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Horizontal image of a plate of grilled chicken topped with pesto with a side portion of stuffing, with more on a serving platter in the background, with a folded cloth napkin topped with a knife and fork to the right, on a brown wood surface with scattered sunflower seeds.

Sunflower Seed Spinach Pesto Grilled Chicken


  • Author: Meghan Yager
  • Total Time: 20 minutes
  • Yield: 4 servings 1x

Description

You won’t be able to resist the flavor of our sunflower seed spinach pesto grilled chicken, a simple main dish for weeknights.


Ingredients

Scale
  • ¼ cup + 1 tsp olive oil, divided
  • 4 boneless skinless chicken breasts (about 34 lbs total weight)
  • 1 tsp salt, plus more to taste
  • 1 tsp freshly ground black pepper, plus more to taste
  • 1 cup packed baby spinach leaves
  • ½ cup packed parsley or basil leaves (optional)
  • 1/3 cup raw sunflower seeds
  • 1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese
  • 1 clove garlic, minced

Instructions

  1. Pat the chicken breasts dry with paper towels and sprinkle with salt and pepper on both sides.
  2. Grease a grill, grill pan, or cast iron skillet with 1 teaspoon olive oil, and preheat on high heat.
  3. Grill chicken until cooked through and browned, about 5-7 minutes per side.
  4. Meanwhile, place remaining ingredients into the bowl of a food processor or a high-speed blender. Process until smooth, about 30 seconds to 1 minute, scraping down the sides with a spatula as needed. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
  5. Spoon pesto over cooked chicken. Serve immediately.
  • Prep Time: 5 minutes
  • Cook Time: 15 minutes
  • Category: Chicken
  • Method: Grilling
  • Cuisine: Dinner

Keywords: pesto, grilled chicken, chicken breast, sunflower seeds, spinach