Make a quick meal in 20 minutes or less with Air Fryer Chicken Pesto!
Grab a package of chicken thighs and pesto sauce, and in minutes you will have an excellent, flavorful chicken that is great paired with a salad or your favorite air fryer vegetables.
What chicken should you use for Air Fryer Chicken Pesto?
Boneless, Skinless Chicken Thighs are the BEST option for this, the chicken is juicy and flavorful.
You can use chicken breast as well, but I have found they tend to dry out quickly, so be sure to watch the timing and temperature closely.
It’s best to have a meat thermometer when cooking any meat, especially air fryer chicken.
The internal temperature needs to be at least 165*F to be considered well done. Since all air fryers do heat differently, having a meat thermometer will ensure that you get the right timing for your chicken.
Tips for Making Air Fryer Chicken Pesto:
This recipe can be done with either Homemade Pesto or Store-Bought Pesto. We typically use Prego Basil Pesto Sauce from the store. It just makes this even easier to whip up on a busy night.
The only thing that you need to make this chicken is pesto sauce and chicken. The chicken will be coated with pesto and then air-fried.
It takes about 15-20 minutes to fully cook the chicken which is dependent on your machine.
In the last 2-3 minutes of the cooking time, I like to top ours with a few slices of fresh mozzarella. It gives it a great flavor.
The chicken can then be served as is, with a salad, or over your favorite pasta. We also like to save the leftovers to make some pizzas using Air Fryer Naan Pizza.
This is a wonderful way to make Air Fryer Chicken Thighs and the flavor is just fabulous, plus very little effort or time on your part.
Air Fryer Chicken Pesto
Ingredients
- 1/2 Cup Basil Pesto Sauce
- 4 Boneless, Skinless Chicken Thighs
- Fresh Mozzarella (Optional)
- Sliced Roma Tomatoes (Optional)
- Grapeseed Oil Spray
Instructions
- Coat the basket of the air fryer with grapeseed oil spray.
- Add the pesto to a bowl, then coat each chicken thigh well in the pesto.
- Place the chicken evenly in the basket of the air fryer.
- Air Fry at 390*F for 15-18 minutes, check in on the chicken halfway through the cooking time and flip it. Keep a meat thermometer on hand to check it throughout to avoid overcooking. The internal temperature needs to be at least 165*F.
- Once the chicken is cooked, if preferred, carefully top it with fresh mozzarella and heat for 2 additional minutes to melt the mozzarella.
- Serve topped with Sliced Roma Tomatoes if preferred.
Notes
Nutrition
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