Stuffed Chicken Breasts
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Abundantly flavorful Stuffed Chicken Breast – Made with tender chicken breasts that have been filled with a pocket of fresh spinach, herbs, zesty sun dried tomatoes, tangy feta and rich mozzarella. Worthy of holidays or especially welcome for weekend dinners.
Spinach and Cheese Stuffed Chicken Breast
This hearty stuffed chicken recipe is easier than you’d think yet always completely impressive.
It includes vibrant Mediterranean cuisine inspired ingredients that will leave you craving more.
It’s brimming with spinach and includes so many other satisfying flavors to compliment it. The feta and sun dried tomatoes are two key components here that add so much to the dish.
The chicken breasts are carved with a deep pocket in each is generously filled with this fresh, complexly flavorful mixture.
From there it’s pan seared for a beautiful golden brown finish and baked off in the oven to cook it all the way through. Serve it with the little bit of drippings in the pan and if you want more just add a splash of chicken broth and a few dabs of butter for a quick, savory pan sauce.
Spinach Stuffed Chicken Breast Recipe Ingredients
- Baby spinach: Full grown spinach will work as well just has a slightly different flavor.
- Boneless skinless chicken breasts: Chicken thighs will not work for this recipe, they aren’t even enough or large enough.
- Feta: If you’d like you can just use 3/4 cup feta and omit the mozzarella.
- Sun dried tomatoes: Use the ones packed in oil and herbs in a jar, not the dried in a pouch.
- Fresh basil: Dried basil works as well.
- Dried oregano: If you have fresh on hand you could use that just use 2 tsp chopped.
- Garlic: The flavor of fresh garlic is best here, I don’t recommend substituting dried.
- Red pepper flakes: If you don’t want a kick of heat then just omit these, if you want it spicier then double the amount.
- Olive oil: Just use regular refined olive oil not extra virgin since it’s for high heat cooking.
- Salt and black pepper: Season the exterior with a fair amount of both, for the filling you want need much due to the salty cheeses.
How to Make and Cook Stuffed Chicken
Here is a brief overview of the process to make the stuffed chicken, see below for the full recipe directions.
- Heat the oven.
- Cook the spinach in a bit of water (or steaming spinach is another option), drain well and cool.
- Pound chicken to even, slice a deep pocket in each.
- Dry spinach, add to bowl along with cheeses, sun dried tomatoes, herbs, garlic, red pepper flakes, salt and pepper. Toss.
- Stuff one quarter of the mixture in each chicken breasts. Seal with toothpicks.
- Pan sear in oiled skillet until golden brown, then oven bake until cooked through.
- Remove toothpicks, serve with pan juices.
How to Serve Stuffed Chicken Breasts
- These can be served whole for 4 larger servings.
- Halves are also another good option to make the dish go further (use 8 or even 9 oz chicken breasts) then slice into halves after baking for 8 servings.
- Or serve as slices. Let chicken breasts cool for about 10 minutes then cut into even slices and align on a platter. This will yield about 6 servings.
Frequently Asked Questions
How long to bake stuffed chicken breasts?
- Stuffed chicken should be pan seared before it’s baked for a golden brown exterior as the oven alone won’t accomplish this. This will take about 6 minutes first.
- The 7 to 8 oz stuffed chicken breasts will take about 12 to 16 minutes to bake at 400 °F if par-cooked.
Can I use frozen spinach?
- Yes frozen spinach will work fine as well, use a slightly larger weight since some of it will be lost upon thawing. Thaw completely before using in the recipe and dry.s
What to serve with stuffed chicken breasts?
I recommend serving with:
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Stuffed Chicken Breast
Ingredients
- 1/3 cup warm water
- 6 oz baby spinach
- 4 (7 to 8 oz each) boneless skinless chicken breasts
- 1/2 cup (2.5 oz) crumbled feta
- 1/2 cup (2 oz) shredded mozzarella
- 1/4 cup (slightly packed) Sun dried tomatoes in oil, chopped
- 1 Tbsp chopped fresh basil or 3/4 tsp dried
- 3/4 tsp dried oregano
- 3/4 tsp minced fresh garlic
- 1/4 tsp red pepper flakes
- 1 Tbsp olive oil
- Salt and black pepper
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
- Heat water a 12-inch oven safe skillet over medium-high heat. Once simmering add spinach and cook and toss just until barely wilted while adding a little more water as needed if it dries up. Transfer spinach to several layers of paper towels to cool and drain.
- Place chicken on cutting board, cover with plastic wrap. Using a meat mallet pound thicker portions of chicken breasts to even them out, be careful not to tear so pound somewhat gently (and don't thin them more than 2/3-inch).
- Cut a deep pocket through the thickness of each chicken breast, starting on inner side and being careful not to cut through on any other side (but get as close as possible).
- Dab spinach dry with more paper towels layered atop then add to a mixing bowl along with feta, mozzarella, sun dried tomatoes, basil, oregano, garlic and red pepper flakes. Season lightly with salt and pepper and toss mixture to combine.
- Stuff 1/4 of the mixture (compact it a bit) onto each chicken breasts. Use one or two toothpicks to seal of each chicken breast (ensure the cheese isn't hanging out or it may just fall and burn in pan).
- Rinse skillet clean and dry. Return to medium-high heat and coat inside bottom and sides with olive oil.
- Season both sides of each chicken breast with salt and pepper and add to skillet. Sear about 3 to 4 minutes on the first side then turn and sear second side for 2 minutes.
- Transfer chicken in skillet to oven to continue to cook through about 12 to 16 minutes longer (test internal temps of chicken not filling, it should be 165 °F).
- Transfer to a serving plate, remove toothpicks and drizzle over pan juices. You can serve whole portions or let them cool for about 10 minutes and cut into slices (as pictured).