Spinach Stuffed Chicken Breast is a juicy, cheesy chicken dinner that feels fancy but is easy enough for a weeknight. Tender chicken breasts are filled with a creamy spinach, mozzarella, parmesan, and cream cheese, then seared and baked until golden on the outside and melty in the center.
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Spinach Stuffed Chicken Breast Video
This is one of those 30-minute chicken dinners that looks impressive without being complicated. Serve it with mashed potatoes, rice, pasta, or a simple salad for a complete meal.
Helpful Reader Review
“Utterly delicious! Super easy to make yet tastes just like something you would get at a restaurant. My whole family gobbled it up. Will be making this again and again!” – Allison ★★★★★
Why You’ll Love This Stuffed Chicken Breast
My brother-in-law Vitalik shared this spinach chicken idea with my husband, and we couldn’t wait to recreate it. It was love at first bite. The creamy spinach and cheese filling melts into the chicken as it bakes, keeping every bite juicy and flavorful.
This recipe feels special enough for company, but it’s simple enough for a weeknight dinner. You’ll sear the chicken first for great flavor, then finish it in the oven so the center cooks through without drying out.
Ingredients for Stuffed Chicken Breast
The key to making great stuffed chicken breasts is to use even-sized pieces so they all finish baking at the same time.
- Chicken Breast – I use 3 large, boneless, skinless chicken breasts totaling about 1 3/4 to 2 lbs. Chicken thighs are harder to seal and take a little more trimming, but they can work. Follow the method from my Stuffed Chicken Thighs Recipe.
- 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
- Garlic – adding fresh garlic cloves to the filling is a must. We use a garlic press for this.
- Mayonnaise – makes the filling extra creamy, so it melts smoothly.
- Spinach – freshly chopped spinach works great, but you can also use frozen spinach if it’s thawed and squeezed dry.
- Cheese – the combination of mozzarella and parmesan adds the perfect balance of saltiness and melty cheesiness.
How to Make Stuffed Chicken Breast
Be sure to use an oven-safe saute pan to sear the stuffed chicken breast so you can then finish it in the oven.
- Make Filling – use a fork to mash together cream cheese, mayo, minced garlic, and salt, and then mash in chopped spinach, shredded mozzarella, and parmesan.
- Cut slits in chicken – lay the chicken breast flat on a cutting board and use a sharp knife to cut a slit about 3/4 of the way into the chicken. If you accidentally cut all the way through, just use a toothpick to close both sides.
- Stuff chicken – fill each chicken breast with 1/3 of the stuffing mixture, and then seal the pocket with toothpicks.
- Sear chicken – heat a large 10″ oven-safe pan over medium heat. Add 1 1/2 Tbsp olive oil and saute stuffed chicken breast 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 into the thickest part of the chicken registers 165˚F. Don’t worry if some filling escapes, just spoon the pan drippings over the chicken to serve.
Tips for the Best Stuffed Chicken Breast
- Use even-sized chicken breasts – They will cook more evenly and finish at the same time.
- Don’t cut all the way through – Cut a deep pocket, about 3/4 of the way through the chicken, so the filling stays tucked inside.
- Secure with toothpicks – This helps hold the filling in place while the chicken sears and bakes.
- Use an instant-read thermometer – Chicken breast is done when the thickest part reaches 165°F.
What to Serve with Stuffed Chicken Breast
This stuffed chicken breast is rich and creamy, so it pairs well with these simple sides.
- Creamy Mashed Potatoes
- Buttered Homemade Pasta
- Roasted Asparagus
- Focaccia or Dinner Rolls
- Caesar Salad
- Roasted Broccoli
This cheesy stuffed chicken breast is one of those recipes that looks impressive but is very doable. The creamy spinach filling keeps the chicken juicy, and the pan drippings make it even better. Don’t forget to remove the toothpicks before serving.
Stuffed Chicken Breast
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 with a garlic press, or minced
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1 1/2 cups baby spinach leaves, chopped
- 1/4 cup mozzarella cheese
- 1/4 cup parmesan cheese
Instructions
- Make filling – 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.
