Stuffed Chicken Breasts are notorious for being difficult and fussy -- not anymore. Leave the toothpicks and the mallets behind. All you need is a few extra ingredients and 15 minutes to take your boneless, skinless chicken breasts from boring to breathtaking. This easy Stuffed Chicken Breasts Recipe features seasoned chicken breasts stuffed with a savory filling of spinach, garlic, sun-dried tomatoes, and cheese, then baked until tender, juicy perfection for a dinnertime win that surpasses all expectations!
It's easy enough for a weeknight dinner, yet perfect for showing off a little culinary prowess at your next dinner party! If you cook with chicken breasts often, be sure to add Baked Chicken Breasts, Pan Seared Chicken Breasts, and Fried Chicken Breasts to your recipe line up!
STUFFED CHICKEN BREAST INGREDIENTS
CHICKEN BREAST HALVES
You can't make Stuffed Chicken Breasts without the chicken. More specifically, chicken breast halves. When you are making your purchase, keep in mind, larger chicken breast halves are easier to work with than smaller ones for stuffing chicken.
OIL AND SEASONING
This chicken is über flavorful, inside and out. The outer portion of the chicken is drizzled with oil and seasoned with a simple mix of Kosher salt, black pepper, paprika, garlic powder, and onion powder. You can use just about any oil you have on hand for this chicken recipe -- avocado, canola, or olive oil are all great choices. The seasoning consists of
SPINACH AND CHEESE STUFFING
This stuffing is a flavorful mix of shredded cheese, finely chopped spinach, sun-dried tomatoes, shallots, and garlic.
You can use either shredded Mozzarella or Fontina for these Stuffed Chicken Breasts, although we do recommend grating the cheese from a block (rather than buying the pre-shredded stuff) for best results in both texture and flavor.
For another delicious, savory chicken dinner, try our smothered chicken! Or for another "stuffed" recipe, we love stuffed bell peppers and stuffed poblano peppers.
HOW TO MAKE A POCKET IN CHICKEN BREAST
How do you cut chicken breasts for stuffing? Not by butterflying it. Cutting a slit in chicken breasts to create a pocket is not the same thing as butterflying chicken breasts. The technique referred to as butterflying requires additional steps that are not necessary for this Stuffed Chicken Recipe.
We're happy to report, you'll find the mallet, the kitchen twine, and the toothpicks are null and void tools here.
To make a pocket for Stuffed Chicken Breasts, here's what you'll do:
- Pat all of the excess moisture off of the chicken using a paper towel so it is not slippery.
- Have ready a good, sharp knife.
- Place your palm flat on top of the chicken breast, and carefully, cut a horizontal pocket in the thicker part of the breast. Do your best to cut it right down the middle and be sure to stop about a ½" from the edge so the breast stays intact!
HOW TO STUFF CHICKEN BREASTS
After you've cut a pocket into your chicken breasts, it's time to stuff them! The key is to add as much of that delicious filling as possible, without tearing up the chicken. About 2-3 tablespoons of filling is perfect for stuffing your breasts.
Once your chicken is equipped with filling, all that's left is to place it on the baking sheet and bake it.
HOW TO MAKE STUFFED CHICKEN BREASTS
- Remove Water From Spinach - Place the thawed spinach in a colander and press out all of the excess moisture using the back of a wooden spoon or a potato masher.
- Make the Filling - Transfer the spinach to a mixing bowl along with the sun-dried tomatoes, shallot, garlic, and cheese. Set aside until ready to use.
- Cut a Pocket In the Chicken - Using a good, sharp knife, cut a horizontal pocket in the thicker part of the chicken breast, stopping about a ½" from the edge so the breast stays intact.
- Season the Chicken and Stuff It - Make the seasoning for Stuffed Chicken Breasts by combining salt, pepper, paprika, garlic powder, and onion powder in a small bowl. Drizzle the chicken with oil, sprinkle evenly with the seasoning mix, and rub all over to adhere. Lastly, add about 2-3 tablespoons of the filling to the pocket of each breast.
- Bake - Bake for 20-25 minutes, until the chicken is cooked through and juices run clear when pierced with a knife.
For another easy and delicious dinner try our Baked Lobster Tail!
