Pesto Chicken Quinoa Bowl

Pesto, chicken, and quinoa in a white bowl.

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5 from 1 vote

This Pesto Chicken Quinoa Bowl is filled with buttery quinoa, juicy roasted chicken, and fresh herby pesto.

Prep Time10

Cook Time20

Total Time30

Course: Poultry Recipes

Cuisine: American

Servings: Servings

Calories: 767kcal

Author: Erica Schramek

Equipment

Ingredients

Quinoa

1 cup quinoa
2 tablespoons butter
2 cups of water
½ teaspoon kosher salt

Chicken

2 lbs boneless skinless chicken breast cut into bite-sized pieces
kosher salt
ground black pepper
2 tablespoons olive oil

Toppings

1 cup pesto
toppings of your choice
grated cheese

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

Quinoa

Rinse the 1 cup quinoa under cool running water. You will need a fine mesh strainer because a standard strainer's holes are too big.
Melt the 2 tablespoons butter in a large saucepan. Add the quinoa and sauté for a few minutes until it begins to smell toasty. Add the 2 cups of water and ½ teaspoon kosher salt and let it come to a rolling boil.
Reduce the heat to just high enough to maintain a simmer. Let the quinoa simmer for 12-15 minutes or until all the water has been absorbed.
Remove from the heat, cover, and let the quinoa steam for 5 minutes. Fluff with a fork, season with salt and black pepper, and set aside.

Chicken

While the quinoa is simmering. Season the 2 lbs boneless skinless chicken breast with salt and pepper.
Add the 2 tablespoons olive oil to a skillet and heat over medium heat. Once the oil is hot add the chicken in a single layer and saute for 6-8 minutes, flipping the chicken halfway through the cooking time, until the chicken is fully cooked.

To Assemble the Bowls

Add the quinoa followed by the chicken to a large bowl.
Drizzle with 1 cup pesto.
Finish with your favorite toppings and grated cheese.

Notes

For additional flavor, substitute chicken broth for the water when cooking the quinoa.

To turn this into a super quick dinner, use rotisserie chicken, precooked quinoa, and jarred pesto.

If you have picky eaters in your house, try serving the topping separately so that everyone can decide what they want to top their quinoa bowl with.

Make-Ahead Directions: The base recipe can be made up to 3 days in advance and stored in the refrigerator. You can either reheat before serving or serve cold.

Storage: Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3-4 days.

Nutrition