This stuffed chicken breast recipe features the creamiest and most delicious cheese and spinach filling enveloped in perfectly cooked meat. It’s fast to cook and easy to customize!
Chicken and chicken breasts are one of the most versatile ingredients to cook with. But even so, it can get repetitive.
We often cook it in the air fryer or grill it with some blackened seasoning. However, when we feel like something a little fancier, we love to stuff them with our favorite things.
Why this recipe works
- A winning combination. Chicken, spinach, and cheese are a match made in heaven. You can never go wrong with this combination of ingredients. And sun-dried tomatoes are just there to make things even better.
- Can be prepped in advance. You can stuff the chicken breast a night before and even two days in advance. Refrigerate the raw stuffed chicken breasts and cook them when you need to.
- Low carb and nutritious. This recipe is perfect for those trying to keep their meals low carb yet full of nutrients, including protein and fiber.
- Ready in 10 minutes. Seriously, this makes a fast dinner recipe to whip up on busy weeknights.
What we love about this recipe is that it is an easy way to elevate chicken breasts and serve them not only for everyday meals but on special occasions, too.
Ingredients needed
You don’t need a lot of ingredients to make this stuffed chicken recipe. Here’s everything that it calls for.
- Chicken breast. Boneless. You may or may not leave the skin on.
- Spinach. Baby spinach, chopped.
- Cream cheese. Softened for easy mixing.
- Sun-dried tomatoes. In oil.
- Parmesan. Freshly grated.
- Feta. Use feta cheese with a soft and fluffy texture. Avoid using feta that is dry and overly crumbly.
- Salt and spices. I use black pepper and smoked paprika for this recipe.
- Butter. To cook the chicken breasts. You can also use the cooking oil of your choice.
How to make stuffed chicken breast
While this recipe make look incredibly fancy, it’s actually deceptively easy to make and comes together very quickly.
Step 1- Prep the chicken breasts
Butterfly the chicken breasts. This implies cutting the chicken breast horizontally, leaving one edge intact. Fold the chicken breast open and season the outer side with salt, pepper, and smoked paprika.
Step 2- Mix the filling ingredients
In a small bowl, mix cream cheese with grated parmesan cheese, feta cheese, chopped baby spinach and sun-dried tomatoes. Mix until well combined.
Step 3- Stuff the chicken
Put some of the cream cheese filling on one side of the butterflied chicken breast. Fold the other side over to close the chicken breast and secure it with toothpicks.
Step 4- Cook the chicken
Heat a skillet on medium heat. Once hot, add a knob of butter to it and brown the chicken on all sides. Cook until the chicken reaches an internal temperature of 165 degrees in the thickest part.
Can you air fry this?
You can totally make this dish in the air fryer. Air fryer stuffed chicken breast turns out evenly cooked, juicy, and with a perfect golden crust on the chicken. Also, air frying is always healthier than frying food in oil.
To air fry, add the stuffed chicken into a greased air fryer basket. Air fry at 200C/400F for 12 minutes, flipping halfway through.
Tips to make the best recipe
- Use the broil setting of your oven to brown the stuffed chicken breasts even more if you like it that way. Leave the chicken in the oven for only a minute or two to avoid drying it out.
- You can use frozen spinach for this recipe if you don’t have fresh spinach. For frozen spinach, thaw it completely and squeeze well to get rid of all the liquid.
- If you are trying to make the cheese filling but your cream cheese isn’t soft enough to mix well with the rest of the ingredients, microwave it for 15 seconds.
Flavor variations
The beauty of this recipe is just how easy it is to customize with your favorite vegetables, cheeses, and additions. Here are some ideas:
- Add mushrooms. Mushrooms fit perfectly into this stuffed chicken recipe. They add a rich umami flavor and more protein to this dish.
- Use broccoli. If you don’t have sun-dried tomatoes, swap them with broccoli. The taste and texture will be different, but the dish will turn out just as stunning. Finely chopped broccoli florets are also a great substitute for spinach.
- Make it cheesier with mozzarella. You can never go wrong with mozzarella in stuffed chicken. Other cheeses you can use in the stuffed chicken are ricotta and cheddar.
- Add bacon. Bacon makes everything taste better, but especially when added to a chicken dish (have you tried our crack chicken yet?).
