Great chicken is both juicy and flavorful – this hits the nail on the head in both of those categories. Pesto is one of my favorite sauces, basil and toasted pine nuts give a fantastic fresh and nutty flavor that pairs extremely well with poultry.

As you all know, I like to use citrus when I can, so I’ve added some lemon zest to give citrus notes throughout the chicken. This pairs very well with the floral notes of the basil, and contrasts perfectly with the rich fats of the cheese.

I served this with a spicy chipotle mayo, consisting of homemade mayonnaise, chipotle seasoning, chili garlic paste, and some sweetener. It goes very well with the chicken – but if you’re not a fan of spice then it’s not needed. You can also make extra pesto filling and use that as a sauce.

You could easily pair this with some Bacon Jammin’ Green Beans and have a fantastic meal on your hands – let me know what you do with it and what twists you put on it!

Yields 4 total servings

The Preparation

16 ounces boneless, skinless chicken breast
1/4 cup pesto
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 teaspoons lemon zest
1 teaspoon fresh garlic
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon black pepper
150 grams halloumi cheese
2 tablespoons olive oil, for frying

The Execution

1. Pat your chicken breasts dry of any moisture using some paper towels.

2. Pound the chicken breasts out to 1/8″ thickness using a metal meat hammer.

3. In a bowl, combine 1/4 Cup Pesto (I am using Classico Brand) and 1 Tbsp. Olive Oil.

4. Spread your pesto out on the chicken breasts and zest 1 lemon over the chicken.

5. Chop your Halloumi cheese into small pieces and spread it out into the chicken.

6. Roll your chicken up end to end as best as you can.

7. Tie the chicken together using either butchers string, or securing it with toothpicks.

8. Preheat your oven to 450F, and then bring 2 Tbsp. Olive Oil to its smoke point in a cast iron skillet.

9. Add your chicken to the pan and cook it on all sides, making sure you get a nice sear on the whole outside of the chicken.

10. Put the cast iron in your oven for 6-7 minutes to allow the chicken to cook through.

11. Once the chicken’s juices run clear, remove from the oven, let rest for 5-6 minutes, and serve.

This makes a total of 4 servings of Chicken Pesto Roulade. Each serving comes out to be 421 calories, 25.3g fats, 2g net carbs, and 43.8g protein.

NUTRITION	CALORIES	FAT	CARBS	FIBER	NET CARBS	PROTEIN
16 ounce boneless, skinless chicken breast	748	16.3	0	0	0	140.6
1/4 cup pesto	216	21.1	4	1.2	2.8	2.4
1 tablespoon olive oil	119	13.5	0	0	0	0
2 teaspoon lemon zest	2	0	0.6	0.4	0.2	0.1
1 teaspoon fresh garlic	4	0	0.9	0.1	0.9	0.2
1 teaspoon salt	0	0	0	0	0	0
1 teaspoon black pepper	5	0.1	1.3	0.5	0.8	0.2
150 gram halloumi cheese	450	33.5	3.3	0	3.3	33.3
2 tablespoon olive oil	239	27	0	0	0	0
Totals	1784	111.6	10.2	2.2	8	176.7
Per Serving (/4)	446	27.9	2.6	0.6	2	44.2