Creamy and cheesy Spinach Stuffed Chicken is so juicy and tasty. Searing on the stove then finishing it off in the oven ensures it is perfectly cooked in the center. Watch the video tutorial and see how easy it is.
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Spinach Stuffed Chicken Video
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Why You Will Love Stuffed Chicken Breast
We love stuffed chicken breast recipes from Stuffed Chicken Parmesan to Easy Chicken Kiev, and let’s not forget Chicken Pesto Roll-Ups. If you are looking for new chicken dinner ideas, this Spinach Stuffed Chicken is a must-try!
My brother-in-law Vitalik shared this Spinach Chicken with my husband and we lost no time in recreating the dish. Tender chicken stuffed with cream cheese, mozzarella, parmesan, and fresh chopped spinach. It was love at first bite! The filling becomes super creamy and cheesy in the oven and it keeps the chicken breast really juicy.
Ingredients for Stuffed Chicken
The key to making great stuffed chicken breasts is to use even-sized pieces. This way they all finish baking at the same time.
- Chicken Breast – we use 3 large, boneless, skinless chicken breasts totaling about 1 3/4 to 2 lbs.
- Seasoning – salt, black pepper, garlic powder, and paprika to season the outside of the chicken.
- Cream Cheese – use 4 oz of cold block-style cream cheese
- Mayonnaise – makes the filling extra creamy so it melts easier without curdling. Mayo makes many things better!
- Garlic – adding fresh garlic cloves to the filling is a must. We use a garlic press for this.
- Spinach – freshly chopped spinach works great. See our notes below on substituting with frozen.
- Cheese – the combination of mozzarella and parmesan adds the perfect balance of saltiness and melty cheesiness.
How to Make Spinach Stuffed Chicken Breast
- Make Filling – use a fork to mash together cream cheese, mayo, minced garlic, and salt. Mash in chopped spinach, shredded mozzarella, and parmesan.
- Cut slits in chicken – lay chicken breast flat and use a sharp knife to cut a slit about 3/4 of the way into the chicken.
- Stuff chicken – fill each chicken breast with 1/3 of the mixture then seal edges with toothpicks.
- Sear chicken – heat a large 10″ oven-safe pan over medium heat. Add 1 1/2 Tbsp olive oil and saute chicken 4 minutes per side until browned.
- Bake – transfer your hot skillet to the preheated oven at 425˚F for about 10-15 minutes (depending on chicken thickness), or until a thermometer inserted in the deepest part of your chicken registers 165˚F.
Pro Tip: Make sure you don’t cut all the way through the chicken so the filling is less likely to leak out. If you do, no problem, just seal the other side with a toothpick.
Common Questions:
Some very large chicken breasts will have a strip of chicken tender meat attached. Remove tenders and use them to make Crispy Chicken Tenders.
Chicken thighs are more difficult to seal and require a little more trimming of fat, but it would work to stuff thighs. Follow the method we used on our Stuffed Chicken Thighs Recipe.
Frozen spinach works if thawed and squeezed dry to remove the excess liquid.
If you cut three chicken breasts in half, you can easily serve 6 people with about 5 oz of chicken each. You can also use 4 small chicken breasts for 4 generous portions, just be sure to reduce the cooking time accordingly with smaller chicken breasts.
Serving Tip: Some of the fillings will escape and turn into tasty pan drippings. Spoon that yummy pan sauce over your chicken when serving.
How to Reheat Stuffed Chicken
Chicken breast is a lean protein so it can be challenging to reheat without it getting tough or having that reheated chicken taste. Stuffed chicken is best served fresh, but it does reheat well. Be sure the chicken reaches 165˚F in the center on a thermometer.
- Oven – this is the preferred method. Preheat oven to 325˚F, cover with foil to prevent drying out, and bake 10-15 minutes until hot.
- Stove-top – place in a lightly oiled skillet over low heat, cover, and saute until hot. Flip chicken at least once.
- Microwave – this is the least desirable method, but if you insist, cut chicken in half so the heat penetrates better. Sprinkle water and any pan juices over your chicken, heat on 50% power, and check at 30-45 second intervals until steaming hot throughout.
Cream cheese and spinach stuffed chicken breast is adventurous and tastes like a restaurant-quality dish, but it’s really easy to prepare. I hope you absolutely love this recipe!
More Chicken Recipes to try
If you love this Stuffed Chicken then you won’t want to miss these easy chicken dinner ideas.
- Lemon Chicken
- Spatchcock Chicken
- Instant Pot Whole Chicken
- Classic Chicken Parmesan
- Air Fryer Chicken Wings
Cheesy Spinach Stuffed Chicken Breasts
Ingredients
For the Chicken Breasts:
- 3 large chicken breasts, boneless, skinless (1 3/4 to 2 lbs, even-sized pieces)
- 3/4 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp black pepper
- 1/2 tsp garlic powder
- 1/2 tsp paprika
- 1 1/2 Tbsp olive oil
For the Filling:
- 4 oz cream cheese, cold
- 1 Tbsp mayonnaise
- 2 garlic cloves, pressed
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1 1/2 cups baby spinach leaves, chopped
- 1/4 cup mozzarella cheese
- 1/4 cup parmesan cheese
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 425˚F with a rack in the center. In a mixing bowl, mash together cream cheese, mayo and garlic with a fork then stir in mozzarella, parmesan and chopped spinach leaves until combined.
