Stuffed Chicken Breast
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My stuffed chicken breast recipe features a creamy spinach, cheese, and sun-dried tomato filling tucked inside juicy chicken breasts. It’s quick enough for weeknights yet impressive enough for guests and special occasions.
Why I love stuffed chicken breasts
If you are looking for an easy yet elegant chicken dinner, my stuffed chicken breast recipe is the answer. It is one of my favorite ways to elevate a simple chicken breast and a recipe I make for both weeknight dinners and special occasions.
The creamy spinach, cheese, and sun-dried-tomato filling keeps the chicken juicy and flavorful, while making it look far more impressive than the effort involved. Here’s why you should make it:
- A filling that never disappoints. 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.
- Perfect for making ahead. I often stuff the chicken breasts the night before (and sometimes up to two days ahead) and keep them refrigerated until I’m ready to cook.
- Naturally low carb. It’s packed with protein and flavor, and I don’t rely on breadcrumbs or heavy sauces.
- Three cooking methods. I prefer using the skillet because it’s fast (10 minutes) but I’ve included my air fryer and oven methods, too.
★★★★★ REVIEW
“Exceptional!! So tender and creamy filling… loved it!” – Jess
Table of Contents
Ingredients needed
- Chicken breast. I like to use boneless 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, resulting in 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 release moisture during cooking.
- Sun-dried tomatoes. Packed in oil, not water. I find the water-soaked tomatoes tend to lose it’s flavor once cooked.
- Parmesan. Freshly grated. My #1 tip when working with recipes that call for cheese is to always grate or shred by hand. It melts more easily and tastes better. I’ve also had success with freshly sliced mozzarella and cheddar cheese.
- Feta. I prefer a soft feta cheese, such as Greek 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, but I like the golden sear butter gives.
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 over 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 it 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 160F (plus 5 minutes resting). 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 my cream cheese is a little too hard, I’ll microwave it for 15-20 seconds.
- Having trouble stuffing the chicken? Here’s how I butterfly them with ease. Slice it horizontally through the middle without cutting all the way through, then open it like a book.
Frequently asked questions
The easiest and most efficient way to seal stuffed chicken is with toothpicks, but you can also use 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, a rolling pin, and even a saucepan before!).
What to serve with stuffed chicken
I like to keep the sides on the simple side, to really let the chicken shine:
Stuffed Chicken Breast
Video
Ingredients
- 4 small chicken breasts skinless and boneless, 600g/21 ounces
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon pepper
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 6 ounces + 2 tablespoons cream cheese softened, 200g
- 1/3 cup parmesan cheese 35g
- 1/3 cup feta cheese 50g
- 1 cup baby spinach chopped, 30g
- 1/4 cup sun dried tomatoes packed in oil, 40g
- 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
More skillet chicken breast recipes
Originally published August 2022
What if I don’t have feta? I forgot to grab it.. I do have parm, mozz, cream cheese.. will mozz be ok? Or what can I do? If not, I can wait to cook it until get feta..
Hi Aaliyah, mozzarella will melt nicely and add some creaminess. If you don’t have feta on hand, that should be fine!
Thank you! I’ve made this recipe before and loved it! I ended up waiting to get feta but may try one of them with mozz and see how it turns out. Thank you so much!! Your recipe is a hit in my home.
Aaliyah! So welcome. Really, have fun with trying different cheeses in it, it’s super versatile. I tried a blue cheese/apple combo the other day which was sensational!
Excellent recipe, lived up to its claims! Very grateful to have found it
Aw, thanks so much Rachel. I’m so glad you enjoyed the recipe 🙂
Hi Arman,
Up all of it recipes are wonderful. Do you think if I make this in a cast iron pan, the chicken would cook too quickly compared to the stuffing?
Hi Lesley- it typically would, but you can combat it by searing the sides then reducing the heat to low and covering it. It will take a little longer, but the filling and thicker part of the chicken will cook evenly 🙂
Delicious! I didn’t have all the cream cheese, so I used 2oz cream cheese and a generous helping of ricotta. The family (who are picky eaters) all decided that was the perfect density for the filling – cream cheese all the way would have been too heavy. Plus, the bonus was that the ricotta added a wonderful hint of Mediterranean flavor that folded perfectly into the rest.
