Low Carb Instant Pot Pesto Chicken with Mozzarella cheese and juicy Roma tomatoes is incredibly delicious and ready in 20 minutes.
Instant Pot Pesto Chicken
Italian Pesto Chicken in the Instant Pot, Mealthy MultiPot or Pressure Cooker is so easy and quick.
It is another in my series of dump and push start recipes. My Instant Pot Creamy Baked Ziti and Instant Pot Shredded Buffalo Chicken recipes got so many rave reviews, I decided to do a series of really easy, but extremely flavorful and delicious recipes.
Instant Pot Pesto Chicken is so delicious you won’t believe you are not in a very fine restaurant. You may pinch yourself and say “am I really at home”?
Cast of Ingredients for Instant Pot Pesto Chicken
I’m telling you this now, so you will know how delicious Instant Pot Pesto Chicken really is.
Ed HATES pesto, generally won’t even try it. Just watch him in the video and you be the judge. You will see his ewww face in the beginning and then….wait for it……………………………
Ingredients for Instant Pot Pesto Chicken
- Chicken Breasts
- Basil Pesto Sauce
- Roma Tomatoes
- Fresh Mozzarella
- Italian Seasoning Grinder
- Sea Salt
- Onion
You can make your own pesto if you like. It’s just fresh basil, pine nuts, olive oil, garlic, Parmesan cheese, salt and pepper blended together, but make sure to keep a jar of Basil Pesto Sauce in the house for quick recipes like Instant Pot Pesto Chicken.
This is a short list of ingredients. I love to use individual seasonings, but I love this Italian Seasoning Grinder. It is the best of both worlds. You can even use a Crisplid to quickly melt the cheese right in the pressure cooker!!!
Sliced Onions into Instant Pot
When one needs an onion, one simply says “sliced onions go into the cooking pot.”
How to Make Instant Pot Pesto Chicken
Instant Pot Pesto Chicken is a dump and push start recipe. Start with slicing the onions. Grab a jar of Basil Pesto Sauce and more stuff
This means that you just toss everything into the Instant Pot, Mealthy MultiPot or Pressure Cooker and push a button.
If you have an Ed, they will appear out of nowhere to cut the onions and drop them right into the pot, as if on cue.
Dump in Chicken Breasts (or Thighs)
Are you a fan of white chicken meat or dark chicken meat? Maybe you aren’t a fan of chicken at all. I’m not a huge chicken lover, as you may have read on my blog or on my This Old Gal Facebook page.
What Kind of Chicken for Instant Pot Pesto Chicken?
- This is totally up to you. The recipe is written for white meat chicken.
- I did not have enough white meat and used both white and dark.
- Ed prefers white and I prefer dark, although these days, it doesn’t really matter to me.
The cook time is a bit different for dark and I will add that to the recipe card below.
Italians Seasonings and Salt into Cooking Pot
What Italian Seasonings for Instant Pot Pesto Chicken?
- Usually, I use separate seasonings, but I really love to use this Italian Seasoning Grinder.
- It has all the seasonings I would use individually, in one jar. The best part, well, the second best part is that I can grind them fresh when ready to use and therefore get the best flavors.
You will need to add some sea salt too since there is not much salt in the spice blend.
Add Basil Pesto Sauce
Basil Pesto Sauce is very strong, so start out with a bit less than you think you need.
The chicken should not be slathered in pesto! It’s too much.
How to Make Pesto Sauce.
- Add fresh basil leaves, pine nuts, olive oil, salt, pepper and a little Parmesan cheese to a blender and blend away.
That’s it. Ed grows basil, so it is easy to make by scratch. But, in a pinch, a jar of pesto will work. Sometimes you just don’t have pine nuts laying around.
Mix Sauce with Chicken and Onions
The onions will cook down and there will be lots of liquid. Liquid is fine and combined with the onions, pesto and seasoning, makes a wonderful sauce for pouring over vegetables.
It is also great as a dipping sauce for bread and bread sticks. Low carb or with carbs. Delicious either way.
It is also delish to pour over low carb noodles. If you are not following low carb, try the sauce over Gemelli Pasta. The sauce pairs with a small, yet firm, not delicate pasta.
Slicing Mozzarella and Roma Tomatoes
So, when making an Italian dish, it’s always nice to use Roma tomatoes.
