These Baked Pesto Chicken Bites are one of those recipes that makes you feel a little fancy… while still feeding everyone like it’s a regular Tuesday. They’re basically gourmet chicken nuggets that both grownups and kids can get behind.
The basil pesto adds a fresh, herby flavor (and a cute little green tint), while the breading bakes up light and crunchy. Serve them with marinara, ranch, or whatever sauce your family is currently obsessed with, and you’ve got yourself a guaranteed “can we have these again?” situation.
Why you’ll love this recipe
- Kid approved without tasting like “kid food”
- Baked, not fried (less mess, still crispy)
- Great for dinner or appetizers
- Easy to prep ahead and bake when you need them
How to make pesto chicken bites
- Cut the chicken.
Rinse, pat dry, and cut your chicken into bite-size cubes (about 1 inch).
- Coat with pesto.
Toss the chicken in a bowl with basil pesto until everything is evenly coated. (Homemade pesto is amazing here, but store-bought works too.)
- Set up your dipping station.
- Bowl #1: chicken
- Bowl #2: eggs + buttermilk (add a pinch of salt and pepper if you want)
- Bowl #3: bread crumbs + Parmesan + garlic powder + salt + pepper
- Bread the chicken.
Dip each piece into the egg mixture, then roll in the bread crumb mixture. Place on a greased or lined baking sheet.
- Bake.
Spray the tops lightly with oil spray, then bake until cooked through and crispy.
- Serve.
Dip away. Marinara and ranch are both a home run.
Serving ideas
- Marinara (pizza vibes, always a win)
- Ranch (classic nugget energy)
- Caesar dressing (surprisingly good)
- Honey mustard (sweet + tangy)
Basil Pesto Chicken Bites Recipe Card:
Basil Pesto Chicken Bites
A grownup chicken nugget with fresh basil and savory Parmesan flavors with a beautiful vibrant green hue.
Ingredients
- 2 lbs chicken breast boneless, skinless, cubed 1″x1″
- 1/3 cup basil pesto
- 2 eggs
- 1/3 cup buttermilk
- 1 1/2 cups bread crumbs crackers, panko, crushed
- 1/3 cup Parmesan cheese grated
- 1 tablespoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon pepper
- pan oil spray
- dipping sauce marinara, ranch, etc
Method
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Prepare cookie sheet with liner or spray with pan oil spray.
- Place chicken in a large bowl. Add basil pesto and mix until coated.
- In small bowl beat eggs and buttermilk together. Set aside.
- In another small bowl mix bread crumbs, cheese, garlic powder, and salt and pepper. Blend and set aside.
- Form assembly line by taking a piece of chicken carefully dipping it into the egg mixture then rolling in the bread crumb mixture. Place on prepared cookie sheet. Repeat with remaining chicken pieces.
- Lightly spray chicken with oil spray.
- Bake for 11-13 minutes until chicken reaches 165 degrees internally.
- Serve hot with your choice of dipping sauce.
Nutrition
Tried this recipe?
Let us know how it was!
Originally Published 11/09/2016 Updated (text and photo): 01/07/2025
Lots of comments but has anyone actually made these?!
Made these for our Super Bowl celebration dinner tonight. I actually pre-marinated the chicken all day in pesto sauce, olive oil, garlic powder, salt and pepper. After preparing the cut up chicken, the egg and buttermilk bowl (I made my own buttermilk substitute with milk and lemon juice), and the bread crumbs/grated parmesan bowl in an assembly line ending with the parchment paper lined baking sheet which I popped into my pre-heated 350 degree oven for 13 minutes. At the end I turned on the broiler to get just a little browning on the tops. My husband, children and two granddaughter LOVED these! I just used extra heated pesto sauce as the dip and the kids used catsup and served with toothpicks. These made a big hit!!! Thanks so much for a great recipe!
These chicken bites look really good! I love anything with pesto. I’m going to try making these. Thanks for the recipe!
Oh wow! That recipe sure is easy yet the results is so fab! I never thought of doing that with my pesto sauce before! Thanks for sharing! Will give it a try!
These chicken bites look so delicious. These would be the perfect appetizers to serve at any dinner party or family gathering.
I can’t wait to try these and with the super bowl coming up, I’m so glad to have this recipe! Looks like a recipe everyone will love!
Looks delicious! I love pesto so I’m so glad to find a baked chicken recipe like this! Perfect bite size appetizers for our next party! Thanks for sharing!
Yum! Those look really great! Perfect for a quick dinner or an easy appetizer for the Super Bowl.
These do sound yummy. i may try this out for Super Bowl this year.
What a yummy dish! This recipe looks pretty easy and I bet my family would love it!
These do sound yummy. i may try this out for Super Bowl this year.
If it’s bite size, its for me! These looks so yummy, i know my family would g crazy for them!
These pesto chicken bites look delicious! I really like pesto sauce so I’m sure I’d really enjoy this recipe.
I’m a huge chicken fan. Definitely something I can whip up that’s different for the family.