- Lay chicken on a flat surface and cut slit 3/4 of the way through without cutting all the way through. Stuff each chicken breast with 1/3 of the mixture and seal horizontally with a toothpick (make sure the chicken breast can lay flat on the sides for searing.
- Season the outside of the chicken breast all over with 3/4 tsp salt, 1/2 tsp pepper, 1/2 tsp garlic powder and 1/2 tsp paprika, or season to taste.
- Heat 1 1/2 Tbsp olive oil in an oven-proof pan such as cast iron, or large heavy-bottomed skillet over medium heat. Add chicken and sauté for 4 minutes per side until golden brown on each side.
- Flip a second time and immediately transfer skillet to preheated oven. Bake at 425˚F for 10-15 minutes until thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the chicken registers at 165˚F. Rest chicken 5 minutes before slicing. Spoon pan juices over chicken to serve.
Delicious!!!!
This recipe came together quickly with ingredients we had on hand. It was delicious! The chicken was moist and flavorful. I served it with broccoli, which we swiped across the plate to pick up all of the cheese goodness. Our teenage son is a picky eater and he took one bite, declared it good, and then devoured his piece. My family asked me to make it again soon. Thanks for sharing this recipe!
That’s wonderful to hear, Kim!
Can I substitute the shredded cheeses for Pepper Jack or an Italian cheese blend? Can I use the Chive and Onion cream cheese in the tub instead of the block?
Hi Tifanee, I haven’t tried those specific substitutions but I imagine they may work. If you experiment, let me know how you liked the recipe.
This looks and sounds amazing and I’m planning to make it this week!
If short on time, can you skip the pan searing and just put the stuffed breasts directly in the oven to bake?
Hi Barbara! I don’t recommend skipping the searing part because it locks in the moisture so they don’t dry out baking and gives them a great flavor from searing.
Hi Natasha: Just love all your recipes. What brand cast iron pan and knife do you use? I want to purchase both.
Hi Harriet, you can find our favorite kitchen tools in our Amazon Affiliate Shop HERE.
This was easy and so good!
I did this yesterday and served it with another your roasted potatoes recipe. Both turned out absolutely phenomenal! Nothing was left at the end of the meal.👍Chicken breast can be tricky to get right, often ending up overbaked, dry and tough, but this recipe nailed it. The meat was incredibly tender and juicy, a testament to the perfect baking time and temperature.
The cream cheese and spinach stuffing was a game-changer. It not only kept the chicken moist but also infused it with a rich, savory flavor that was simply irresistible. The sauce that formed from the cream cheese during baking was an unexpected delight, adding an extra layer of creaminess to every bite.
Served alongside roasted potatoes, this dish became an instant favorite. The contrast of the crispy, golden potatoes with the succulent chicken and creamy sauce was perfect. This recipe is a definite keeper and a must-try for anyone looking to elevate their chicken dinner game. Highly recommended! Thank you Natasha!🙏🤗🥰
Could you cook this to the seared stage and then wait a few days,or freeze it to do the oven baking later?
In other words,might this work for preparing a meal to take to someone for future use?
Btw…I love your recipes…especially shrimp cakes with ailoi! 🙂
Hi Cathy! I’m glad you’re loving the recipes. Per USDA food safety guidelines, partially cooked meat should not be stored and cooked later. This recipe is enjoyed best fresh, but see my note above for reheating options.
I eat keto and because I hate cooking I often don’t have a lot of variation in my diet. But I made this tonight along with some cauliflower fried rice to go with it and oh my gosh! The flavor of this dish is amazing. My grandson and I personally love it!
WONDERFUL! It makes this husband look like a gourmet chef. The filling alone made me want to stuff it in other things! Any suggestions?
Absolutely delicious!!! I have a very picky son and he was hesitant about trying, once he did he loved it!! This is now a dish I serve regularly in my house. Thank you
That’s wonderful, Jenn! Thanks for sharing.
Yummmmmmm! This is so delicious! I like to use the food I cook as a means of making someone feel special and this definitely does it. Thank you! 😊😊
So delish! We totally enjoy this chicken dish, I served the chicken was noodles that I threw in the pan of drippings! Will make this again. My hubby says this was fantastic! Thank you!
Sounds great! It’s good to hear that you enjoyed this recipe!
I’ve made this in the past for my family and it was excellent. I’m planning on making it for Mother’s Day. However, my week is incredibly jammed. Is there any part of this you would recommend that I could make in advance and how far in advance do you think I could make it? I was thinking of making the Phil the day before
Hi Jee! I’m so glad it’s being enjoyed. I think it would be fine to make the filling in advance and maybe even prep and fill the chicken.
Due to food safety, I would not sautéed the chicken until you’re ready to bake it (partially cooked meat should not be refrigerated).
Let us know how it turns out.
Read the recipe, & it looked great.
Made for an “anti-chicken no more than once a week” husband. Spinach lover!
Used 8 chicken tenders, (13 oz.) as I had some thawed & on hand, saved 1/2 of seasoning & 1/2 of filling.
He devoured these! Served with pasta & we both really enjoyed them.
The filling is utterly delicious. The outer seasoning mixture gives the chicken a beautiful color when plated & is not overly salty.
Using tenders, I know they were going to be dryer than breasts would be, so, taking that into consideration, they were still very moist due to the filling & pan browning before baking. Honestly, if I make again, using tenders, I will load them with the filling to create a “sauce” for the pasta. Used 2 toothpicks to hold them together. Less time was needed.
This was scrumptious!
Thank you for sharing, Melody!