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.

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!


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.



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.

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.

Want More?
Follow Emily on Instagram or TikTok for family dinner recipe videos and tips for feeding kids.
Prefer to get updates by email?

More Easy Slow Cooker Recipes
If you like this pesto crockpot chicken recipe, you might also like these other easy slow cooker recipes:
- 4-Ingredient Crockpot Chicken and Gravy
- Crockpot Pulled Buffalo Chicken
- Crockpot Salsa Chicken
- Crockpot Chicken Burrito Bowls

Let me Meal Plan for you!
In a dinner time rut? Overwhelmed with the task of meal planning? It’s time to hand over meal planning to a pro!
This done-for-you plan can easily be customized and your grocery list is made with the click of a button – all while you sit in the school pick up line.
You’ll save time, save money, waste less food, and go into meals calm instead of stressed. Your dinner is planned and your grocery list is made and everything is conveniently delivered to an app so you can print it out, access from your phone, or computer.

Crockpot Pesto Chicken Thighs Recipe
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Cook Time: 3 hours
- Total Time: 3 hours 5 minutes
- Yield: 6 servings 1x
- Category: Dinner
- Method: Slow Cooker
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
- 2 lbs. chicken thighs, cut into 2 inch pieces
- 2 tsp. sea salt
- black pepper
- 1/3 cup pesto
Instructions
- Place chicken thigh chunks in the bottom of a slow cooker and season with salt and pepper. Top with 1/3 cup of pesto.
- Cook on low for 3-4 hours or until chicken reaches an internal temperature of 165 degrees F.
Equipment

Notes
- Use prepared or homemade pesto.
Keywords: crockpot pesto chicken, pesto chicken recipe, pesto chicken thighs
This post may contain affiliate links. They do not add any charge to you, but I will make a very small commission from them. I only link to products I use and recommend. Thank you for your support!
Did you like this recipe? Please leave a review and let me know what you thought! I appreciate it so much.