Ready in 30 minutes, this pesto chicken quinoa bowl recipe is perfect for a quick and easy weeknight dinner. Plus, it’s high in protein and full of fiber too!
When I want a quick and easy meal with a punch of flavor, pesto is my go-to ingredient. Not only are store-bought versions with fresh ingredients really easy to find but they can easily be made at home without much effort. Just add all the ingredients to a food processor, blend, and voilà, you’ve got yourself a delicious fresh pesto sauce!
Not only is it wonderful on pasta and salads but it’s a great way to quickly add flavor to grains and meats, like a pesto chicken quinoa bowl. The combination of fluffy quinoa, grilled chicken, sautéed veggies, and fresh pesto sauce makes a simple meal that is equally delicious and nutritious.
Why You’ll Love Them
- Quick and Easy – Made with minimal ingredients and ready in 30 minutes, these pesto chicken quinoa bowls are fast and simple to make.
- High in Protein – The combination of grilled chicken and fluffy quinoa ensures that these bowls contain over 35 grams of protein per serving.
- Full of Fiber – The combination of quinoa, tomatoes, and zucchini ensures that each pesto chicken quinoa bowl contains over 6 grams of fiber per bowl.
- Great for Meal Prep – These bowls keep well in the fridge and freezer making them a great make-ahead meal for lunches.
Ingredients + Substitutions
- Quinoa – This high-protein grain is also rich in healthy fats and dietary fiber. I used white quinoa in my recipe, but you could use red or tri-color quinoa if needed. You could also swap it for white or brown rice if you like.
- Chicken Breasts – To add protein to the bowls. I used chicken breasts, but chicken cutlets and boneless chicken thighs will also work. If you don’t have time to cook fresh chicken, you can use leftover shredded chicken or rotisserie chicken instead.
- Pesto – You can use homemade pesto or store-bought pesto. I used grocery store pesto in my bowls, but you can make fresh basil pesto with a combination of basil leaves, pine nuts, parmesan cheese, garlic, lemon juice, and olive oil if preferred.
- Cherry Tomatoes – To add some color and flavor.
- Zucchini – To add some more veggies and fiber.
- Italian Seasoning – To flavor the chicken breasts. You can also use dried oregano.
- Garlic Powder – To flavor the chicken breasts. You can use fresh garlic if preferred, see the notes section of the recipe card for details.
- Red Pepper Flakes – To add a bit of spice, but you can omit them if you like.
- Olive Oil – To marinate and cook the chicken and vegetables.
- Lemon Juice – To marinate the chicken breasts.
- Salt and Black Pepper – To season the chicken and vegetables.
- Fresh Basil – To serve, although optional.
- Parmesan – To serve, although optional. Feta cheese would also work well.
Dietary Adaptions
To Make them Gluten-Free: No adaptations are needed, this recipe is gluten-free.
To Make them Dairy-Free: Use a dairy-free basil pesto.
How to Make Pesto Chicken Quinoa Bowls
- Cook the quinoa. Add quinoa to a pot of well-salted boiling water and cook for 15 minutes or as per package directions until tender.
- Marinate the chicken. In a large bowl, add the olive oil, lemon juice, Italian seasoning, garlic powder, salt, and black pepper, and whisk to combine. Add the chicken breasts, toss to coat in the mixture, and allow to marinate, if time permits.
- Cook the chicken. Warm olive oil in a large grill pan on medium heat, add the chicken breasts and cook for 4-5 minutes per side until golden brown and cooked through.
- Cook the vegetables. In the same large bowl, add the cherry tomatoes and zucchini and toss to coat in any remaining marinade.
- Mix in the pesto. Add the pesto to the cooked quinoa and stir until well combined.
- Assemble the bowls. Once everything is ready, layer the bowls with a large spoonful of fluffy quinoa, grilled chicken breast, and sautéed veggies, then top with a drizzle of fresh pesto, fresh basil leaves, and freshly grated parmesan cheese.
You can find the detailed instructions in the recipe card below.
Red’s Nutrition Tip
This chicken pesto quinoa bowl is a great source of animal protein, complex carbohydrates, and healthy fats. While it does contain a decent amount of fiber from the quinoa, you could increase the total fiber content the most by adding more fiber-rich vegetables such as carrots, broccoli, or kale.
Swaps + Variations
Use different types of grains. In addition to quinoa, you can use other high-protein grains in these bowls. Brown rice, wild rice, farro, millet, and couscous would all work very well.
Use different proteins. You can easily swap the chicken breasts for other protein sources such as steak, shrimp, or salmon, or make the bowls vegetarian by swapping the chicken for extra-firm tofu.
Use different veggies. These bowls are very versatile and you can truly roast any vegetables you like, or have on hand, in these bowls. In addition to cherry tomatoes and zucchini, red onion, shredded carrots, broccoli florets, cauliflower, and bell peppers, would also work well as vegetables in this dish.
