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My 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!
Love quick, elegant chicken recipes? Try my marry me chicken, Huli Huli chicken, parmesan crusted chicken, and chicken Milanese next.
If you are looking for an easy yet ridiculously elegant chicken dish, my stuffed chicken breast recipe is your answer. It is deceptively simple to make and a delicious way to elevate the humble chicken breast that I serve for everyday meals, but also for special occasions.
Table of Contents
Why I love this recipe
- A winning combination. Creamy spinach and cheese are a match made in heaven and 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. I often stuff the chicken breasts the night before and even two days in advance and refrigerate them until I’m ready to cook.
- 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.
★★★★★ REVIEW
“Exceptional!! So tender and creamy filling… loved it!” – Jess
Ingredients needed
- Chicken breast. Boneless. I like to use skinless chicken breasts, but skin-on chicken works well too. If you do opt for the latter, be sure to pat dry the skin to ensure it turns out crispy.
- Spinach. Baby spinach, chopped. Please do not use frozen spinach as the excess liquid seeps into the mixture and yields a watery filling instead of a creamy one.
- Cream cheese. Softened for easy mixing. Avoid using low-fat or fat-free cream cheese, as it will seep out moisture during the cooking process.
- Sun-dried tomatoes. Packed in oil, not water.
- Parmesan. Freshly grated. My #1 tip when working with recipes that call for cheese is to always grate or shred by hand. It melts easier and tastes better.
- Feta. I prefer a soft feta cheese, like Greek feta or Danish feta. Generic feta cheese will also work, but it will be a little chunkier VS creamier.
- Salt and spices. I use black pepper and smoked paprika for this recipe.
- Butter. To cook the chicken breasts. You can also use olive oil for this.
How to make stuffed chicken breast
I’ve included step-by-step photos below to make this recipe easy to follow at home. For the full printable recipe instructions and ingredient quantities, scroll to the recipe card at the bottom of this post.
Step 1- Prep the chicken breasts. Butterfly the chicken breasts, fold them open, and season the outer side with salt, pepper, and smoked paprika.
Step 2- Make the filling. In a small bowl, mix cream cheese with grated parmesan cheese, feta cheese, chopped baby spinach, and sun-dried tomatoes.
Step 3- Stuff the chicken. Put some of the cream cheese mixture on one side of the butterflied chicken breast then fold over and secure with toothpicks.
Step 4- Cook. 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.
Alternative cooking methods
While I prefer to cook stuffed chicken on the stovetop, I’ve also tested this recipe in the air fryer and the oven! Here is how you’d do it:
Air fryer method: Add the stuffed chicken to a greased air fryer basket. Air fry at 200C/400F for 12 minutes, flipping halfway through.
Oven method: Prep the chicken as instructed, then add them to a cast iron skillet or oven-safe dish. Bake at 180C/350F for 35-40 minutes, or until the chicken reaches an internal temperature of 165F. For an even juicer chicken, sear it before baking.
Arman’s recipe tips
- You’ll know the chicken is fully cooked once the thickest part reaches an internal temperature of 160F (plus 5 minutes of resting time). Use a meat thermometer to double-check.
- Rest the chicken for 5 minutes before serving. The juices will redistribute and the chicken will be even juicier.
- Broil the chicken for 1-2 minutes before serving for an even crispier exterior. Be wary though, that doing this for even a few minutes extra will burn the chicken.
- Use softened cream cheese. It will make the mixture mixable and creamy. If your cream cheese is a little too hard, microwave it for 15-20 seconds.
- Having trouble stuffing the chicken? Here’s how I bitterly them with ease. Slice it horizontally through the middle without cutting all the way through, then open it like a book.
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 bacon. Bacon makes everything taste better, but especially when added to a chicken dish (have you tried my famous bacon wrapped chicken or crack chicken yet?).
- Add mushrooms or broccoli. Mushrooms and chicken are such a fantastic combination, as are broccoli and cheese.
- Make it cheesier with mozzarella. Freshly grated or sliced, not the pre-shredded kind. Other cheeses I’ve tried in stuffed chicken are ricotta and cheddar cheese.
Storage instructions
To store: Once the spinach-stuffed chicken breast cools, store the leftovers in an airtight container and place them in the fridge 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 as it dries them out.
Frequently asked questions
The easiest and most efficient way to seal stuffed chicken is with toothpicks, but you can also seal it with strings. Just remember to discard before serving.
Fold open the chicken breast, cover it with cling wrap, and pound it to flatten it. I use a meat mallet, but any hard object will work (I’ve used a cast iron skillet, rolling pin, and even a saucepan before!).
As this chicken is incredibly flavorful and satisfying, simple vegetables are best to pair with it. For something hearty (and quick), try air fryer baked potato or air fryer sweet potatoes. For some greens, my family enjoys asparagus, green beans, or broccoli.
More skillet chicken breast recipes to try
Stuffed Chicken Breast
Video
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 by slicing them horizontally through the middle and stopping just before it cuts them in half. 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. Don't worry if some of the filling falls out.
- 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
Originally published August 2022, updated August 2024
Good! Did some replacements added bacon and mushrooms instead of spinach and very good
Awesome, Chicken is my only meat. Loved this and will be making weekly. Thanks for sharing.
Thanks again for a superb recipe, this stuffed chicken is so good, second time making it and a favourite with family.
This was easy and delicious! thanks, Arman!
so welcome, Wendy!
This was amazing and so simple. The only thing I did different was added a small sautéed shallot and garlic, and only because I had a shallot that I needed to use, not because it needs any changes. Bravo on a great recipe! Thanks!
Overall the recipe is delicious and even after I’m done I think about it. My only issue is no matter how many times I make it the cook time is never right. I typically have to throw it in the over for 10 minutes or so just for the chicken to cook all the way through. It may just be user error and I’m doing something wrong but it’s just an issue I have. Aside from that it’s a great recipe.
Hi Stephanie! Do you have a meat thermometer? I find that it really helps with cooking the chicken. Also, using the nob with the largest heat setting.
This is the best chicken recipe it’s so delicious 😋
I made this for our dinner tonight and it was absolutely stunning. The breasts I had were very thick so I flattened them a bit before stuffing and I closed with toothpicks. I did not have oil packed tomatoes but I reconstituted some dried ones in boiling water then chopped and added and it worked perfectly. Highly recommended! Thanks for sharing Arman.
This sounds good. I may try non-fat greek plain yogurt in exhange for the cream cheese
Sure, it may be a little tart but should be okay!