Pesto Chicken Roll-ups

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Published: 11/06/2020 | Updated: 03/26/2024

These pesto chicken roll-ups start with thin chicken breast that are stuffed with pesto and sharp cheddar, rolled up and finished with a crunch coating. A low carb dinner recipe that the whole family will love!

We have chicken for a dinner a couple times a week, so I’m always experimenting with new ways to prepare it. I’ve made chicken roll-ups in the past, but was on a pesto kick when I first created these.

They’ve been in the regular rotation ever since!

They’re a great low carb dinner option thanks to the keto crumb coating. But, honestly, I’ve even made these for company before and no one even realizes they’re eating healthy! They taste indulgent and delicious!

Low Carb Crumb Coating

For my crumb coating, I use Moon Cheese that I pulse through my mini food processor until I have coarse crumbs.

If you’ve never heard of or tasted Moon Cheese, you’re in for a treat! They’re great to just eat plain as a snack or to incorporate into your recipes. They’re little bite-size snacks that are 100% cheese but they’ve had all the moisture removed so they’re crunchy little bites of goodness. Plus, they’re really low in carbs and gluten-free.

If you don’t have access to Moon Cheese, you can use your favorite low carb cracker or pork rinds instead. Just crush until you have coarse crumbs.

Also, if you aren’t worried about counting carbs, just use any type of cracker or even panko breadcrumbs.

How to Make Chicken Roll-ups

Ingredients:

• thin chicken breast cutlets
• jarred pesto
• cheese
• an egg
• cracker crumbs

The most important part of this healthy chicken roll ups recipe is the thickness (or thin-ness??) of your boneless chicken breast. I buy my chicken already cut into thin cutlets because of the convenience factor. They’re readily available at the grocery store and they aren’t that much more expensive than regular chicken breast.

If you do have a regular, thick chicken breast, you need to do a little bit more work. You really do need thin cutlets for this chicken recipe otherwise you won’t be able to roll them up correctly and they won’t cook the whole way through (at least not without the outside drying out first).

If you’re starting with a regular, thick boneless skinless chicken breast, use kitchen shears to cut it into 2-3 pieces. You’ll want to cut it horizontally so you end up with 2-3 flat pieces of chicken. Then place each piece between two pieces of plastic wrap and use a meat mallet to pound thin.

Once you have your chicken breast strips ready, lay a piece out on your work surface and spread generously with pesto sauce. Then layer cheese slices on top of the pesto.

Starting at one of the short ends of the chicken, roll up making sure you’re rolling tightly and keeping the cheese in place as you’re rolling.

Secure the end with a tooth pick so that they stay tightly rolled even while cooking.

Carefully dip each piece of rolled chicken in the egg wash and then roll in the cracker crumbs until evenly coated.

I kept the toothpick in for this step because it was easier for me, but you can remove the toothpick for this step if you prefer.

Once the chicken is coated, place seam side down on a greased baking sheet.

Then bake at 425 degrees for about 25-30 minutes. You want the inside of your chicken to reach a minimum of 165 degrees to make sure it’s cooked the whole way through.

Sides to Serve with Chicken Dinner

• Scalloped Corn
• Onion and Mushroom Crumble
• Brown Sugar Honey Glazed Carrots
• Low Carb Brussels Sprouts au Gratin

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