Thai Pesto Chicken
I have many skills, but foremost among them is inviting myself over to someone’s house.
A few weeks ago, my sweet friend Melissa asked how many weeks until we left North Carolina and I said, “Three, so you only have a few weeks left to have us over for Sunday dinner.”
I meant it as a joke, and then felt a little guilty when she did indeed invite us over for Sunday dinner the next week.
But then she made this really delicious Thai Pesto Chicken and I forgot about feeling guilty and got busy thinking about how soon I could make it again.
The answer was 10 days.
And it was delicious again.
This Thai Pesto Chicken is the perfect summer meal – so fresh, easy, and minimal cooking (just the rice and chicken, so if you have those leftover from something else, NO cooking!).
thai pesto chicken
Thai Pesto Chicken
Thai Pesto Chicken and Rice. An easy summer dinner that's so fresh and delicious, you'll be making it year-round!
Ingredients
- 2-3 chicken breasts cooked and diced
- 2 cups loosely packed fresh cilantro leaves
- 6 Tablespoons lime juice
- 2 Tablespoons peanuts
- 4 Tablespoons minced fresh ginger
- 4 garlic cloves
- 2 teaspoons kosher salt
- 4 teaspoons honey
- 1/2 teaspoon dried crushed red pepper
- 3 Tablespoons olive oil
Instructions
-
In a food processor, combine everything except the chicken and blend until smooth. Salt and pepper to taste.
-
Stir in the chicken and serve over rice
Recipe Notes
(adapted from Southern Living)
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haha That is actually a great skill to have! I think too often most grown-ups aren't very good at showing how eager they are to spend time with other grown-ups. This looks yummy and super easy, which are two of my favorite things when it comes to food!
I'm all about that minimal cooking life! I don't think I've had a cilantro based pesto before either, but it sounds amazing!
Why do you move so much?
Did you get my last comment? If not, I had to say I love this post and you're so cute the way you described how you invited yourself over! Ha! We had such a lovely time and your amazing pictures makes me want to eat it for breakfast right now. Hugs to you!
Looks Yummy
So I made this tonight and liked it…but it had a super strong flavor. I didn't have fresh ginger so I did the converted amount of dried ginger, so that may be the problem. But it was so strong that we all had to add tons of extra rice to balance it out. Is it meant to be served very sparingly over rice?
My boyfriend wants to have this meal everyday for the rest of his life. Excellent recipe Janssen!
I’m already craving this again! I used the Costco rotisserie chicken and it was delicious!
Could you use something other than cilantro? It looks so yummy but my husband is one who hates cilantro
I’ve never tried it!
This was quick to put together and delicious. I am thinking this meal could be quite versatile, adding in lots of veggies, making it as wraps, etc. The fresh flavour burst and lime of the Thai Pesto made me think of Spring Roll Bowls with Sweet Garlic Lime Sauce from Pinch of Yum. With a large family, I love bowl meals so everyone can customize the meal to their own tastes. New great meal ideas are so helpful-thank you!
My husband loved this meal!! And I’ve recommended it to my parents as well as my brother’s family to try too!