Well done! Thank you for sharing this gem! It will be in rotation for sure at our house.
Oh yes ricotta would have been fabulous to balance out the cream cheese. Thanks for making this recipe, Nicole and for your lovely review. I’m so happy everyone enjoyed it. 🙂
The chicken breast recipe looked good I would like to try it thank you
Let us know how you go!
Thank you
You are welcome, Traci- glad to hear you enjoyed the recipe!
My 94-year-old mother refuses to eat chicken anymore so I just started looking and came across this Amazing recipe. She loved it! I loved it! It was delicious! Thank you so much for sharing Arman
Aw, Maria- Please give your mother a big hug from me. I’m so glad she enjoyed this recipe. This means so much and thank you for cooking it for her.
Wow, oh so good and very rich! We loved the stuffed chicken. Thanks for sharing Arman.
Definitely a winner with my family! Thanks for sharing!
JS, thank you for your lovely feedback and review. I’m glad to hear you enjoyed this stuffed chicken recipe. Glad the family enjoyed it!
Would goat cheese work instead of feta?
YES! I love using goat cheese for this, although I do suggest a firmer one so it melts during the cooking process instead of being super soft from the get go 🙂
I couldn’t get my chicken higher than 120°.
Hi Joshua- That’s odd. How hot is the pan you are cooking the chicken on? I’d love to troubleshoot why that is happening for you. Please feel free to email me if that is easier.
I am considering making this for a banquet-style dinner for about 40 people this weekend. I plan to pan sear and then bake in the oven due to the larger amount needed. What steps can be prepped the night before to make “the day of” less chaotic?
Hi! Wow- I’m so impressed!!!! You can definitely prep the chicken (i.e. stuff them all and have them ready to go)- The day of- bring them to room temperature about 30 minutes before cooking then sear maybe 4-5 at a time (depending on the size of the skillet) then oven-bake until they reach around 160°F (in the thickest part)- rest for about 5 minutes.
Wow! So,so delicious! I typically don’t like cooking boneless chicken breasts because they tend To be dry. These were not dry at all and the flavor was amazing even though I didn’t have parmesan cheese & forgot to put in the sun dried tomatoes. My family REALLY enjoyed it!! Thank you for a great recipe!
Thanks so much for the feedback
I made this verbatum. Just as you instructed. This is INCREDIBLE 🤤😋👌 Thankyou!
Alison, thank you for your lovely comment. I’m so glad you enjoyed it. My team and I recently retested it to see how it was with goat cheese in the middle and I still think this version is the best haha!
These stuffed chicken breasts are absolutely scrumptious. My family really enjoyed them. The flavor is amazing. Thank you so much for this recipe.
You are so welcome, Tina- thank you for the kind words!
Tasted good, cooking directions though….
My chicken was burnt on the outside and raw in the middle. Had to put it in the oven to make it edible
Sorry to hear that. Did you use a meat thermometer? That’s a great indication of knowing the doneness of the chicken. If it’s too cooked on the outside, perhaps the heat was too high? I’d love to troubleshoot for you!
Best recipe I have ever made in my whole life. I’ve botched a lot of meals, and a lot of recipes have not turned out for me. Not this one, literally 10/10. Used the air fryer way and it was perfect!
Can you share exactly how you cooked in the air fryer? Temp, time, basket vs rack etc? I’d love to try in the air fryer! Thanks!
Hi Karen- absolutely! I’ve included it in the body of the post, but I’ll break it down a little better here 🙂
Once I’ve prepped the chicken (toothpicks are a non-negotiable when air frying), add it to a greased air fryer basket. Air fry at 400°F for 12 minutes, flip carefully, and air fry until it reaches 157-160°F (and let it rest for 5 minutes, which will bring it up to 165°F).
I have three air fryers (I’m a little obsessed ha) and two are basket, and one is a rack. I didn’t notice a difference, but I do find for most recipes, baskets cook more evenly. Let me know how you go!
can i put the spinich cheese mixture on top on the chicken instead of in it??
Absolutely Jo! The filling will taste best if it’s warmed up on the chicken though, so you might need to flip your chicken and then create a stack while the underside cooks so there’s a bit of transference to the mix. Let us know how you go!