Simple Chicken Pesto Flatbread, made two ways – one with tomatoes, one with mushrooms – is an simple and quick weeknight dinner recipe the whole family will love.
Friday night is Pizza Night in our house. It's a great way to get the whole family involved with cooking dinner. We like to mix it up by making traditional homemade pizza dough with personal favorite toppings.
And then sometimes we'll do Air Fryer French Bread Pizza or Air Fryer Mini Pizzas. Sometimes we'll make these cute and simple Pepperoni Pizza Cups (these are a fave with kids!).
Lately, we've been on a flatbread recipes kick. This Prosciutto Flatbread is an amazing elevated option from classic cheese and pepperoni. And we've been digging this BBQ Chicken Flatbread, too.
Now, this tasty Chicken Pesto Flatbread pizza is our latest family fave. We'm so excited to share it with you all!
[feast_advanced_jump_to]🌟 Why this recipe works
This Chicken Pesto Flatbread recipe is one that every single person in our family loves.
- Simple– The steps to make this flatbread are simple for any beginning home cook to follow. The teens can easily make this on their own; it's great for college students too.
- Fast – Because we're starting with a lot of premade ingredients, the prep time is simply about 5 minutes. And thanks to ingredients like store-bought flatbread, pesto, and cooked chicken, cooking times are faster. These are done in simply 12-14 minutes.
- Versatile– These make great personal pizzas! Each person can top their flatbread with their favorite pizza toppings.
🛒 Ingredient notes
To make this pesto chicken flatbread, you simply need a few simple ingredients that are simple to find at your local grocery store.
- Flabread – You can use any favorite store-bought flatbreads for this recipe. We usually use naan flatbread. You can use Indian flatbread or gluten-free flatbread.
- Pesto – You can use homemade pesto or store-bought basil pesto sauce. It should include garlic to give the flatbread some nice aromatic flavor.
- Chicken – This is a great recipe to use rotisserie chicken or any leftover chicken. Simply chop or shred into small pieces. If you don't have leftover rotisserie chicken, you can also use Foster Farms (yellow package) or Tyson chicken breast that is precooked. We usually find it in the meat section with other pre-cooked meats.
- Cheese – We love using shredded fresh Mozzarella cheese, or an Italian cheese mix. You can use Asiago cheese, gouda cheese, parmesan cheese, or even goat cheese. We use the favorite non-dairy cheese shreds on the flatbread.
- Toppings – Here's where you can have fun and personalize your flatbread pizza! Halved cherry tomatoes or grape tomatoes add freshness and bright color contrast. The daughter loves mushrooms on her pesto chicken flatbread. Chopped bacon is always a good idea. You can also add red onion slices, chopped fresh cilantro, fresh basil leaves, and fresh parsley.
- Salt and pepper– Season with salt and pepper to taste.
Optional: you can brush the flatbreads with olive oil before topping, if you like.
✅ Step-by-step instructions
The printable recipe card at the bottom of this post has the ingredient measurements and detailed cooking instructions. Here are step-by-step photos to show you how to make this tasty flatbread.
- Preheat the oven to 400°F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Place flatbreads on top in one layer; you may need two baking sheets if you have larger flatbreads.
- Spoon a couple of tablespoons (or more) of pesto on top of the flatbreads.
- Sprinkle half of the cheese evenly over the flatbreads.
4. Add your toppings, such as tomatoes or mushrooms.
5. Add the remaining shredded cheese over the top of the flatbreads.
6. Season each with a little kosher salt and ground black pepper.
7. Bake at 400°F for 12-14 minutes, until the cheese has melted and the crust of the flatbread is a nice golden brown.
👩🏻🍳 Recipe FAQs
No, the pesto serves as the sauce for these flatbreads. So you spread the pesto over the dough before baking the flatbreads in the oven.
What's the best way to reheat flatbread?Reheat flatbread in the air fryer at 325°F for 2-3 minutes, until warmed up. Or reheat in the oven at 350°F for 4-5 minutes, until warmed up.
What's the best way to store leftover flatbread?Wrap leftovers in plastic wrap or aluminum foil, or store in an airtight container, and refrigerate. It should keep for up to 3 or 4 days in the fridge.
🍽 Serving ideas
We love making these flatbread pizzas for pizza nights, but they're truly great for any busy weeknight dinner. Or serve them up for Saturday movie nights!
Serve them with a big side salad, like this Broccoli Crunch Salad or an Arugula Quinoa Salad. It's also great with a crunchy Asian Cucumber Salad.
For dessert? You can't beat these Chocolate Fudge Cupcakes or these yummy Triple Chocolate Chip Pretzel Cookies.
🍷 🥂 Wine pairings
You'll want to pair a wine that goes well with the herbaceous flavors of pesto. We like to serve this with a Semillion or Sauvignon Blanc. Both dry white wines have "green" flavors and aromas, which help complement the pesto. You could also serve it with an unoaked Chardonnay or a Pinot Blanc.
🍳 Kitchen tools and equipment
Ready to make this recipe? Here are the kitchen tools and equipment you'll need:
- Baking sheet or two to bake the flatbreads.
- Parchment paper to line the baking sheet with.
- Wooden board and pizza cutter to slice the flatbread.
More recipes
Chocolate Chip Pumpkin BreadDid you make this recipe? Don't forget to leave a 5-Star 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟 rating in the recipe card, and if you truly loved it, please leave a comment further down on the page. Thank you!
Chicken Pesto Flatbread
By Marlynn Schotland Prep Time: 10 mins Cook Time: 14 mins Total Time: 24 mins Servings: 6 servings This chicken pesto flatbread is a great simple dinner the whole family will love! Add your favorite vegetable toppings for personal flatbread pizzas.Equipment
- 1 Baking Sheet
Ingredients
- 4 flatbread rounds
- ½ cup olive oil
- 1 cup pesto (homemade or store-bought)
- 2 cups shredded Mozzarella cheese
- 1½ cups shredded chicken
- 2 Tablespoons thinly sliced basil leaves
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
- Optional: 1 cup halved cherry tomatoes and/or 1 cup sliced cremini mushrooms
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400°F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
- Place the flatbreads onto the prepared baking sheets.
- Lightly brush the top of each flatbread with olive oil.
- Spoon 2-3 tablespoons of pesto over each flatbread.
- Sprinkle half of the Mozzarella cheese evenly over each flatbread.
- Top each flatbread with an equal amount of shredded chicken.
- Then top each flatbread with your choice of additional vegetables. We like making half with cherry tomatoes and half with mushrooms.
- Sprinkle the remaining Mozzarella cheese evenly over the flatbreads.
- Season each with an equal amount of salt and pepper.
- Bake at 400°F for 12-14 minutes, or until the cheese melts.
- Sprinkle fresh basil over the tops of each flatbread. Then slice and serve.
- Optional: drizzle balsamic glaze over each flatbread.
Notes
Makes 4 flatbread pizzas, equaling 4-6 main course servings or 8-10 appetizer servings. Flatbread: use your favorite naan bread.Nutrition
Calories: 568 kcal, Carbohydrates: 20 g, Protein: 22 g, Fat: 44 g, Saturated Fat: 11 g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 3 g, Monounsaturated Fat: 17 g, Cholesterol: 59 mg, Sodium: 987 mg, Potassium: 198 mg, Fiber: 1 g, Sugar: 2 g, Vitamin A: 1257 IU, Vitamin C: 6 mg, Calcium: 287 mg, Iron: 2 mgNutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
