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Sheet-Pan Pesto Chicken with Cherry Tomatoes

Name: Sheet-Pan Pesto Chicken with Cherry Tomatoes
Prep time: 38 min
Total time: 43 min
Cuisine: Italian-American
Ingredients: boneless chicken — 1134 g; basil pesto — 30 g; garlic — 6 g; olive oil — 41 g; salt — 5 g; black pepper — 3 g; grape tomatoes — 946 g; red onion — 110 g; balsamic vinegar — 15 g; parmesan cheese — 28 g; basil — 15 g

Sheet-Pan Pesto Chicken with Cherry Tomatoes reads umami 6.9, richness 6.3 and herbaceous 5.3 on Palate's 0–10 flavor X-ray — a Italian-American main, about 43 min. Measured from the recipe itself: ingredients and technique.

The flavor X-ray — six axes, 0–10

Umami & Savory — 7.6 / 10
Sweet & Fruity — 4.2 / 10
Sour & Bright — 3.9 / 10
Bitter & Earthy — 1.6 / 10
Rich & Fat — 7.3 / 10
Aromatic & Spice — 5.9 / 10

The measured notes (of 18)

Umami 6.9 · Richness 6.3 · Herbaceous 5.3 · Salinity 5.1 · Allium 3.6 · Sweetness 3.5 · Sourness 3.4 · Nutty 3.2 · Fruity 2.2 · Funk & Ferment 2.1 · Floral 1.9 · Warm Spice 1.6 · Citrus 1.6 · Bitterness 1.4 · Earthy 1.3 · Heat 0.8

What's in it (11)

boneless chicken — 1134 g
basil pesto — 30 g
garlic — 6 g
olive oil — 41 g
salt — 5 g
black pepper — 3 g
grape tomatoes — 946 g
red onion — 110 g
balsamic vinegar — 15 g
parmesan cheese — 28 g
basil — 15 g

Time & effort: about 43 min (38 min active) · effort: involved

Nutrition (per 100 g, engine-estimated): 121.5 kcal, 15.7 g protein, 2.8 g fat, 8.4 g carbs

Dietary: Contains meat · Contains dairy — engine-derived; double-check anything allergy-critical.

How it's cooked (8 steps)

Preheat the oven to 425F and line a large rimmed sheet pan with foil. Pat the chicken thighs completely dry with paper towels.
In a small bowl, stir together the pesto and garlic. Working one thigh at a time, gently slide your fingers under the skin to loosen it from the meat, then push about 1 tablespoon of the pesto mixture into the pocket, smoothing it evenly over the meat through the skin. Season the thighs all over with 3/4 teaspoon of the salt and the pepper.
On the sheet pan, toss the cherry tomatoes and red onion wedges with 2 tablespoons of the olive oil, the balsamic vinegar, and the remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt. Push the vegetables to the edges of the pan to make room in the center.
Nestle the chicken thighs skin side up in the center of the pan and rub the remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil over the skin.
Roast until the skin is deeply golden and crisp and an instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest part of a thigh, avoiding bone, reads 165F, 35 to 40 minutes, stirring the tomatoes once halfway through so they blister evenly.
Transfer the chicken to a plate and tent loosely with foil; let rest 5 minutes while the residual heat finishes softening the tomatoes.
Stir the burst tomatoes and onion together with any pan juices, mashing a few tomatoes with a spoon to build a light sauce.
Spoon the tomato mixture onto a platter, set the chicken on top, and scatter with the Parmesan and torn basil.

Dishes with a similar flavor shape

Creamy Pesto Chicken Pasta — Italian-American
Chicken Parmesan Sliders — Italian-American
Chicken Parmesan Meatball and Ricotta Bake — Italian-American
Chicken Parmesan with Melted Mozzarella — Italian-American
Spicy Vodka Rigatoni with Burrata — Italian-American

Keep reading: what umami, richness, herbaceous mean in the flavor lexicon · the world's cuisines, by flavor.

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Every number above is Palate's engine-measured estimate, computed from this recipe's ingredients and techniques — not human-tasted ratings or reviews.