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Italian Keto Chicken Bake

Italian Keto Chicken Bake is your new fave! Italian Pimento Cheese tops Chicken breasts for a zesty quick and easy keto chicken recipe.

Bite of Pesto Chicken Bake

Italian Keto Chicken Bake is the quick and easy chicken recipe you need in your recipe bank.

Using a creamy and tangy Italian Pimento Cheese, your chicken breasts get an upgrade! 

This even works well with leftover chicken — win-win, y’all!

Pesto Chicken Bake that's KetoHow to Make Italian Keto Chicken Bake

Here’s what you’ll need:

  • Chicken Breasts
  • Italian Seasoning
  • Pesto
  • Olive Oil
  • Sun Dried Tomatoes
  • Capers
  • Goat Cheese
  • Parmesan Cheese

First, in a shallow dish, drizzle a couple of tablespoons of olive oil and a hefty sprinkle of Italian seasoning

Italian Seasonings and Olive Oil in a Bowl

Add in some pesto, and give it a good stir. 

Pesto and Olive Oil in a Bowl

Take your chicken breast and smoosh them all over the pesto oil mixture.

Chicken Breasts Marinating in Pesto

Cover these with some cling wrap, and let them hang out in the fridge for a few hours. 

You can do this the night before, or the morning of.

The best marinating time is a couple of hours, but if you’re pressed for time, half an hour is just fine.

Next, bake your chicken.

Italian Chicken baked on a sheet pan

If you need some tips on baking your chicken in the oven to juicy, tender perfection, head on over to this post about How to Meal Prep Chicken in the Oven.

Now, while the chicken bakes, let’s mix up some Italian Pimento Cheese!

Italian Pimento Cheese with Capers and Sun Dried Tomatoes

I had some leftover from making this recipe, but I decided to zhuzh it up with capers, sun-dried tomatoes, and extra parmesan cheese! 

Making Italian Pimento Cheese

Add a spoonful of capers.

Their briny acid helps to cut through the richness of the cheese.

Sun Dried Tomato Cheese Spread

A spoonful of sun-dried tomatoes goes in next.

These were straight from the fridge, so the oil is hardened, no need to worry though!

Are you a sun-dried tomato lover like me?! I can’t get enough!

Adding Chili Onion Crunch to a Bowl of Italian Pimento Cheese

For a bit of a spicy kick, I added a small spoonful of Trader Joe’s Chili Onion Crunch, also something I can’t get enough of!

Grated Parmesan Cheese in a Bowl

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Using your microplane, grate some fresh parmesan cheese into the whole thing, and give it a really good stir. 

Once your chicken is out of the oven, top it with a dollop of Italian Pimento Cheese.

Italian Keto Chicken Bake on a Skillet

Then, place it back into the oven and turn the broiler on.

Easy Italian Pimento Cheese Chicken Recipe

Finally, remove from the oven and serve with a big salad or roasted vegetables. 

What pairs well with this chicken dinner recipe?

What other proteins could I substitute?

Pork chops would be great with this!

Low Carb Chicken Bake with Pesto and Goat Chese

Can I grill the chicken instead of baking it?

Sure! You can even dollop the cheese mixture on top while they’re on the grill, too.

Tips for making this recipe for a crowd:

  1. Make the Italian pimento cheese a couple of days ahead of time.
  2. Marinate your chicken the night before, directly on a sheet pan, if you’re baking it. 
  3. The morning of, cut all your vegetables or salad items you’ll be serving. 
  4. An hour before you need to bake your chicken, remove from the fridge and take the chill off.

Pesto Chicken with Sun Dried Tomatoes and Goat Cheese

Your family will love this easy low carb chicken recipe! This is an extra creamy, dreamy, cheesy way of eating your protein, so get excited!

Be sure to save this to your favorite chicken, low carb, or keto boards on Pinterest!

Italian Keto Chicken Bake from Sweetpea Lifestyle

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Bite of Pesto Chicken Bake

Italian Keto Chicken Bake

5 from 9 reviews
  • Author: Sweetpea
  • Prep Time: 15
  • Cook Time: 20
  • Total Time: 35 minutes
  • Yield: 2 1x
  • Category: low carb, main dish
  • Method: oven-baked
  • Cuisine: italian

Description

Italian Keto Chicken Bake from Sweetpea Lifestyle


Ingredients

Scale
  • 2 tablespoons Olive Oil
  • 1 teaspoon Italian Seasoning
  • 2 tablespoons Pesto (store-bought is great!)
  • 2 Chicken Breasts
  • 1/4 cup Italian Pimento Cheese (recipe to follow)
  • 1 tablespoon Capers, drained
  • 1 tablespoon Sun-Dried Tomatoes
  • 1/2 tablespoon Chili Onion Crunch (optional)

Italian Pimento Cheese

  • 8 ounces goat cheese, softened
  • 2 tablespoons sun-dried tomatoes, chopped
  • 2 tablespoons finely diced shallots
  • 2 teaspoons drained capers
  • 1 tablespoon chopped fresh basil
  • 1/2 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme
  • 1 teaspoon Sweetpea’s House Seasoning (see note)

 


Instructions

  1. In a shallow bowl, mix olive oil, Italian seasoning, and pesto together.
  2. Add chicken breasts and smoosh around to coat well.
  3. Cover and allow to marinate for up to 24 hours.
  4. Make Italian pimento cheese by following this recipe
  5. To the Italian pimento cheese, add the capers, sun-dried tomatoes, and parmesan listed in this recipe.
  6. Bake chicken at 425˚ for 15-20 minutes, or until an internal temperature of 165˚ is reached. 
  7. During the last few minutes of cooking, top the chicken with a nice dollop of Italian pimento cheese.
  8. Broil until the cheese mixture is melted and golden brown on top.
  9. Serve to your hungry people!

Notes

House Seasoning is equal parts kosher salt, ground black pepper, onion powder, and garlic powder.

Italian Pimento Cheese is a great spread to have on hand for last-minute guests, slathering on bread, or topping chicken!

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15 Comments

  1. I’ve been experimenting with lots of new recipes over the past couple of months. I made this today and my entire family really enjoyed it! I am adding it to my groupings of recipes for our weekly menu plans. I am so excited to have a new favorite to add into the rotation!!

  2. This chicken bake is delicious! So flavorful and and was a great option for dinner.






  3. Sometimes I end up with dry chicken breasts after making a meal, but not following your recipe. Made it for lunch today: it was amazingly delicious!






  4. This looks incredibly delicious and easy to make too. Love the ingredients especially shallots and sun dried tomatoes. Can’t wait to make it soon. Cheers.






  5. Beautiful flavor combination with the pesto and sun-dried tomatoes. Reminds me of a summer!






  6. I can’t wait to give this a try! It looks so delicious! My family is going to love this!






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