Sorry chicken, avocado is the star in this low-carb and protein-packed dish. It helps make a creamy dairy-free pesto that’s filled with heart-healthy fats.
| Level: | Easy |
| Total: | 30 min |
| Active: | 30 min |
| Yield: | 6 servings |
Ingredients
- 4 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for brushing the grill grates
- Zest of 1 lemon plus 2 tablespoons juice
- 2 1/4 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1-inch pieces
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 1/4 cup pine nuts
- 1 cup loosely packed fresh basil leaves
- 1 cup loosely packed fresh parsley leaves
- 1 clove garlic, crushed and peeled
- 1 large ripe avocado
Instructions
- Prepare an outdoor grill or a grill pan for medium heat.
- Whisk together 1 tablespoon of the oil and the lemon zest in a large bowl. Add the chicken to the oil and toss to coat. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Divide the chicken and thread onto metal or bamboo skewers.
- Toast the pine nuts in a small skillet over medium heat, tossing frequently, until light golden, 3 to 4 minutes. Let cool.
- Combine the pine nuts, basil, parsley, garlic, 1/2 teaspoon salt and several grinds of pepper in a food processor. Process to make a coarse paste. Add the avocado, lemon juice and remaining 3 tablespoons oil and process until mostly smooth.
- Grill the chicken, turning often, until just cooked through, 5 to 7 minutes. Serve the chicken dolloped with the pesto and any extra pesto on the side.
Nutrition Facts
| Calories | 370 |
| Total Fat | 21 grams |
| Saturated Fat | 3 grams |
| Cholesterol | 125 milligrams |
| Sodium | 180 milligrams |
| Carbohydrates | 4 grams |
| Dietary Fiber | 2 grams |
| Protein | 40 grams |
| Sugar | 1 grams |
Reviews
I followed the recipe to the tee with the avocado pesto and it was fabulous! With the chicken I did the lemon zest and of course the oil but I have this low sodium seasoning from a place called Cook’s Condiments that I use because I have to watch my sodium intake. They have a seasoning called Fowl Play, which I used a table spoon of instead of the salt and pepper and the chicken was awesome. All in all, this is definitely a keeper recipe for me.
This was really good! Some adjustments based n what I had in my pantry & fridge – added about 1/4 cup f cilantro leaves to the pesto. Also increased the amount of garlic
Anyone else having a very hard time writing review content? I really like to see what others thought and their (your) suggestions so I like to include my comments. But the app has been acting very strangely, making it very difficult to actually write a review beyond the stars
Tasty and easy, and the kids enjoyed! Tastes like a cross between guac and pesto. Next time, I’ll make both chicken and shrimp skewers for variety or to feed a crowd. This pesto is exactly enough for one recipe’s worth — could easily double.
Does anybody know the carb count on this? Thanks in advance.
Excellent
Really good
Pesto was delicious!
This was nice and simple. Light and delicious. The pesto is crazy good (wasn’t sure what to expect) and I may even use it as a dip for crudités, sandwich spread, and who knows what else! Lol
I made this with chicken breasts and it was a huge hit for family dinner!!!
We love this! Added an extra clove of garlic and little extra lemon juice. Perfect, everyone in the family loved this recipe