Stuffed Chicken Breast | The Modern Proper (2024)

January 28, 2024

Chicken breasts stuffed with a cheesy spinach filling are browned first on the stove top, and then finished in the oven. We love this as an easy alternative to the everyday skillet-cooked chicken.

Photography by Gayle McLeod

More delicious dinner recipes

• Easy Stuffed Pasta Shells

• Creamy Tomato Chicken Skillet Dinner

• Marry Me Chicken

• Chicken Parmesan

An Easy Stuffed Chicken Breast Recipe

It’s easy to lose sight of creative ways to prepare chicken breasts. This cream cheese stuffed chicken packs all of the flavor into a pocket in the chicken breasts and helps banish bland chicken breasts from your dinner routine. We’ve got plenty of great vegetable side dishes to serve with stuffed chicken breasts–Roasted Cauliflower, Perfectly Roasted Broccoli, or Roasted Zucchini with Parmesan are all great. If you want to keep exploring our favorite chicken recipes, check out our 60 Best Chicken Breast Recipes.

Ingredients For Baked Stuffed Chicken Breast

• Chicken breasts

• Pantry–Kosher salt, black pepper, extra-virgin olive oil, sun dried tomatoes

• Fresh–spinach, garlic cloves, pesto, store-bought or homemade, fresh parsley

• Dairy–Cream cheese, mozzarella cheese

How To Make Stuffed Chicken Breast With Spinach

1. Preheat the oven to 375° F.

2. Make a pocket to hold the stuffing. Place the chicken on a cutting board. Pat the chicken dry with paper towels. Using a small knife, carefully cut a 3-inch slit into the side of each chicken breast, wiggling the knife back and forth to create as much of a pocket as possible without cutting all the way through the chicken. Season the chicken inside and out with the salt.

3. Make the spinach stuffing. Heat 1 tablespoon of the oil in a cast iron or oven proof skillet over medium heat. Once the oil is glistening, add the spinach and garlic and cook until the spinach is wilted, about 4 minutes. Transfer the spinach mixture to a medium bowl. Stir in the cream cheese, mozzarella, sun-dried tomatoes, and 2 tablespoons of the pesto. Carefully stuff the filling into the pockets of the chicken breasts, dividing evenly.

4. Brown the chicken. Heat the remaining 1 tablespoon of the olive oil in the same skillet over medium heat. Add the chicken and sear until golden brown, 3-4 minutes per side. Transfer the skillet to the oven (or transfer the chicken to a baking dish) and bake for 16 to 18 minutes, until the internal temperature of the chicken reaches 165°F on an instant-read thermometer.

5. Serve. Sprinkle with parsley if using.

How to Store Leftovers + Tips

• Leftovers are good in the fridge for 3-4 days, or up to 3 months in the freezer. We like to reheat in the oven on a low temperature.

• What's the best way to stuff chicken breast? A small knife is best for the job of slicing a pocket into the kitchen. We recommend holding the chicken breast in place with the palm of your hand, paying extra attention to the direction of the blade while slicing.

• A note on cheese: We’re making a cream cheese and mozzarella stuffed chicken breast, for creaminess and moisture. Parmesan and cream cheese would also be a great combo if you don’t have shredded mozz around.

Some Classic Chicken Dinners From The Modern Proper

• Chicken Florentine

• Chicken Paillard

• One Pot Chicken Stuffing Casserole

• Chicken Fettuccine Alfredo

Breakfast, Lunch, Or Dinner, We Got You!

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