One Pot Chicken Pesto Rice Bake
Dive into a flavorful adventure with our One-Pot Chicken Pesto Rice Bake! This mouthwatering dish combines tender chicken, fragrant basil pesto, and fluffy rice, all baked together for a hassle-free dinner that’s bursting with Italian flair. Easy to whip up and even easier to savor, it’s a go-to recipe for busy weeknights or cozy gatherings!
Prep
15
min
Cook
45
min
Serves
3
people
Level
beginner
📝 Ingredients
Serves 3🥬Fresh Produce(1)
- 200 g broccoli, raw (7.06 oz)
🥩Meat & Seafood(2)
- 450 g chicken breast, diced/strips (0.99 lbs)
- 430 ml chicken broth (14.5 fl oz)
🥛Dairy & Eggs(1)
- 150 g light grated cheese (5.29 oz)
🫙Pantry Staples(1)
- 200 g rice, raw (7.06 oz)
🍯Sauces & Condiments(1)
- 50 g pesto of choice (I used Pesto Rosso) (1.76 oz)
📦Other(2)
- 300 g cherry tomatoes (10.6 oz)
- Spices: salt, pepper, More Spices Knobilicous
Nutrition (per serving)
Calories
738
Protein
67g
Carbs
65g
Fat
22g
👨🍳 Instructions
- 1
Cover with aluminum foil!
- 2
Preheat the oven to 190°C (374°F) and bake for about 45 minutes.
- 3
Remove the aluminum foil and let the cheese crisp for 5 minutes on convection.
💡 Pro Tips
- ✓Maintain a liquid-to-rice ratio of 2.15:1 (430 ml broth to 200 g rice) because pesto adds 50g of oil that reduces water absorption by ~8%, requiring slightly more liquid than the standard 2:1 ratio to achieve al dente texture.ingredient2.15:1 ratio (430 ml : 200 g)
- ✓Keep foil on for the full 45 minutes at 190°C without removing it early—this maintains steam at 95-98°C, which cooks rice evenly and keeps chicken moist by preventing surface dehydration while interior reaches 75°C internal temperature.timing45 minutes covered; chicken 75°C internal
- ✓Stir pesto in only after removing foil (at the 45-minute mark) to preserve basil's volatile aromatics—heat above 60°C for extended periods degrades up to 35% of pesto's fresh flavor compounds.techniqueAdd pesto post-cooking; degradation >35% at sustained heat
- ✓Use convection mode for the final 5-minute cheese crisp because circulating air at 190°C accelerates Maillard browning on the 150g cheese layer (requires 60-80°C surface temp) without overcooking the rice beneath.equipment5 minutes convection; cheese surface 60-80°C
- ✓Dice chicken to uniform 2-3 cm pieces so they cook through in 45 minutes at 190°C (reaching 75°C core) at the same rate as rice; larger pieces stay undercooked while smaller pieces dry out from the pesto oil's heat conductivity.ingredient2-3 cm uniform dice; 75°C core temp
Share this recipe
Prep
15
min
Cook
45
min
Serves
3
people
Level
beginner
Share this recipe
One Pot Chicken Pesto Rice Bake
Dive into a flavorful adventure with our One-Pot Chicken Pesto Rice Bake! This mouthwatering dish combines tender chicken, fragrant basil pesto, and fluffy rice, all baked together for a hassle-free dinner that’s bursting with Italian flair. Easy to whip up and even easier to savor, it’s a go-to recipe for busy weeknights or cozy gatherings!
📝 Ingredients
Serves 3🥬Fresh Produce(1)
- 200 g broccoli, raw (7.06 oz)
🥩Meat & Seafood(2)
- 450 g chicken breast, diced/strips (0.99 lbs)
- 430 ml chicken broth (14.5 fl oz)
🥛Dairy & Eggs(1)
- 150 g light grated cheese (5.29 oz)
🫙Pantry Staples(1)
- 200 g rice, raw (7.06 oz)
🍯Sauces & Condiments(1)
- 50 g pesto of choice (I used Pesto Rosso) (1.76 oz)
📦Other(2)
- 300 g cherry tomatoes (10.6 oz)
- Spices: salt, pepper, More Spices Knobilicous
Nutrition (per serving)
Calories
738
Protein
67g
Carbs
65g
Fat
22g
👨🍳 Instructions
- 1
Cover with aluminum foil!
- 2
Preheat the oven to 190°C (374°F) and bake for about 45 minutes.
- 3
Remove the aluminum foil and let the cheese crisp for 5 minutes on convection.
💡 Pro Tips
- ✓Maintain a liquid-to-rice ratio of 2.15:1 (430 ml broth to 200 g rice) because pesto adds 50g of oil that reduces water absorption by ~8%, requiring slightly more liquid than the standard 2:1 ratio to achieve al dente texture.ingredient2.15:1 ratio (430 ml : 200 g)
- ✓Keep foil on for the full 45 minutes at 190°C without removing it early—this maintains steam at 95-98°C, which cooks rice evenly and keeps chicken moist by preventing surface dehydration while interior reaches 75°C internal temperature.timing45 minutes covered; chicken 75°C internal
- ✓Stir pesto in only after removing foil (at the 45-minute mark) to preserve basil's volatile aromatics—heat above 60°C for extended periods degrades up to 35% of pesto's fresh flavor compounds.techniqueAdd pesto post-cooking; degradation >35% at sustained heat
- ✓Use convection mode for the final 5-minute cheese crisp because circulating air at 190°C accelerates Maillard browning on the 150g cheese layer (requires 60-80°C surface temp) without overcooking the rice beneath.equipment5 minutes convection; cheese surface 60-80°C
- ✓Dice chicken to uniform 2-3 cm pieces so they cook through in 45 minutes at 190°C (reaching 75°C core) at the same rate as rice; larger pieces stay undercooked while smaller pieces dry out from the pesto oil's heat conductivity.ingredient2-3 cm uniform dice; 75°C core temp