- Cut slits in chicken – Lay chicken on a flat surface and with a sharp knife, 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 lie flat on the sides for searing.
- Stuff chicken – 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.
- Sear chicken – Heat 1 1/2 Tbsp olive oil in an oven-proof pan such as cast iron, or a large heavy-bottomed skillet over medium heat. Add chicken and sauté for 4 minutes per side until golden brown on each side.
- Bake – Flip a second time and immediately transfer skillet to preheated oven. Bake at 425˚F for 10-15 minutes until an instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the chicken registers at 165˚F. Rest the chicken 5 minutes before slicing. Remove the toothpicks and spoon the pan juices over the chicken to serve.
Notes
- Make-Ahead: You can stuff the chicken breasts a few hours ahead, cover, and refrigerate until ready to cook. Let them sit at room temperature for about 15 minutes before searing so they cook more evenly.
- Refrigerate: Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3 to 4 days.
- Reheat: Warm in a covered skillet over low heat or in the oven until heated through. Avoid overheating, or the chicken can dry out.
- Freeze: I don’t love freezing this one because the creamy filling can change texture after thawing.
Nutrition Per Serving
Filed Under
More Chicken Dinner Recipes
If you love this stuffed chicken breast recipe, try these easy chicken dinner ideas next:
- Stuffed Chicken Parmesan
- Easy Chicken Kiev
- Chicken Pesto Roll-Ups
- Lemon Chicken
- Spatchcock Chicken
- Instant Pot Whole Chicken
- Classic Chicken Parmesan
- Air Fryer Chicken Wings
- Chicken Enchiladas
- Honey Glazed Chicken Breast
Hi there! My son is allergic to eggs, is there a substitute for the Mayo or should I leave it out completely? Thank you, we LOVE so many of your recipes!
Hi Diana, I haven’t tried any substitution to advise. One of our readers shared this “I made this when I was tired and had to double recipe for family. I forgot the mayo but still came out great. I added extra parm and stuffing on top” Hope that helps.
Looks delicious and I’ll be trying this tonight. Can I substitute broccoli for the spinach?
Hi Sharilyn, we prefer this with spinach, but broccoli will work. I hope you love it!
got chicken breasts on sale at Costco doubled the recipe, put a little more spinach and stuffed 7 large breasts kept 2 out and froze the rest. Did exactly what you said only I added a bit of cream to the pan drippings and made a gravy. Froze well, my only comment is make sure you defrost on a deep plate as the filling gets a little watery after it has been frozen, I just dumped the liquid in the fry pan just before putting it in the oven and all was good!
Thank you for sharing, Sherry!
I made this stuffed chicken recipe last night and I agree with your husband, it was excellent and I would love to be served this chicken at a restaurant or just make it at home myself! Soooo good!!!
So glad to hear that!
I made this tonight for my husband and I! We absolutely loved it!!
Great to hear that you all loved it!
THANK YOU, Natasha, for providing straightforward, easy recipes for meals to elevate our dining experiences. Waiting for you COOKBOOK! I want to make this stuffed chicken for company ( 8 guests). If I brown it on the stove, can I transfer it to the oven in a big casserole dish to bake? Can I put said casserole dish in a hot oven? My cast iron pan can’t hold this much chicken at one time.
Hi Catherine, if your casserole dish is oven sage, then that may work. If you experiment, let me know how you liked the recipe.
I browned my chicken on the stove and transferred 5 big pieces to my 9×13 pan and the result was perfect. Guests went home with the recipe. They loved it so much.
Yay that’s great feedback! Thans for sharing.
What did you serve with it for your guests? It looks delicious!
Thx
The filling was so easy to make. I didn’t have cream cheese (someone forgot to put it on the grocery list 🤔) but I did have Boursin cheese. I didn’t add any spices to the filling and the result was delicious. Again, another Natasha success for me.
Hi Lynn! I’m so glad it was another hit! Thank you for sharing.
Thank you Natasha for an amazing recipe and easy to follow instructions/video! My family couldn’t believe I made this dish because it was so DELICIOUS!!! In our top 3!!!
