350 post but on the last 5 minutes brush this on. Then add more once it is done. Halving some cherry tomatoes and sprinkling those around each piece using this method is a great add on too.
When using boneless skinless chicken breasts you would need to decrease the timing by about 10 minutes. Using simple ingredients is a great way to add a ton of flavor while maintaining a healthy meal with high protein and low fat.
What Goes with Chicken and Pesto?
Well this is just for the meat and sauce on top. Typically you’d want some zucchini noodles or one of our many easy pasta recipes to serve with it. Then you can just keep some aside and toss it with that too so you have the same flavors throughout the dish.
Beyond that more vegetables are always a win. Steam broccoli or corn, or heirloom potato medley is another great one. If you aren’t skimping out on the carbs bake some rolls and if you cut them up into smaller pieces like we did here you could even make little sliders out of them! With a bit of cool cole slaw on top of that OMG you’ll get some great texture that way.
How to save leftovers
If you do have leftovers just make sure they cool off entirely first. Then throw them into a ziploc baggie and once the air is eliminated store in the fridge. Keep any extra sauce you have on the side in a sealed container. When reheating add more on top and heat for 1 minute or so until warmed and moist and tender again.
