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2-Ingredient Crockpot Pesto Chicken Thighs

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You won’t believe how simple and easy this crockpot pesto chicken recipe is! Made with just chicken thighs and pesto (plus salt and pepper!), this chicken essentially cooks itself in the slow cooker, leaving you with pieces of chicken that have tons of flavor and are super juicy. Then serve these pesto chicken thighs as a part of a meal or pair with pasta or rice and a veggie like kale salad or frozen broccoli for a simple, nutritious, and delicious meal. It’s also delicious in sandwiches like turkey pesto panini or tomato mozzarella panini.

If you like recipes that include pesto like this one, be sure to try my grilled chicken thighs, pesto baked chicken breast, 10-minute pesto tortellini, summer avocado toast, or summer chicken saute next time.

Crockpot pesto chicken thighs on a bun with tomatoes.

Estimated reading time: 7 minutes

What You’ll Love About Crockpot Pesto Chicken

  • Flavorful, juicy chicken thighs
  • Can be used in many ways
  • Made with just 2 ingredients
  • Just 5 minutes prep time
  • Just 3 hours cook time (hands off)

Ingredients

  • Chicken – I’ve used boneless skinless chicken thighs, but you could also use boneless skinless chicken breasts cut up into small pieces if you prefer.
  • Sea salt and black pepper
  • Pesto – Use your favorite homemade or store-bought jar of pesto. I love to make my own basil pesto in the summer, but rely on Kirkland the rest of the year!
Ingredients to make crockpot pesto chicken thighs recipe

How to Make Crockpot Pesto Chicken

This is an overview on how to make pesto chicken in the crockpot, the detailed instructions can be found below in the recipe card.

Prep. Cut chicken into 2 inch pieces and place in the bottom of slow cooker.
Season. Sprinkle chicken with sea salt and black pepper. Top with pesto sauce, spreading around to coat all chicken pieces.
Chicken thighs in a slow cooker with pesto on top
Cook chicken. Place lid on crock pot and cook on low until chicken thighs are cooked through and tender. Stir in extra pesto if desired.
Cooked pesto chicken thighs in slow cooker.
Serve. See below for a list of serving ideas.

Storage Instructions

Store leftover pesto chicken in an airtight container in the fridge for 2-3 days.

How to reheat

Reheat pesto chicken thighs in a microwave until heated through or in a hot skillet until heated through.

Can you freeze pesto chicken thighs?

Yes! These chicken thighs freeze really well. Store in an airtight container in the freezer for 2-3 months and thaw in the refrigerator overnight before reheating.

Sandwich with crockpot pesto chicken thighs and topped with tomatoes.

How to Serve Pesto Chicken Thighs

Let’s get to the fun part – how to serve this pesto chicken! There are a lot of options:

  • Pesto Chicken Pasta – Serve chicken alongside some pasta tossed with pesto or pesto tortellini and some grated Parmesan cheese.
  • Pesto Chicken Sandwich – Top a slice of lightly bread with warmed pesto chicken and top with fresh mozzarella cheese and broil until cheese is melty. When it comes out of the oven, top it with chopped tomatoes tossed with balsamic vinegar. This one is slightly different, but definitely inspired by this turkey pesto panini.
  • Simple Dinner – Serve crockpot pesto chicken thighs as the protein component of a simple meal alongside some rice or cauliflower rice, and a simple veggie like sautéed zucchini, haricot verts or air fryer broccoli and cauliflower.
  • Pesto Chicken Salad – Use this chicken for pesto chicken salad to serve in croissants, wraps, or over salad greens.

How to Feed Pesto Chicken to the Whole Family

I get it, feeding kids can be tough! But following the Division of Responsibility and knowing your job and your child’s job makes it SO much more enjoyable. You’ll be able to feed your kids any meal, which will help ensure that they are eating a variety of nutritious foods – with plenty of play food sprinkled in.

I would recommend serving the pesto chicken thighs in a pinch bowl (taster bowl) if it’s a new or learning-to-like it food. Serve the meal with a few items you know your kids will eat, like fruit, salad, or bread and butter.

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Crockpot pesto chicken sandwich

More Easy Slow Cooker Recipes

If you like this pesto crockpot chicken recipe, you might also like these other easy slow cooker recipes:

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Crockpot pesto chicken thighs on a bun with tomatoes.

Crockpot Pesto Chicken Thighs Recipe

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Description

This easy crockpot pesto chicken thighs take minutes to prep and then can be used so many ways! Try it over pasta, in a sandwich, or with rice and veggies.


Ingredients

Units Scale
  • 2 lbs. chicken thighs, cut into 2 inch pieces
  • 2 tsp. sea salt
  • black pepper
  • 1/3 cup pesto

Instructions

  1. Place chicken thigh chunks in the bottom of a slow cooker and season with salt and pepper. Top with 1/3 cup of pesto.
  2. Cook on low for 3-4 hours or until chicken reaches an internal temperature of 165 degrees F.


Notes

  • Use prepared or homemade pesto.

Keywords: crockpot pesto chicken, pesto chicken recipe, pesto chicken thighs

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