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Mozzarella Pesto Chicken Wraps

5 from 3 votes
This recipe for chicken includes some of my favorite foods, and is a classic combination of those ingredients. It has mozzarella (cheese, yum..), pesto (I use my homemade spinach pesto), and tomatoes. It's a great way to upgrade how you enjoy chicken breasts, which are generally low in fat/cholesterol and super healthy, but frequently dry and bland.
And actually, it's super simple: you essentially pound out half a chicken breast until its thin, season it, fill it with the ingredients, roll it up, then sear it and finish it off in the oven. It makes for a super impressive, super delicious, dinner any day of the week. You can also prepare it in advance if necessary.
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Prep Time 25 minutes
Cook Time 35 minutes
Total Time 1 hour
Servings: 6 people
Course: Dinner
Calories: 395
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

For the chicken wraps:
  • 1 1/2 lbs chicken breasts 6 individual
  • 8 oz mozarella (in ball shape) or 1 1/2 cups shredded
  • 3/4 cup shredded mozarella additional
  • 1 lb cherry tomatoes (or 1 lb cherry tomatoes and 12 tbsp marinara sauce)
  • salt
  • pepper
  • 1-2 tbsp olive oil
  • 1 1/2 cups pesto of your choice, see below for homemade
  • 1/2 cup parmesan cheese shredded/grated
Homemade pesto:
  • 1 bag baby spinach
  • 2 cloves garlic minced, crushed, or finely sliced
  • 2-3 tbsp olive oil
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 1/4 tsp pepper
  • 5-10 large basil leaves

Equipment

  • large cast iron skillet
  • meat pounder
  • blender (immersion, stick, food processor, regular blender)

Method
 

Homemade Pesto
  1. Place the spinach, garlic, 2 tbsp olive oil, salt, pepper, and basil into the blender of your choice. If using a stick blender, place the ingredients into a large bowl.
  2. Pulse until you achieve a smooth consistency. Adjust the seasoning with additional salt, pepper, and/or olive oil.
Chicken Wraps
  1. Preheat the oven to 425ºF.
  2. Prepare the chicken breasts. Start by cutting them in half lengthwise, so that you get two super thin, long, large slices of chicken breast. Tip: make sure to use a sharp knife.
  3. Using the meat pounder, pound them gently until they are even thinner, but don't overdo it so as to tear the breasts.
  4. Layout the chicken breasts and pat them dry with a towel. Season both sides liberally with salt and pepper.
  5. Prepare the other ingredients. Slice the 8 oz ball of mozzarella into thin, wide slices. If opting for shredded, skip this step.
  6. Slice about 1/3 of the cherry tomatoes into thin slices, about the same thickness as the mozzarella. If using marinara sauce, don't thinly slice any of the tomatoes.
  7. For each thin, pounded out chicken breast, spread 1- 1 1/2 tbsp pesto. Top with the mozzarella you opted for (equally divide the shredded or the sliced ball) and the tomatoes (sliced tomatoes or 1 tbsp marinara sauce).
  8. Roll the chicken breast lengthwise tightly and secure with a toothpick. Repeat the same process with every chicken breast.
  9. Heat a large cast-iron pan and add 1 tbsp olive oil. Starting with 6 of the rolled breasts, sear them for 4-5 minutes per side (2 sides) without moving them. Repeat with the other 6, adding olive oil as necessary. When done, turn off the heat underneath.
  10. While the chicken breasts are searing, cut the remaining cherry tomatoes into quarters.
  11. Place all of the chicken breasts (seared) back into the pan, squishing them a little if necessary. Top each breast with some of the remaining pesto, dividing it equally. Top with the diced cherry tomatoes, 3/4 cup shredded mozzarella, and parmesan.
  12. Sprinkle with some pepper, then place the cast-iron pan into the preheated oven and bake for 13-15 minutes. Optionally, broil for 2-3 minutes at the end to crisp up the cheese. Enjoy!

Notes

  • Macros: 21.4 g fat, 5.1 g carbohydrates, 47.6 g protein
  • See the blog post for more information about preparation, ingredients, cook times, and generally detailed descriptions/instructions.