If you're looking for the best stuffed chicken breast recipe or even how to make stuffed chicken breasts, you have come to the right place!
Is anyone else completely freaked out by the monster-sized chicken breasts you seen in the stores these days? Pick up a pack of those guys from the store, and three ( because there's always three in a pack for some reason ) manage to weigh a pound and a half to two pounds.
It's nuts! Even when I get the fancy $9-per-pound hormone-free cage-free massaged-since-birth ocean-front free-roaming Prius-driving chicken breasts, they are STILL pretty huge.
Oh, and still three to a pack.
Why do boneless, skinless chicken breasts always come three to a pack?! But chicken breast recipes always want four!
Which is funny, because every recipe ever written for boneless skinless chicken breasts seems to call for four. I'm fighting back! My Easy, Basic Boneless Skinless Chicken Breasts recipe calls for three, because I'm not in cahoots with the chicken people, and I know how chicken comes packed.
Here we have another chicken recipe using the ubiquitous boneless, skinless chicken breast, and it calls for only three pieces of chicken!
Usually, half of one of these guys is more than enough to fill me up, particularly when crammed full of delicious, tangy feta and cooked spinach. Seriously! Chicken breast stuffed with spinach is where. it's. at.
Everyone will love this Cheese Stuffed Chicken Breast
So don't let this recipe fool you -- three stuffed boneless, skinless chicken breasts is enough to feed six, even though I've listed the servings as "3", as most people would be hesitant to serve a half breast to someone at a dinner party, and I don't want to ruin anyone's evening.
Love recipes like this Spinach Cream Cheese Stuffed Chicken Breast? You might also like:
- Crispy Oven Fried Boneless Skinless Chicken Breasts
- Easy Bourbon Salmon
- Lemon Olive Chicken Breasts
- Healthy Chicken Breakfast Sausage
I've had a ton of positive response from this post, as well as a few questions - so I've created a quick FAQ about this recipe so you don't have to scroll through all the comments:
How to make stuffed chicken breasts video, which answers lots of questions in a visual:
How do I stuff chicken breasts?
Verrrrrry carefully! I've found the best method really is as listed in the recipe: place something hard and flat ( like a metal spatula ) on top of the chicken breast, and insert your knife into the thickest part about ⅔ deep.
While pressing down on the top of the chicken breast with the spatula, gently work the knife towards the thinnest part of the breast, stopping before you create a "flap" by cutting the whole length. Just make a little pocket!
Is this a healthy stuffed chicken breast recipe?
Maybe? I generally shy away from calling anything with cream cheese in it "Healthy", but depending on your dietary needs, this recipe might just suit them! It is a low-carb chicken breast recipe ( and keto stuffed chicken breast recipe ) AND it is stuffed with spinach, but only you and your doctor can ultimately determine if something is healthy for you.
A lot of people love that this is a keto stuffed chicken breast recipe. I don't do keto personally, but if that's your jam, I'm told this one is a great keto chicken recipe!
Can I make this recipe if I don't have a pan that can go from stove top to oven?
YES! Do step 5 ( browning the chicken in a pan ) in your favorite stove-top friendly pan, then transfer the seared spinach stuffed chicken breasts to an oven safe pan with sides - like a Pyrex or sheet pan.
In fact, a TON of people have asked me where I got the sheet pans in the photos -- they are from Amazon, one of the cheapest pan sets I've ever purchased, and I LOVE them. You can check them out here: Nordic Ware Sheet Pan Set, and if you buy them or anything else on Amazon after clicking, I'll get a little tiny ( pennies, y'all ) kickback that helps keep my blog up and running at NO extra cost to you.
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Spinach Stuffed Chicken Breasts
Ingredients
- 3 chicken breasts
- 8 oz chopped frozen spinach cooked according to package directions and squeezed dry.
- 3 oz feta crumbled ( about ½ cup )
- 4 oz cream cheese
- 1 clove garlic diced
- ¼ teaspoon salt divided
- ⅛ teaspoon pepper
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 450 degrees fahrenheit.
- Mix the chopped frozen spinach, feta, cream cheese, garlic and half of the salt in a medium sized bowl.
- Cut a pocket into each chicken breast. If you are unsure of how to cut a pocket into the chicken without also cutting a pocket into your hand, try this: One at a time, place the chicken flat on a cutting board, and press a large spatula ( or something else that cannot be stabbed, i.e. DO NOT USE YOUR HAND) flat on top of the breast. Make sure that you are pressing the spatula down hard enough to hold the chicken in place. You may need to actually dig the edge of the spatula into the meat just a little bit to accomplish this. Insert the knife ⅔ of the way into the side of the thickest part of the chicken, and slice down to the thinnest part, stopping before you cut through; you want a pocket not a flap.
- Separate the spinach and cheese mixture into three parts, and roll into thick logs. Stuff each log into the pocket you made in the chicken breasts. Season with remaining salt and pepper.
- Heat the olive oil in an ovenproof pan set over medium high heat, then add the stuffed chicken, "top" side down. Cook for 5 minutes, then flip the chicken over.
- Place the pan into the oven, and bake for 10 minutes. If your chicken breasts are extraordinarily thick, cook for 2 to 5 minutes longer, or until juices run clear when you poke the chicken with a fork.
Joyce K says
I made this exact recipe but just wrapped it all in phyllo and baked for 40 to 50 minutes. Rave reviews. Thanks so much.
Marianne says
whoa - that sounds AMAZING!
Tanya says
Hello. This looks awesome! I’m actually putting together for dinner now as I type this. Thanks for the recipe.
I was really grabbed by your “about me” section on your page. Wanted to find out how I sign up for your recipes? Could not seem to find the sign up area. Thanks again!
~Tanya in Texas
Marianne says
Thank you so much for mentioning the signup! It looks like something happened to my onsite signup form! For now, you should be able to go to my homepage ( https://basilandbubbly.com ) and sign up in a popup that comes onto the screen once you start scrolling. I should have my regular sign up back up ( on my homepage, posts, and about page ) by the end of the week!
Craig says
Very tasty, fast, and simple. Very clear instructions. I will make this again without changing a thing.
CG says
Ok I tried this recipe last night but was a little confused on if I should have covered the chicken breasts before placing in the oven. I actually cooked the breasts covered a little longer in the oven and it tasted ok. Was I supposed to leave them uncovered? Didn't want to rate until I try again.
Marianne says
You do not need to cover them
B Jones says
Tried making this for the second time. The recipe simply doesn't work. 15 minutes to cook through an entire chicken breast? What world do you live in? Also, "until the juices run clear" is not a safe method of determining if the chicken is thoroughly cooked.
Marianne says
I, like the many many other people who have managed to make this recipe successfully, live in a world where if you pan sear chicken breasts for five minutes in a hot pan and then throw that pan into the oven, the chicken breasts do cook.