Storage instructions
To store: Once the stuffed chicken breast cools, store the leftovers in an airtight container and refrigerate for up to 4 days.
To freeze: Place the cooled and cooked chicken in a shallow container and store it in the freezer for up to 2 months.
Reheating: Reheat covered in a pan on the stovetop or in the oven. Microwaving is also an option, though I don’t find it to be the best way to reheat stuffed chicken breasts as it dries them out.
More chicken breast recipes to try
Frequently asked questions
The best way to stuff chicken breast is by butterflying it first. You may cut a pocket into the breast and stuff it that way. However, with this method, you end up with less filling in each chicken breast.
The easiest and most efficient way to seal stuffed chicken is with toothpicks. You can also seal it with strings.
Fold open the chicken breast, cover it with cling wrap and pound it to flatten it. You can use a meat mallet to pound and flatten the chicken breast. If you don’t have one, use a rolling pin, a cast iron skillet, or any heavy and hard object you have at hand.
As this chicken is incredibly flavorful and satisfying, simple vegetables are best to pair with it. For something hearty, try baked potatoes or sweet potatoes. For some greens, we enjoy asparagus, green beans, or broccoli.
Stuffed Chicken Breast
Ingredients
- 4 small chicken breasts skinless and boneless
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon pepper
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 6 ounces + 2 tablespoons cream cheese
- 1/3 cup parmesan cheese
- 1/3 cup feta cheese
- 1 cup baby spinach chopped
- 1/4 cup sun dried tomatoes packed in oil
- 1 tablespoon butter to cook
Instructions
- Butterfly your chicken breasts and sprinkle the outside with salt, pepper, and smoked paprika.
- In a small bowl, mix together the cream cheese, parmesan cheese, feta cheese, baby spinach, and sun dried tomatoes.
- Stuff the chicken breasts with the filling, and use toothpicks to hold everything in place.
- Place a skillet over medium heat. Add the butter and once hot, and the chicken and brown all sides of it. Cook until it reaches an internal temperature of 165.
Notes
Nutrition
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Can I use boneless thighs?
Choose larger thighs- They will hold everything better 🙂
Making this now. Putting my own twist on it. Left out the tomatoes. Seasoned chicken with a Cajon seasoning and baking it instead of frying in skillet. Serving with sauteed brussel sprouts with bacon and and buffalo chicken flavor rice a roni
Can you bake thse stuffed chicken breast in the oven?
You can- just be careful to not overcook it (use a meat thermometer)
How long would you suggest baking for?
I find 35-40 minutes to be good (at 180C) but I always check using a meat thermometer.
I made this recipe exactly as written and really, really enjoyed it. Made a few and will freeze one for a upcoming camping trip. Served with roasted broccoli and zucchini! Excellent meal! Thanks for the great recipe!
Tastiest thing I’ve cooked in months! Looking forward to cooking it again. I did halve 2 thick chicken breasts (front to back) then butterflied those halves to stuff which seemed to have helped with cooking and was enough for each portion. Came out very tender and tasty! Thanks for sharing this recipe!
Do you cook the chicken then stuff it.
Nope 🙂 Cook it all together.
Came out really good! I didn’t do so great with cutting the chicken so it was a bit messy while frying but it was worth the effort. It also took me much longer than 11 minutes to prepare and cook. It was a bit too late for a meal so I chose to put one on a pita with Tzatziki sauce and it was an amazing lighter choice! Thank you for the recipe!
Thank you for the recipe😋😋
This was just awesome. cooked it in the air fryer! thanks so much for all the great recipes.
I have to cook gluten free, egg free and keto for this family and your recipes have helped me so much.
Can these be prepared and frozen raw?
I wouldn’t- they tend to not cook as well. You’d be better off cooking them, cooling them, then freezing.
Can’t wait to try this
Just finished eating this with my husband and 2 adult sons. Used roasted red peppers in place of the sun dried tomatoes but everything else the same. Pan fried and served with mashed potatoes and green beans. 10 out of 10 from all of us. Yum! And thank you!!
I made 12 of these for a family gathering at my campsite in my mini kitchen. I finished by baking them at 350 degrees on a closed grill. Everyone loved them and asked for the recipe!
Hyoooo and delicias
Great recipe. Will use make this again!
My husband LOVES this chicken!!! So do I !!!