Pesto Chicken Recipe {Gluten-free, Dairy-free & Paleo} (2024)

This chicken pesto recipe is easy to make, versatile and packed full of flavour! Serve it on baked sweet potatoes, brown rice, in wraps, or on a homemade pizza for a quick and healthy meal that can be prepared in less than 30 minutes! (Gluten-free, dairy-free & low carb)

This shredded chicken pesto recipe is so quick and easy to make and is perfect for meal prep!

I’ve literally memorized this recipe because I make it so frequently and there are few enough ingredients that you can remember them all after making it only a couple of times!

I recommend using this homemade dairy-free pesto sauce to coat the shredded chicken. The smell and taste of the pesto is absolutely mouthwatering!

For quick and easy meals throughout the week, we love making up a large batch of shredded chicken and doubling the recipe for pesto so that we can cook once and eat twice. Huge time saver and one of my secrets for eating healthier in a pinch!

For more easy and healthy shredded chicken recipes, be sure to try my chicken enchiladas and white chicken chili, both perfect for make-ahead meals!

Why Make this Recipe

• Healthy: High in protein and low in saturated fat and carbs, this chicken and pesto sauce is a great addition to a healthy balanced meal.
• Make ahead: Make this recipe part of your weekly meal prep routine. There are so many uses for it throughout the week. Heat it up to serve over rice, pasta or sweet potatoes, or use it cold in wraps, sandwiches and salads.
• Quick and easy: With just two main ingredients, you can make a big batch of this chicken and pesto with only 5 minutes of prep work.
• Meets a wide variety of dietary needs: This shredded chicken is low carb, dairy-free and gluten-free, so great for those with specific dietary needs.

Ingredient Notes

• Chicken: I like to use chicken breasts for this recipe as I find it shreds much more easily and contains less fat than chicken thighs. If you can, purchase air chilled chicken for the healthiest and tastiest option.
• Pesto: I use this homemade pesto recipe because it’s so delicious and also happens to be dairy-free. You can of course use your favourite store-bought brand, but homemade is so much more fresh and tasty!

Step by Step Instructions

How to make pesto sauce for chicken

See the following post for my favourite pesto recipe!

• Prepare the shredded chicken using your desired method (see various methods in notes below).

• Meanwhile place all ingredients for pesto in a food processor and blend until a paste like consistency is formed. You may wish to add extra olive oil if you prefer a thinner pesto sauce.

• Mix pesto in with shredded chicken until evenly distributed.

Recipe Tips

• There are a few different ways that you can prepare the chicken. See the FAQ section for some of my favourite ways to make shredded chicken. If in a pinch, you can also use a rotisserie chicken.
• I highly recommend using my homemade pesto recipe to mix in with the shredded chicken. This particular version of pesto also happens to be dairy free, but there’s so much flavour packed in this stuff with the garlic and basil, you don’t even miss the parmesan cheese. I swear this recipe is so good, it’s been on my weekly menu rotation for months now. If you prefer, you can also sub in 1 cup of your favourite pesto sauce or use store-bought if you don’t have time to make it yourself.
• I’ll generally make up a batch of this shredded chicken with pesto sauce and use one half for homemade pesto chicken pizzas and the other half for these stuffed pesto chicken sweet potatoes. Cook once, eat twice!
• Or another option is to make a double batch of shredded chicken and incorporate pesto with one half to make one of the meals mentioned above and use the rest of the chicken to make these chicken enchiladas. Three different meal options…for less than 30 minutes of prep time. Amazing!

Recipe FAQs

How to prepare the shredded chicken

There are a number of ways you can prepare the shredded chicken. See the methods below and choose your preferred option!

Slow cooker:Place chicken breasts in aslow cookerand cook on high for 2-4 hours or low for 4-6 hours. Shred using two forks.

Instant pot:Add the chicken breasts and chicken stock to the bowl of yourpressure cooker. Arrange the chicken breasts so that they are spread out in an even layer.Cover and set the pressure cooker lid valve to “sealing.” Pressure cook on high for 10 minutes, followed by a 5 minute natural release, followed by a quick release (carefully flip the valve to “venting”) to release whatever pressure remains. Remove the lid and use two forks to shred the chicken.

Boil chicken breasts:Place chicken breasts in a large pot of boiling water and allow to simmer for about 20 minutes until cooked through. Shred chicken.

Use a rotisserie chicken:The easiest method is to purchase a pre-made rotisserie chicken or make one yourself and simply remove the chicken from the bone.

How to store

Once the chicken has cooled to room temperature, you can store it in an air-tight container in the fridge. It will keep well for up to four days.

Can you freeze this shredded chicken recipe?

Yes, this chicken is perfect for freezer meals!

To freeze: Place the cooled chicken into sealable freezer bags or freezer-safe containers. You can freeze it for up to four months. It will still be safe to eat after this, but for optimal quality, it’s best used within this time frame.

I like to store it in smaller portions so that you can defrost and reheat just what you need.

Thaw the shredded chicken in the fridge overnight before reheating, or for using cold in wraps and salads.

How to reheat

You can reheat your shredded chicken in the microwave, oven or on the stovetop. I prefer to do it on the stovetop as it doesn’t dry out as much, but all methods work well.

• Microwave: Place the pesto chicken in a microwave-safe bowl and cover with a damp paper towel. Heat on full power for 5 minutes, stirring every minute.
• Oven: Place on a baking sheet or in a baking dish and cover with foil. Bake at 375F for 20 minutes or until warmed through.
• Stovetop: Place the shredded chicken in a pot on a medium heat. Add in a tablespoon or two of water to help loosen it back up. Heat until warmed through, stirring occasionally.

Serving suggestions

This chicken with pesto sauce is so versatile and can be served up in a variety of different ways!

Try it:

• Stuffed in a baked sweet potato
• On a wrap
• On a salad
• Over rice
• In lettuce wraps
• In spaghetti squash
• On pizza

More shredded chicken recipes

• Pesto Chicken Stuffed Spaghetti Squash
• Buffalo Chicken Meal Prep
• Healthy Slow Cooker Chicken Tortilla Soup
• Lemon Chicken Soup
• Curried Pumpkin Chicken Soup

Did you make this recipe? Scroll down to leave a rating and review!

This recipe was originally posted April 2018 and was updated March 2021 to include better tips and photos.

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