That’s wonderful, Erika! I’m so glad it was a hit.
Hello I was just wondering if I can also make this with out putting it in the oven?
I don’t recommend skipping the oven but you can experiment with it. You need to cook the chicken through until it reaches 165 degrees internally.
My husband loved it! (I’m not a huge fan of chicken breast), but I thought it was really good, the filling was perfectly balanced. The package I got came with 2 large chicken breasts, it was just too much meat for me. I think 3 medium ones would be better. I served with risotto and thought that went together perfectly. I highly recommend rice or risotto with this dish. Thank you for the recipe! Pictures and video are very helpful.
I’m so glad he loved it and that the video is helpful! Thank you for your great review, Al!
Thank you for an amazing juicy chicken entree recipe! My husband cannot eat spinach so I substituted baby kale. I have made this many times!
Hi Deb! You’re very welcome. I’m so glad you are enjoying the recipe!
Made this tonight for dinner. It didn’t disappoint. It’s very rich but very tasty. We had it with steamed spinach, green beans and roasted potatoes. Yummy!
Hi Janice! That’s great to hear. So glad it was enjoyed!
Instead of adding the chicken to the over and I put it in the air fry?
Hi Katherine, I haven’t tried this in an air fryer, but here’s what one of my readers wrote, I hope it’s helpful: “Prepared half recipe and it was delicious. Wrapped bacon around chicken and secured with toothpicks. Used Air Fryer. Preheated 3 minutes at 400 F and cooked for 15 minutes, flipping once. Perfect.
I have made this recipe several times now. Hard to improve on this one. This time I used butcher’s twine to seal the chicken breast. 3 times around and it worked like magic. The cheese stuffing is so delicious, next time I am going to double the recipe and warm the extra in a saucepan and put some on the plate with the chicken. Hope it works! Yum
Sounds great, Charleen!
I will be making this for dinner tonight, but I will be wrapping the chicken breasts in bacon, you know, to reduce the spillage of filling.
Sounds amazing, Charles! Thank you for sharing. I hope you love it.
Okay, so I am literally twelve years old, and I have made this for my family about six-million times. It is easy, fast, good, and delicious! Awesome job!
Hi Ciara! That’s amazing. I’m so glad your family loves the recipes!
And it makes it soooo tasty. My granddaughter happened to make these last night and I’m hooked. I’ll be trying it this week.
That’s just awesome! Thank you for sharing your wonderful review, Linda!
This recipe instantly went on rotation when I made it for dinner one night. Though I haven’t made it perfect every time, it didn’t matter cause it tasted amazing! I usually pair it with some pan fried potatoes and some sort of vegetable, like Broccoli, or Asparagus. Tonight we’re having it with some brussels sprouts. I’ve even done a variation where I turned the filling into a sauce and tossed chicken and pasta. Perfect recipe Natasha, keep up the excellent work!
Thank you, so glad that you loved it!
This was fabulous. So easy although I made it in steps. Filling in morning, refrigerated. Afternoon stuffed and fridged then cooked right before we wanted dinner. Husband loved it. Served with mashed potatoes and salad.
Thank you for another delicious dinner.
That’s great, Diane! Thank you for sharing with us. 🙂
Looks wonderful but 3 pieces won’t help me much. We are 2 people so I’d want 4 pieces. How much would I have to enlarge the stuffing for four?
Hi Judy! The recipe calls for 3 large chicken breasts that can weigh between 1.75lbs- 2lbs. That is enough to serve 6 people. If you wanted to increase the recipe to 4 large chicken breasts, you can increase the serving size at the top of the recipe card to 8 people.
This is sooo delicious!!! Thank u so much natasha for sharing this recipe..my husband and i love this soo much..i dont have an oven safe skillet so what i did was i transferred the chicken and the sauce to my baking pan and it was still baked beautifully…i was hesitant though but it all turned out perfect. This will surely be on our list in prepping food for our guest at home 🙂
That’s great, Joy! I’m so glad you liked the recipe, thank you for sharing your experience. 🙂