Name: Chicken Rollatini with Pesto & Cheese
Prep time: 8 min
Cook time: 20 min
Total time: 28 min
Yield: 3
Cuisine: Italian
Ingredients: 3 thin chicken culets (3 oz each); 1/4 cup of olive oil; 1/3 cup of plain bread crumbs; 3 slices of fresh Italian mozzarella; 3 Tbsp. basil pesto; 1/4 tsp. garlic powder; 1/8 tsp. black pepper; olive oil cooking spray

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Chicken Rollatini with Pesto & Cheese is made with chicken cutlets stuffed with pesto and cheese, and baked until golden. Serve this with a simple arugula salad or an Italian tomato salad for a complete dinner.

A chicken rollatini's stuffed with pesto and cheese served on a white dinner plate.

Tell Us About Chicken Rollatini with Pesto & Cheese

Chicken rollatini is a classic Italian dish. This easy recipe is straightforward and requires 10 minutes to prepare, and about 15 to 20 minutes to bake.

We usually make our chicken rollatini with prosciutto and cheese and while our family was asking us to make them again, we decided to jazz up the flavors even more just by changing the stuffing. And they turned out AMAZING!

The pesto sauce along with the melted cheese inside gives a creamy texture that’s gooey and delicious in every bite. Plus, is make a fabulous meal for the whole family to enjoy. You can easily prep the chicken in the morning, then bake it when you get home in time for dinner.

You can double the recipe for more servings, and it’s ideal for gatherings too.

If you love chicken recipe, then try our Chicken Rollatini with Ham, Cheese & Spinach, and Easy Chicken Casserole (Cordon Bleu). And, for more skillet chicken recipes, don’t miss our Mom’s Best Chicken Piccata and Tuscan Creamy Chicken Pasta (+video).

Quick Notes and Tips

This recipe calls for 3 thinly sliced chicken cutlets. But you can double the ingredients and increase the amount of servings for a larger family.
To help save time, you can buy the “already-made” brand of your favorite pesto sauce, instead of making your own. We prefer to make our own pesto sauce, to control the ingredients we want.
No need to add any salt to the cutlets, the pesto sauce provides enough salt; it’s mixed with grated cheese, olive oil, and seasonings.
It’s best to purchase the chicken already sliced into cutlets. This will save you time in the prep work.

Two baked chicken rollatini served on a white plate.

Overview: Ingredients You Will Need:

Staple ingredients are what make this chicken dish so darn easy and delicious! For this chicken rollatini recipe, you will need the following ingredients:

Skinless Chicken Cutlets – choose thin chicken cutlets, about 1 pound or less.
Olive Oil – choose a good quality olive oil, or extra virgin olive oil to dip the cutlets into.
Plain Bread Crumbs – you will need some bread crumbs to coat the cutlets. Choose plain BC for less sodium, and other seasonings.
Italian Mozzarella– we had a small ball of BeL Gioioso mozzarella and used only one slice per cutlet.
Pesto Sauce – you can use your pesto sauce or any jarred brand you prefer.
Garlic Powder – some garlic powder is used to flavor the bread crumbs.
Black Pepper – some pepper is also used for the bread crumbs.
Olive Oil Cooking Spray – is used to lightly spray each rollatini to lightly coat them before baking, and to help keep them moist.

All the ingredient are displayed for this chicken rollatini recipe.

How to make Chicken Rollatini with Pesto & Cheese?

These chicken rollatini are made with thin chicken cutlets, lightly coated with olive oil and bread crumb, and stuffed with homemade fresh basil pesto sauce, and mozzarella cheese. Then they are rolled up and baked. It’s easy, simple, and not complicated.

Directions to Make Chicken Rollatini with Pesto & Cheese:

If you never made chicken rollatini before, no worries, this recipe is very easy. Plus, our full recipe card is located at the bottom. But first, here are our 4-easy-to-follow steps, so you can understand what’s involve before you start.

First, dip the cutlets, one at a time, into the oil, coating both sides. Then allow the excess oil to drip back into the bowl. Then transfer to the bread crumbs and coat both sides.

Dipping raw chicken cutlet into olive oil then into bread crumbs, coating both sides.

2. Second, lay the prepared cutlets onto your baking sheet. Top with a tablespoon of basil pesto sauce, then place a piece of mozzarella in the center.

3. Next, roll the chicken up and place them with seams side down on the bottom. Then, lightly spray over each one with olive oil cooking spray.

