One-pan pesto chicken and white beans

Maybe the best chicken dish I've ever made?

Welcome to Weeknights Done Right, a series where I’m sharing simple, wholesome recipes with lots of staying power. AKA, things you can make once, pair with various components, and eat for days to come. My kind of meal prep. Non-boring, fresh, full of flavor ways to make putting together a meal a breeze.

Hi friends. Easy, nourishing meals have been the theme here at Saturday Table this month, and today’s recipe might be the one to top them all. It’s chicken and white beans, all cooked in one pan with a homemade lemony mint, basil, and pistachio pesto until the chicken is incredibly tender and the beans are oh so velvety.

It’s truly an outstanding dish — simple in its technique, but with results that are out-of-this-world, restaurant-quality good. Every component just works so, so well together, and it’s comforting and filling without being heavy. I’m seriously so excited for you to make it.

Tell me more

Chicken and beans isn’t *exactly* something to write home (or, ahem, write a newsletter) about, but add a zippy sauce and some delectable extras, like Dijon mustard, shallots, and white wine, to the mix, and it’s a basic dish no more.

This starts with a homemade pesto, which you could totally substitute store bought for to save some time but, let me tell you, this pesto is totally worth the five extra minutes and dirty food processor. It isn’t traditional, by any means, but it’s packed with brightness thanks to mint and lemon, and just adds a mouthwateringly fresh tang to everything it touches.

Next comes the chicken, mixed with the pesto and seared off to lock in all that moisture. Followed by canned beans — justice for canned beans! — which also get tossed with the pesto along with a few other flavor-packed ingredients. Then throw it all in the oven, cook for a bit, and bam. You have a dinner that will knock your socks right off.

Before we start

• We’re using skin-on, bone-in whole chicken legs here. You could definitely substitute drumsticks or thighs or a mix of both. I like to use skin-on, bone-in dark meat because it’s almost impossible to overcook. Even when your thermometer reads wayyy above 165, it’s moist and delicious. If you *really* want to use breasts, I’d suggest skin-on, bone-in as well, and that you pay a bit closer attention to the thermometer as it cooks, though the cooking liquid will help keep them juicy, too.

• Like I said, store-bought pesto is totally fine here. I’m including a note after the recipe for how to slightly zhuzh it to match the flavor of the homemade pesto, if you’re so inclined.

• You might be thinking to yourself, “But canned beans are already cooked. Why are we cooking them longer?” And the answer is, because you never knew canned cannellini beans could be this good. As they simmer in the cooking liquid, they become so soft and velvety — very far from what comes out of the can.

• My rule for cooking with wine is don’t use a wine you wouldn’t drink. Other than that, choose a white wine you like, but preferably something that isn’t too oaky. And also, drink the rest of that wine with your meal. You’ll be surprised how many of the notes come through when paired together.

• Serve this with a simple side salad, some good bread and butter, and whatever’s left of the pesto to drizzle on top. Actually, double the pesto recipe so you can put it on everything and thank me later.

• An oven-safe skillet is essential here, though I’ve included a note after the recipe for what to do if you don’t have one. I used my Le Creuset braiser (thank you to my wonderful husband for reading my newsletter and getting that for me for Christmas. Love you, Denny.) but you could also use a stainless steel or cast iron skillet, or a Dutch oven. Anything that’s large, can be covered (either with its own cover or with foil), and is safe in the oven.

• How to make it a component meal: Remove leftover chicken from the bone and shred. Store chicken and beans separately. Pair beans with another protein (like cottage cheese meatballs! Or eggs!). Eat chicken with a salad (like caramelized fennel and shallot pasta salad!) or to make something else, like chicken quesadillas or sammies. Use pesto on everything — pasta, eggs, sandwiches, any kind of protein or veggie. Anything.

The recipe

Serves: 4

Cook time: 1 hour