Chicken Pesto Flatbread with naan, pesto, mozzarella cheese, chicken, tomatoes, feta cheese, and green onion is a fast and easy dinner or quick snack you can make in about 20 minutes.
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This chicken pesto flatbread recipe is a delicious, satisfying pizza you can whip up in minutes.
Soft and fluffy naan flatbread is topped with bright basil pesto, chicken, cheese, juicy grape tomatoes, feta, and green onions, and baked to ooey gooey golden brown perfection.
Pesto chicken flatbreads are super simple, full of flavor, and perfect for an after-school snack, light lunch, or quick dinner.
Serve chicken pesto pizza with Whipped Feta Dip and veggies, Vegetable Soup, and a Spinach & Arugula Caprese Salad for a complete dinner.
Be sure to try BBQ Chicken Flatbread, Easy Lavash Pizza, or Pita Bread Pizza next!
Why You're Going to Love This Recipe
Fast and easy pizza you can make in under 20 minutes
Great way to use up leftover rotisserie chicken
Full of bright fresh flavor, gooey cheese, and juicy chicken
Ingredients
Naan bread. Store-bought flatbreads are the perfect pre-made crust -- and the perfect size to make a pizza for one or two.
Pesto. Store-bought pesto sauce from the grocery store is a great convenience ingredient, but you can certainly use your own homemade pesto recipe.
Cooked chicken. I used leftover rotisserie chicken, but you can make freshly poached or grilled chicken or use whatever leftover chicken you have in the fridge.
Mozzarella cheese. If you have a minute to shred a block of mozzarella, it melts much smoother and creamier than bagged shredded cheese. But I totally get the ease of using the pre-shredded stuff.
Grape tomatoes. Grape tomatoes are less watery than cherry tomatoes, making them the better option for pizza. If your tomatoes are really juicy, place them cut-side down on a paper towel to remove some of the excess liquid and keep from making the pizza soggy.
Variations
Pesto chicken caprese flatbreads. Add a few thin slices of fresh mozzarella on top of the flatbread before baking. Finish with fresh basil leaves and a drizzle of balsamic reduction.
Cheese. Substitute feta with any kind of crumbled cheese like goat cheese or blue cheese -- or use grated Parmesan cheese.
Green onions. If you don't have green onions, try one of these substitutes for scallions. Red onions would be delicious on this pizza.
Spices. Add a sprinkle of red pepper flakes or chili flakes for a touch of heat.
Pine nuts. Crunchy pine nuts add nutty flavor and are a natural pairing with pesto.
How to Make Chicken Pesto Flatbread
Preheat the oven to 450. Place flatbreads directly on the oven rack. Warm for 2 minutes per side.
In a small bowl, mix the chicken with 1 tablespoon of pesto.
Evenly spread 2 tablespoons pesto on top of each flatbread -- all the way to the edges.
Top each flatbread with ¾ cup mozzarella cheese, ¼ cup of pesto chicken, 5 halved grape tomatoes, 1 tablespoon feta cheese, and ½ of the sliced green onion.
Place the flatbread pizzas directly on the oven rack and bake for 6-7 minutes or until the cheese is melted and the edges are golden brown.
Place a baking sheet or piece of aluminum foil on a lower rack to catch any drips.
If desired, finish with a few more drizzles of pesto.
Storage
Store leftover flatbread wrapped in plastic or in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3-4 days.
Reheating
Reheat pesto chicken flatbread in a skillet on the stovetop (fastest!) or in the oven.
Skillet. Warm a skillet over medium-low heat. Add 1-2 slices of naan pizza and warm until you notice the top starting to glisten. Add a few drops of water to the pan and cover with a lid or aluminum foil. Warm for 1-2 more minutes or until the cheese is melted.
Oven. Place the pizza on a small rimmed sheet pan or any pan with sides high enough that the foil doesn't touch the top of the pizza. Cover with foil and place in the oven. Turn the oven on to 375 (no need to preheat). Warm for 10-20 minutes or until the pizza is warmed through and the cheese is melted.
Success Tips
- Pre-baking the naan flatbread keeps the crust from getting soggy.
- If your tomatoes are very juicy, place them cut side down on paper towels to absorb some of the moisture.
- For the gooeyest melted cheese, shred a block of mozzarella instead of using pre-shredded.
FAQs
There are a few reasons pesto chicken flatbread pizza can become soggy: the flatbread wasn't pre-baked, there are too many toppings, the toppings are too wet, or the pizza wasn't baked long enough.
To ensure a perfectly crispy crust:
• Pre-bake naan flatbreads for 2 minutes per side before adding toppings.
• Keep toppings to a minimum. Less is more in this case.
• Use mostly "dry" toppings like meats and cheeses and avoid placing any "wet" toppings directly on the crust. I like to add them last so there's an ample barrier between them and the crust.
• Bake the naan pizza directly on the oven rack until the edges are golden brown.
Naan is a soft and fluffy leavened Indian flatbread that comes from the Persian word "non," or bread. It is typically made with ingredients like flour, yeast, yogurt, milk, and sometimes eggs or ghee (clarified butter).
Naan is often tear-drop shaped and puffs up as it cooks. It was traditionally baked in a tandoor, a clay oven, but is commonly baked in an oven, cooked over high heat in a cast iron skillet or frying pan, or even grilled.
No. While both pita and naan have their similarities, they are different.
Pita bread is round and made from fewer ingredients than naan -- flour, salt, water, and yeast. Pita isn't usually as soft as naan and the thinner varieties of pita create a pocket when cut in half, perfect for stuffing with falafel or hummus. Pocketless pita bread is great for wraps and sandwiches, and, like naan, makes a great base for a flatbread pizza.
More Easy Flatbread Recipes
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📖 Recipe
Chicken Pesto Flatbread
Ingredients
- 2 naan flatbreads
- 5 tablespoons pesto, divided
- ½ cup cooked chicken breast, shredded or cubed
- 1 ½ cups shredded mozzarella cheese
- 10 grape tomatoes, halved
- 2 tablespoons feta cheese crumbles
- 1 green onion, sliced
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 450. Place the naan flatbreads directly on the oven rack and warm for 2 minutes per side.
- In a small bowl, mix the chicken with 1 tablespoon pesto.
- Evenly spread 2 tablespoons pesto on top of each flatbread -- all the way to the edges. Top each flatbread with ¾ cup mozzarella cheese, ¼ cup of pesto chicken, 5 halved grape tomatoes, 1 tablespoon feta cheese, and ½ of the sliced green onion.
- Place the flatbread pizzas directly on the oven rack and bake for 6-7 minutes or until the cheese is melted. Place a baking sheet or piece of aluminum foil on a lower rack to catch any drips.
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