Steps to filling the chicken with pesto sauce, and slice of mozzarella, and rolled up.

4. Bake for about 20 minutes, until they are golden brown. Remove and serve. Delicious!

What Sides to Serve them With?

There are so many side dishes you can serve these chicken rollatini with. Here are just a few idea and recipes to help you decide:

FAQ’s

Can we use chicken breasts? Yes, but you will need to slice the breast horizontally, in halves to give you thinner pieces. And, maybe pound them before you start.
Can we use any jar of pesto sauce? Yes, you can. But I have to make my own and for 2 reasons. One, it is fresh tasting, and two: my daughter is allergic to all nuts, so we can never use the jarred brand of pesto.
Do we need to grease the baking pan? No need for that, the chicken is already coated with enough olive oil, so they won’t stick.
Need more servings? Sure! All you need to do is double the ingredients for this recipe.
Can we make them ahead? Yes, you can prepare these chicken rollatini ahead of time. Wrap them and keep them chilled in the refrigerator until you are ready to bake them. Then follow the baking instructions in our recipe card.
Can we freeze them? Yes, but we prefer you bake them first, then freeze them. Allow them to cool before transferring them to an airtight container and freeze. They will freeze well, and for up to one month.

Two baked chicken rolled up and stuffed with pesto and cheese on a white plate.

A Delicious Dinner!

This chicken rollatini recipe is perfect for an easy weeknight dinner. Serve it with a simple salad, some crusty bread, and extra pesto sauce drizzled on the side for dipping. This is a hearty and delicious meal for the whole family.

Enjoy!

Don’t forget! If you try our chicken rollatini, let us know and leave a comment below. For more delicious dinner ideas, follow us on Instagram, Pinterest, and Facebook. Happy Cooking!

Try these next!

Chicken Rollatini with Pesto & Cheese

Yield: 3 servings

Prep Time: 8 minutes

Cook Time: 20 minutes

Total Time: 28 minutes

Chicken Rollatini with Pesto & Cheese is made with chicken cutlets stuffed with pesto and mozzarella, and baked until golden. Simple, easy to make, and a dinner your whole family will love!

Ingredients

3 thin chicken culets (3 oz each)
1/4 cup of olive oil
1/3 cup of plain bread crumbs
3 slices of fresh Italian mozzarella
3 Tbsp. basil pesto
1/4 tsp. garlic powder
1/8 tsp. black pepper
olive oil cooking spray

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F (204C).

2. Rinse and drain the chicken cutlets. Set them on a plate nearby.

3. In a small dish, add the olive oil for dipping, and set is nearby.

4. In a second plate, stir the plain bread crumbs with garlic powder and black pepper.

5. Take a chicken cutlet, one at a time, dip it into the oil, coating both sides, and allow the excess oil to dip back into the bowl. Then dredge the cutlet into the bread crumbs mixture, and pat to coat both sides. Transfer to your baking pan. Lay them flat on your baking sheet.

7. Next, spread 1 tablespoon of pesto sauce onto each chicken cutlet. Cut a small piece of mozzarella and place in the center of each, directly on top the pesto sauce. Then roll up the cutlet, and place it with its seam side facing down. No need to use toothpicks to secure. Lightly spray with olive oil on top of each rollatini.

8. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes, or until golden crispy on the outside.

Serves 3

Notes

Recipe Tips and Tricks

This recipe calls for 3 pieces of chicken cutlets. But you can make as many as you need for your family.
To help save time, you can buy the "already-made" brand of your favorite pesto sauce, instead of making your own. We prefer to make our own pesto sauce, to control the ingredients we want.
No need to add any salt to the cutlets, the pesto sauce provides enough salt; it's mixed with grated cheese, olive oil, and seasonings.
It's best to purchase the chicken already sliced into cutlets. This will save you time in the prep work.
Remember that all ovens vary. You will need to check on them after 15 minutes, so keep an eye on them.
Also, the time needed to bake, will also depend on the thickness of the cutlets.

Nutrition Information:

Yield: 3 servings Serving Size: 1 serving
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 430Total Fat: 23.4gCholesterol: 112mgSodium: 284mgCarbohydrates: 12.4gFiber: 3.5gSugar: 2.4gProtein: 44.3g

Happy and Healthy Baking! 🙂

xo anna and liz

Welcome! From Anna and Liz

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