For the Mozzarella cheese, figure about one slice per piece of chicken. Make sure to use a sharp Chef’s Knife, or you chance cutting off a finger.
Another Italian recipe to try is my Instant Pot Olive Garden Italian Chicken. It is also a low carb/keto dump and push start recipe. There are only a couple of ingredients and it is fantastic.
Mozzarella Cheese and Tomatoes
How Much Mozzarella Cheese in Instant Pot Pesto Chicken?
Slice off whatever you feel you want. You can always add more.
Use Mealthy Crisplid to Melt the Cheese Super Fast!
There are two ways to melt the cheese. The Mealthy Crisplid will melt it super fast to bubbling and also brown the tomatoes a bit!
Did you know you can turn your Instant Pot into a broiler and air fryer with a Mealthy Crisplid? ⬅️⬅️ Buy one here.
How to Use Mealthy Crisplid
- Unplug your Instant Pot, Mealthy MultiPot or Pressure Cooker.
- Place Crisplid over Instant Pot or other pressure cooker (make sure your cooking pot is stainless steel).
- Plug in Crisplid.
- Set temperature to 325 degrees and set time 1 minute and turn on. Watch through the glass as the cheese melts and use the handle to remove the Crisplid when the cheese is melted enough for your liking.
If you do not have a Crisplid, you can just put the pressure cooker lid back on and wait a bit for the cheese to melt like below.
Allow Cheese to Melt and Tomatoes to Wilt
So, how much are you loving this end grain teak cutting board? I’ve used it just about every day since getting it.
While the cheese is melting cut some slivers for garnishing.
Grape tomatoes would be great in this recipe too and can be added in after the pesto. Why not?
Garnish with Cheese Slivers
I love cheese at different melting levels. A nice garnish of the ribbons of cheese, make this dish absolutely perfect.
Looks like someone is really wanting a bite of his sandwich. Ciabatta bread is perfect to use for those not following low carb.
Beautiful Zucchini Noodles “Zoodles”
I love to pour the sauce over zoodles.
Use this Veggie Spiralizer and make some zoodles. The hot sauce will slightly wilt the zoodles and they will absorb all that yummy liquidy goodness.
Instant Pot Pesto Chicken Makes a Great Sandwich
If you are not following a low carb diet, check out my Pressure Cooker Chicken Pesto Penne recipe.
As you can clearly see, Ed LOVES Instant Pot Pesto Chicken. And while I was making a plate for myself to taste…..
Ed says “Take a Bite”
He ate his whole sandwich. I don’t think I even got a taste before he was done. I’m always happy when people love my food!
Watch my video and then scroll to the bottom for the printable recipe card.
Tips and Tricks to Instant Pot Pesto Chicken
- Add the onion slices first, so the chicken sits up on them and allows time for the chicken to release the liquid.
- Breasts or thighs are fine to use. Choose your favorite or cook both.
- Cut off all the fat on the chicken, so that the sauce doesn’t get cloudy.
- Use ripe Roma tomatoes. They should be firm, but very ripe.
Instant Pot Pesto Chicken
All the luscious sauce is awesome for using on the table and dipping in some Air Fryer Garlic Bread or Instant Pot No Knead Bread.
Serve it over Instant Pot Low Carb Mashed Cauliflower! Oh my, it is ever good over the mashed cauliflower.
More Instant Pot Mediterranean Recipes to Make:
- Pressure Cooker Italian Meatballs in Red Wine Sauce
- Instant Pot Italian Chicken Marsala {Pressure Cooker}
- Instant Pot Moroccan Lemon Chicken with Olives
- Pressure Cooker Authentic Italian Ricotta Cheesecake
Whether you follow low carb, keo or not, you are going to absolutely love this recipe.
It is so good, you just won’t believe it.
Kitchen Equipment and Essentials
- Instant Pot, Mealthy MultiPot or Pressure Cooker
- J.A. Henckels Classic 8 inch Chef’s Knife
- Amco Advanced Performance 18/10 Stainless Steel Measuring Spoons
- Culina Stackable (Dry) Stainless Steel Measuring Cups
- Cilio Olivewood Spatula
- di Oro Living Silicone Spatulas Set
- My FANTASTIC Teak Cutting & Charcuterie Board & Compartments
- Veggie Spiralizer
- Mealthy Crisplid – for melting and browning the cheese!
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Here is your handy printable recipe.