Try different sauces. I used classic basil pesto in these pesto chicken bowls, but you could also use sun-dried tomato pesto, arugula pesto, or mint pesto. In addition to pesto, Italian-style sauces such as roasted red pepper sauce, olive tapenade, or a simple garlic lemon dressing.
Storage + Reheating
To Refrigerate: Allow the quinoa, chicken, and vegetables to cool completely, then store them in airtight containers (separate or assembled) in the fridge for up to 4 days. Store the pesto in a separate container for up to 2 weeks.
To Freeze: Once cooled, transfer the quinoa, chicken, and vegetables to cool completely, then store them in airtight containers (separate or assembled) in the freezer for up to 3 months. Store the pesto in a separate airtight container for up to 6 months.
To Reheat: Thaw the quinoa, chicken, and vegetables, then assemble the bowls, and reheat them in the microwave for 2-3 minutes until warm, drizzle with pesto to serve.
More Chicken and Quinoa Recipes:
- Baja Bowls with Chicken
- Mediterranean Quinoa Bowls
- Salmon Quinoa Bowls
- Blackened Chicken and Sweet Potato Meal Prep Bowls
Pesto Chicken Quinoa Bowl
These quick and easy pesto chicken quinoa bowls are full of protein and fiber and perfect for a healthy lunch or dinner. They are also great for meal prep as they keep well in the fridge and freezer.
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Prep Time: 10 minutes -
Cook Time: 20 minutes
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Total Time: 30 minutes
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Yield: 4 bowls 1x
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Category: Dinner
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Method: Stovetop
Prep Time:
Yield:
Category:
Method:Ingredients
- 1 1/2 cups quinoa, raw
- 1 pound chicken breasts
- 2 tablespoons olive oil, plus more for cooking
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
- 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes (optional)
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 2 cups cherry tomatoes
- 1 medium zucchini, quartered and sliced
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
- 1/4 cup pesto, plus more to serve
- Fresh basil leaves, to serve
- Parmesan cheese, to serve
Instructions
- Fill a saucepan with water and bring it to a boil. Once boiling, add a generous pinch of salt and quinoa and cook for 15 minutes, or as per package directions, until tender. Once cooked, strain quinoa in a fine mesh colander and shake the colander to remove as much excess water as possible.
- In a large bowl, add the olive oil, lemon juice, Italian seasoning, red pepper flakes, garlic powder, and salt, and whisk until well combined. Add the chicken breasts to the bowl and toss in the marinade until well coated on all sides.
- In a large pan or cast-iron skillet, warm a bit of olive oil on medium-high heat, then add the chicken breasts and cook them for 5-6 minutes per side until golden brown and they reach an internal temperature of 165°F.
- While the chicken is cooking, add the cherry tomatoes and zucchini to the same bowl used to marinate the chicken breast and toss the vegetables to soak up any additional seasoning.
- Once the chicken is cooked, remove it from the pan and set aside on a plate to rest for at least 5 minutes and then slice it into strips.
- Once the chicken is cooked and is resting, transfer the vegetables to the same pan used to cook the chicken, turn the heat down to medium, and cook for 3-4 minutes until the zucchini is tender and the cherry tomatoes start to burst.
- Once the quinoa is cooked and strained, return the quinoa to the pot, add the pesto, and stir until well incorporated.
- Assemble the bowls with a layer of pesto quinoa, sliced chicken, sautéed veggies, and an extra drizzle of pesto on top. Finish with fresh basil and freshly grated parmesan cheese to serve.
- Any leftovers can be cooled and stored in the fridge for up to 4 days or in the freezer for up to 3 months.
Notes
To Bake: If you’d prefer to bake the chicken and vegetables, marinade both as per the directions, add them to a baking sheet lined with parchment paper, then transfer it to the oven and bake for 20-25 minutes or until the chicken reaches an internal temperature of 165°F.
To Use Oregano: Swap the Italian seasoning for 1 teaspoon of dried oregano.
To Use Fresh Garlic: Swap the garlic powder for 2 cloves of garlic minced.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 bowl
- Calories: 515 calories
- Sugar: 2 grams
- Fat: 21 grams
- Carbohydrates: 46 grams
- Fiber: 6 grams
- Protein: 36 grams
Hi Stephanie, I was wondering what the sodium content is for this recipe please.
TIA
Unfortunately, I can’t specify that as it depends on what brand of pesto you use.
I’ve always heard to throw away raw chicken marinade after marinating the chicken. Isn’t it dangerous to marinate the veggies in the raw chicken marinade?
The vegetables are being cooked after so the marinate will be cooked as well.
Delicious! I have yet to find one I don’t like…
I’m so happy to hear it, Shirley, thank you so much for sharing!
Loved it!
Love all your recipes and this is no exception. Easy to cook, doesn’t take too long and tastes good. Love having the ideas and recipes for different dishes and find the nutrition breakdowns really helpful
Appreciate that so much, Lisa, lots more to come! 🙂
very tasty
We made this and it was terrific, however, I definitely recommend amping up the spices on the chicken and ensuring you are using a really flavourful pesto.