HOW LONG TO COOK STUFFED CHICKEN BREASTS
The best temperature to bake Stuffed Chicken Breasts is 375°F. Depending on the size of your chicken breast halves and their thickness, the chicken should take anywhere from 20-25 minutes to cook through.
The safe internal temperature of cooked chicken breasts is 165°F. To determine this, be sure you're taking the temperature of the chicken rather than the filling in the center. Another determining factor in the doneness of chicken is whether or not the juices run clear when cut into.
We love a good stuffing around here! Try our Crockpot Chicken and Stuffing next!
TIPS FOR MAKING STUFFED CHICKEN BREASTS
- Larger chicken breasts are easier to cut horizontally than smaller ones.
- A high-quality, sharp knife will make slicing a pocket in the chicken breasts much, much easier.
- Pat the chicken breast dry with paper towels before cutting into it. This will keep the chicken more stable under your hand and on the board.
- Don't forget to thaw the spinach in advance to avoid any last-minute scrambling.
- It's is extremely important to press the water out of the spinach before adding it to the filling mix!
- Add the filling to the chicken gently, taking care not to rip the pocket you cut into chicken more than intended.
WHAT TO SERVE WITH STUFFED CHICKEN
Red Mashed Potatoes
Bow Tie Pasta Salad
Homemade Garlic Bread
Green Bean Almondine
Garlic-Parmesan Roasted Smashed Potatoes Recipe
Steamed Broccoli Recipe
5 MORE CHICKEN RECIPES YOU’LL LOVE
- Bruschetta Chicken features savory, juicy chicken breasts topped with classic tomato bruschetta and a touch of tang thanks to a marinade of balsamic vinaigrette.
- Baked Chicken Leg Quarters with rosemary and lemon will take dark meat chicken to the next level!
- Chicken with Bacon and Cheese features top-notch smothered chicken with an easy, homemade drizzle of honey mustard sauce.
- Chicken with Mustard Sauce is a quick and healthy recipe for pan-seared chicken cutlets, featuring shallots, garlic, and a simple red curry mustard sauce.
- Chicken Marinara is topped with marinara sauce and melty mozzarella cheese for a baked dish everyone adores!
Stuffed Chicken Breasts
Ingredients
- 1 (10 ounce) package frozen chopped spinach, thawed and drained
- ¼ cup chopped sun-dried tomatoes
- ½ shallot, minced
- 2 large cloves garlic, minced
- 1 cup freshly grated Fontina or Mozzarella cheese
- 2 pounds (4-6) chicken breast halves, patted dry with a paper towel
- 1 ¾ teaspoon Kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon black pepper
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- ¾ teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon onion powder
- 1-2 tablespoons avocado, canola, or olive oil
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375°F and have ready a sheet pan, preferably lined with aluminum foil.
- Place the thawed spinach in a colander and press out all of the excess moisture using the back of a wooden spoon or a potato masher. Transfer the spinach to a mixing bowl along with the sun-dried tomatoes, shallot, garlic, and cheese. Set aside until ready to use.
- Using a good, sharp knife, cut a horizontal pocket in the thicker part of the chicken breast, stopping about a ½" from the edge so the breast stays intact. Transfer the chicken to the sheet pan.
- In a small bowl, combine salt, pepper, paprika, garlic powder, and onion powder. Drizzle the chicken with oil, sprinkle evenly with the seasoning mix, and rub all over to adhere. Lastly, add about 2-3 tablespoons of the filling to the pocket of each breast.
- Bake for 20-25 minutes, until the chicken is cooked through and juices run clear when pierced with a knife.
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Andrea Metlika says
OH my goodness do these look fantastic. Such a fantastic combination of flavors my whole family will enjoy this.
Teresa carol says
Made this recipe and I will definitely make it again. Delicious!!!!
Kelly Anthony says
Thank you, Teresa!
Katie says
Fantastic recipe! I added diced artichoke hearts to the filling and it was delicious!
Cheri says
Wonderful meal
Linda says
Thank you for sharing a delicious new chicken recipe. I made it for my husband and I & we fell in love with it. I plan to impress company with this the next time I make it.
Kelly Anthony says
That's wonderful! Thank you, Linda!