Ingredients
- 1 medium Yellow/Brown Onion sliced medium/thin
- 2 pounds Chicken Breast boneless/skinless
- 1 teaspoon Sea Salt
- 1 teaspoon Italian Seasoning Blend
- 5 ounces Basil Pesto jarred or fresh
- 6 ounces Mozzarella Cheese
- 3 Roma Tomatoes sliced
Recommended Products
Instructions
- Slice onions and place into cooking pot.
- Add chicken to the cooking pot on top of onions in a single-ish layer.
- Sprinkle Italian seasonings and salt over chicken.
- Spoon pesto sauce evenly over chicken.
- Lock lid in place and close pressure valve. Cook at high pressure for 3 minutes. When beep sounds, wait 5 minutes and then release the rest of the pressure.
- Slice 3/4 of Mozzarella cheese into thin slices and grate or cut the rest into slivers.
- Remove lid and stir onions and chicken into sauce to combine.
- Place Mozzarella slices over chicken.
- Slice tomatoes and place tomato slices on top of cheese.
- Turn off pressure cooker and place Mealthy Crisplid over pot and set temperature to 325 and time to 2 minutes. Keep an eye on the cheese and remove lid once cheese is browned and bubbly, or replace pressure cooker lid loosely over pot and let sit for 2-4 minutes, or until cheese has melted.
- Plate chicken and garnish with Mozzarella slivers.
Video
Notes
What to Eat with Pesto Chicken
- Pressure Cooker Cauliflower Soufflé
- Instant Pot Salt Potatoes [Syracuse, New York]
- Instant Pot Mashed Potatoes (Pressure Cooker)
- Instant Pot Pressure Cooker Spaghetti Squash - omg, this is so good with pesto chicken!
Nutrition
Pin this Instant Pot Pesto Chicken recipe
Low Carb Instant Pot Pesto Chicken
do you add chicken broth, several people asked but there is no answer. I want to make this tomorrow
The recipe and instructions are on the recipe card. Jill
I’ve read and re-read this recipe, and I must be missing something. What liquid is added to this to get it to pressurize?
I watched her video and she says not to add liquid cause there will be juice released from the chicken while it. cooks.
So yummy!
Now part of our regulars!
I am so glad you enjoy this recipe, Joyce. Jill
Low Carb Pesto Chicken does not say to add water. I thought we always had to add water to make steam?. Is the pesto sauce enough? Thanks looks delish.
Amazing!!! I made sprouted wheat drop biscuits to dip in the juice and my family went crazy over it! Including my toddlers 🙌
OMG, sprouted wheat drop biscuits. That sounds heavenly. Thank you so much! When the toddlers like it, well…..Jill
This looks great! Hoping to try it and had two quick questions. Have to make dinner for my family on vacation which will be a big group. Can I:
– double the recipe? (Or triple??)
– make chicken ahead in IP then freeze? (Just add tomato and cheese that night?)
Just trying to figure out logistically how to make it work. THANK YOI!!!
Wanting to try this for dinner tonight. A little confused by the printed recipe. In your video you put the chicken breasts in whole and you do not add water. In the recipe it says chicken strips and to add 3.5 cups of water with penne pasta. I would like to use potatoes and not sure how much water to add.
I apologize, Faith. A draft recipe card (to a future recipe using pasta), someone was replaced in this post. I have not corrected this and the card should be fine.
How much cool whip do you need for the matzo cake? I do not see it listed as an ingredient.
OMG!! I made this for some friends and it’s absolutely delicious and ridiculously easy!! Thanks so much for sharing!!!
Hi Nikki. Thank you so much. Your friends must think you are a gourmet cook. Jill
I’m an Instant Pot veteran and have never had that much liquid from boneless, skinless chicken. I’m assuming the juice must be from the pesto and onions. Still seems like a lot juice.
I will try it your way and see what happens.
I love THIS OLD GAL…Thank you, Kay
This looks delicious and can’t wait to make it! You mention you can cook it with pasta. If I use the Gemelli Pasta you suggested do I just pour in the dry pasta and cook with the chicken? If yes, how much do I put in and do I increase the cook time?
Thanks!
Nikki
If using pasta, I would add 8 ounces of dry pasta and add one more cup of liquid and use more pesto. Jill
Such a great recipe! LOVE the video. I’d like to use frozen chicken thighs- how many minutes should I add?!
Thanks, Christina. Enjoy. Jill