Pesto Chicken Flatbread (Printable Version)

Italian-inspired flatbread with pesto, chicken, mozzarella, cherry tomatoes, and arugula for a quick meal.

# What You'll Need:

→ Flatbread Base

01 - 2 large store-bought or homemade flatbreads (approximately 8 x 10 inches each)

→ Chicken

02 - 2 small boneless, skinless chicken breasts (approximately 10.5 oz), cooked and sliced

→ Pesto

03 - 1/3 cup basil pesto (store-bought or homemade)

→ Cheese

04 - 1 1/2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese (5.3 oz)
05 - 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese (0.9 oz)

→ Vegetables & Toppings

06 - 1/2 cup cherry tomatoes, halved (2.6 oz)
07 - 1/4 small red onion, thinly sliced
08 - 1/4 cup fresh baby arugula leaves (0.35 oz)
09 - Fresh basil leaves, for garnish (optional)
10 - Freshly ground black pepper, to taste

# Steps:

01 - Preheat the oven to 425°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
02 - Place the flatbreads on the prepared baking sheet and spread a generous layer of pesto on each, leaving a small border around the edges.
03 - Evenly distribute the sliced cooked chicken over the pesto layer on each flatbread.
04 - Sprinkle shredded mozzarella and grated Parmesan evenly over the chicken.
05 - Scatter cherry tomato halves and thin slices of red onion over the cheese layer.
06 - Bake in the preheated oven for 12 to 15 minutes until the cheese is melted, bubbly, and edges are golden brown.
07 - Remove from oven and let rest for 2 to 3 minutes before topping with fresh arugula, basil leaves, and a grind of black pepper.
08 - Slice the flatbreads into portions and serve immediately.

# Expert Insights:

01 -
  • It comes together in 30 minutes flat, which means weeknight dinner without the stress.
  • The pesto-to-cheese-to-fresh-arugula layers create this perfect balance of bold and bright that feels fancy without trying.
  • You can use store-bought everything and still impress people, or customize it endlessly depending on what you have on hand.
02 -
  • Don't put the arugula on before baking or it'll wilt into nothing. Adding it at the very end keeps that peppery crunch.
  • Pesto can burn if exposed directly to high heat for too long, so that gentle pesto-under-everything approach matters—it steams and blooms rather than scorches.
  • If your mozzarella isn't melting properly, your oven might not be hot enough. Temperature is everything here.
03 -
  • Use rotisserie chicken from the grocery store and you've cut your active cooking time in half without sacrificing any flavor.
  • If you're making your own pesto, blend it just until it comes together—overworking it makes it turn dark and lose that vibrant color and brightness.
  • A light brush of olive oil on the flatbread edges before baking helps them crisp up and turn that golden-brown you're after.
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