One Pot Rice Chicken Pesto Bake
Dive into this mouthwatering One Pot Rice Chicken Pesto Bake, where tender chicken meets fluffy rice and vibrant broccoli, all enveloped in a creamy pesto sauce. With just one pot and minimal cleanup, you’ll savor every bite of this easy, hearty meal that’s perfect for any night of the week. Get ready to impress your taste buds and your dinner guests!
Prep
15
min
Cook
50
min
Serves
3
people
Level
beginner
📝 Ingredients
Serves 3🥬Fresh Produce(2)
- 200 g broccoli, raw (7.06 oz)
- Spices: salt, pepper, More Spices Knobilicous
🥩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 grated cheese light (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(1)
- 300 g cherry tomatoes (10.6 oz)
Nutrition (per serving)
Calories
739
Protein
69g
Carbs
63g
Fat
22g
👨🍳 Instructions
- 1
Cover with aluminum foil!
- 2
Preheat the oven to 190°C (374°F) and bake for about 45 minutes. Remove the aluminum foil and let the cheese crisp for 5 minutes on convection.
💡 Pro Tips
- ✓Use a 1:2.15 liquid-to-rice ratio (430 ml broth for 200 g raw rice) because raw rice absorbs ~1.8× its weight in liquid, and the pesto adds ~50 ml additional moisture from oil.ingredient1:2.15 ratio (430 ml : 200 g)
- ✓Keep aluminum foil on for the full 45 minutes at 190°C to trap steam at 100% humidity, which gelatinizes rice starches evenly and cooks chicken to 165°F (74°C) without drying; removing foil early causes uneven doneness.timing45 minutes covered at 190°C (374°F)
- ✓Dice chicken breast into 2-3 cm cubes rather than thin strips to prevent overcooking; thin pieces reach 165°F in ~12 minutes while cubes need the full 45-minute simmer, staying moist due to carryover cooking from residual heat.technique2-3 cm cubes
- ✓Add pesto after foil removal (during the final 5-minute broil) rather than at the start, as heating pesto above 70°C for >15 minutes degrades basil's volatile aromatics and chlorophyll turns yellow-brown.timingFinal 5 minutes at broil temperature
- ✓Use convection mode for the final 5 minutes because circulating air at 190°C browns cheese 2-3× faster than static heat by removing moisture and promoting Maillard reactions across the surface.equipment5 minutes convection broil
Share this recipe
Prep
15
min
Cook
50
min
Serves
3
people
Level
beginner
Share this recipe
One Pot Rice Chicken Pesto Bake
Dive into this mouthwatering One Pot Rice Chicken Pesto Bake, where tender chicken meets fluffy rice and vibrant broccoli, all enveloped in a creamy pesto sauce. With just one pot and minimal cleanup, you’ll savor every bite of this easy, hearty meal that’s perfect for any night of the week. Get ready to impress your taste buds and your dinner guests!
📝 Ingredients
Serves 3🥬Fresh Produce(2)
- 200 g broccoli, raw (7.06 oz)
- Spices: salt, pepper, More Spices Knobilicous
🥩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 grated cheese light (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(1)
- 300 g cherry tomatoes (10.6 oz)
Nutrition (per serving)
Calories
739
Protein
69g
Carbs
63g
Fat
22g
👨🍳 Instructions
- 1
Cover with aluminum foil!
- 2
Preheat the oven to 190°C (374°F) and bake for about 45 minutes. Remove the aluminum foil and let the cheese crisp for 5 minutes on convection.
💡 Pro Tips
- ✓Use a 1:2.15 liquid-to-rice ratio (430 ml broth for 200 g raw rice) because raw rice absorbs ~1.8× its weight in liquid, and the pesto adds ~50 ml additional moisture from oil.ingredient1:2.15 ratio (430 ml : 200 g)
- ✓Keep aluminum foil on for the full 45 minutes at 190°C to trap steam at 100% humidity, which gelatinizes rice starches evenly and cooks chicken to 165°F (74°C) without drying; removing foil early causes uneven doneness.timing45 minutes covered at 190°C (374°F)
- ✓Dice chicken breast into 2-3 cm cubes rather than thin strips to prevent overcooking; thin pieces reach 165°F in ~12 minutes while cubes need the full 45-minute simmer, staying moist due to carryover cooking from residual heat.technique2-3 cm cubes
- ✓Add pesto after foil removal (during the final 5-minute broil) rather than at the start, as heating pesto above 70°C for >15 minutes degrades basil's volatile aromatics and chlorophyll turns yellow-brown.timingFinal 5 minutes at broil temperature
- ✓Use convection mode for the final 5 minutes because circulating air at 190°C browns cheese 2-3× faster than static heat by removing moisture and promoting Maillard reactions across the surface.equipment5 minutes convection broil