This bowl layers tender, chicken breast marinated and cooked with vibrant homemade cilantro pesto over a fresh, zesty corn salad. It’s a bright, herbaceous, and satisfying meal perfect for a light yet flavor-packed lunch or dinner.

Featured Standouts

Chicken Breast

Chicken breast is a lean, hearty protein base for the bowl. Pounding it slightly ensures even, quick cooking and a tender texture, ready to absorb the pesto flavor.

Cilantro

The essential herb for the pesto, providing a bright, vibrantly fresh, citrusy, and slightly peppery lift that cuts through the richness of the oil and cheese.

Sweet Corn

Offers a juicy burst of natural sweetness and a delightful textural contrast to the soft chicken and creamy pesto.

Almonds

Almonds are used in the pesto as a replacement for traditional pine nuts, they provide a necessary earthy, oily note and a satisfying resistance or crunch to the otherwise smooth sauce.

Jalapeño

Jalapeno even when seeded and minced, it introduces a fresh, crisp texture and a necessary touch of warmth and subtle spice to the corn salad.

TIPS & TRICKS FOR THE BEST CILANTRO PESTO CHICKEN + CORN SALAD BOWL

Rest the Pesto

Allow the finished pesto to rest at room temperature for at least 30 minutes before serving. This resting period lets the fresh aromatics and oils fully meld, deepening the flavor profile.

Pound Chicken Thinly

Pounding the chicken breast ensures an even thickness, which guarantees uniform cooking and prevents dry spots. This also tenderizes the meat, allowing it to soak up more of the pesto flavor.

Pat Corn Dry

If you use frozen corn, ensure it is thoroughly thawed and patted completely dry before adding it to the salad. This prevents excess moisture from making the corn salad watery and keeps the texture crisp.

Do Not Over Process Pesto

When blending the pesto, pulse until a coarse chop is achieved, then slowly stream in the olive oil until a smooth but not watery consistency forms. Over processing can generate heat and dull the cilantro’s vibrant green color and flavor.

Inclusive adaptions

Nut Allergies

Swap the almonds in the pesto entirely for an allergy friendly alternative such as sunflower seeds or pepitas (pumpkin seeds) to retain the necessary crunch and texture.

Dairy Sensitivity

Substitute the Parmesan cheese in the pesto with a high quality, plant based, dairy free cheese alternative to maintain a rich, savory depth without dairy.

Limited Mobility

Use pre cooked, shredded chicken (such as rotisserie or canned) to eliminate the need for pounding and cooking the chicken breast. Opt for frozen pre chopped  diced veggies to minimize knife work.

EQUIPMENT NEEDED TO MAKE THIS RECIPE

Food processor

Cutting board

Knife

Skillet

Mixing bowl

Tongs

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Enjoy This Recipe With

GRILLED SHRIMP W/ CAJUN BUTTER

GARLIC BUTTER SHRIMP SCAMPI

CAJUN BARBECUE CRAB LEGS

Recipe

Marissa Bolden

Cilantro Pesto Chicken Corn Salad Bowl

This bowl layers tender, chicken breast marinated and cooked with vibrant homemade cilantro pesto over a fresh, zesty corn salad. It’s a bright, herbaceous, and satisfying meal perfect for a light yet flavor-packed lunch or dinner.

Print Recipe

Prep Time 20 minutes mins

Cook Time 40 minutes mins

Total Time 1 hour hr

Servings: 3

Ingredients Equipment Method

Ingredients

  

• 3 chicken breast slightly pounded
• Cilantro pesto
• 1 bunch cilantro
• 2 tb almonds
• 4 garlic cloves
• 1/4 c olive oil
• 2 tb red wine vinegar
• 1/4 c parmesan cheese
• Corn salad
• 2 c sweet corn
• 1 Tb cilantro
• 1 roma tomato diced
• 1 jalapeño seeded and minced
• salt to taste

Equipment

• Food Processor
• Cutting Board
• Knife
• Skillet
• Mixing bowl
• Tongs

Method

 

1. To make the corn salad
2. Combine the 2 cups of sweet corn, 1 Tbsp of cilantro, 1 diced roma tomato, and 1 seeded and minced jalapeño in a mixing bowl. Sprinkle with a pinch of sea salt.Set aside.
3. To make cilantro pesto
4. Combine the 1 bunch of cilantro, 1/2 tsp sea salt, 2 Tbsp of almonds, 4 garlic cloves, and 1/4 cup of parmesan cheese in a food processor and pulse until coarsely chopped. Slowly stream in the 1/4 cup of olive oil and pulse until smooth. Stir in the 2 Tbsp of red wine vinegar. Adjust salt to taste
5. Cooking the chicken and building the bowl
6. After pounding the chicken, season each piece of chicken with 1/2 tsp of sea salt on both sides. Gently toss the slightly pounded chicken breasts with a generous amount of the prepared cilantro pesto. Let sit for 20 minutes or overnight. Heat a skillet over medium heat with a tablespoon of oil and cook the chicken until done on both sides for 8 minutes or (internal temp 165°F). Let sit for 5 minutes. Slice the chicken into strips. To assemble, place the corn salad into a bowl and arrange the sliced pesto chicken on top, top with additional pesto and tortilla chips for crunch.

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