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
I have made this several times now and the whole family loves it. I do add some cayenne to the seasoning on the out side of the chicken for extra spice. I also use the Neufchatel cheese and we all agreed it taste better to us. I have also gotten around having to close up the chicken with toothpicks by using thin sliced boneless skinless chicken breast a few times too. I use a casserole dish and line the dish with the chicken then spread a layer of the filling and then top with another layer of thin breasts. I had to make a bigger batch of the filling but we like extra filling so every bit was eaten. I definitely found a winner with your recipe, thank you for sharing it.
Flavor was excellent. Followed recipe regarding cooking method. Filling which melted and should have been a sauce ended up burned on the bottom of the pan. Will make again, but will transfer to baking dish before placing in oven.
Happened to see this afternoon and made it for dinner. It was excellent and will definitely make again! Thank you for yet again another amazing recipe!
I am cooking this tonight. Was wondering if I can make extra as meal prep and frooze it?
Hi Isabel! I haven’t tried freezing this, if you experiment please let us know how it goes. Stuffed chicken is best served fresh, but it does reheat well so if you are interested in that, see recipe notes for instructions above on how to reheat this.
We like chicken thighs so I used 3 of those but could have used 4. I did need to pound them out a bit so make them stretch but that means less cooking time and more toothpicks (about 5 each) since they aren’t a symmetrical shape like breasts. I didn’t butterfly the thighs, just pounded them thinner to make space for the filling. I cut off excess fat the frying bit took about 3 minutes on each side which included the folded part which was about 2 minutes.
I have frozen pre-stuffed chicken before. The cheese will seep & make it soggy. The spinach will as well. The best method I have found is to season fresh chicken, pre slice the pocket, or flatten, whatever you will need it for, mark it clearly for a specific recipe & wrap VERY well.
The filling, no matter what kind, (but I do lots of spinach with cheese) mix ahead, mark the recipe to use it for & freeze in a disc or log shape.
Then when you thaw it, use a fine mesh strainer over a bowl, wrapped well with plastic wrap, in the fridge overnight, thus, straining the extra “juice” into a bowl. I also press gently to extract more.
Hi, I will try this recipe for a dinner with some friends, and I would like to know if I can prepare the chicken few hours in advance
Hi Lucie, I have notes on how you can make it ahead and reheat it under the How to Reheat Stuffed Chicken section of the recipe. I hope this helps.
Delicious recipe! I may try ricotta cheese next time in place of the cream cheese. I had no problem with filling running out. I used four toothpicks per chicken breast. Did almost a sewing running stitch with each toothpick and they held together very well!
My hubby and teens were not terribly crazy about having spinach in the meal. My husband grumbled over and over before I prepared this. But guess who licked their plate clean? Yep. All of them. Your recipes are seriously the best and you’ve transformed my cooking skills. Thank you so very much. 🩷
Yay that’s wonderful! Happy to hear that it was a huge hit!
Hi. Is this meant to be eaten as a meal or served with a side? If it can be served with a side, can you recommend a side dish, please. Thanks.
Hi there, it can be both it depends on your preference. It’s so versatile but if you want to eat it as a side, you can eat them with veggies, pasta or rice.
I served with a package of quinoa and brown rice and it was a hit!
Oh that’s great to hear! Thank you for sharing, Bridget.
Natasha
What do you serve with the chicken ? Pasta ?, vegetables ? Sauce ?
I want to try this recipe very soon, it looks delicious.
Hi Madeleine, everything that you said can be served with this recipe! You can even serve it with rice too!
I found it a bit plain, for taste of my family it requires a bit more of spice.
Hi Alex, feel free to add some more seasoning according to your preference
I always love all of your recipes!! Your recipes are always a go too for new ideas!
It was yummy per usual!!
Thank you, I’m glad you’re enjoying them!
I tried this recipe last night for dinner and it turned out so good! The inside was so tasty and delicious. Safe to say that there were no leftovers. Love your recipes Natasha!
Yay that’s lovely to hear! I’m glad that this recipe was a huge hit.
I made this exactly as written (well I didn’t measure my spices) and it is amazing!! This made for a really delicious, restaurant quality dinner. Saving this to make again and again.
Hi Tiffany! Thank you for the feedback. I’m glad you love it!
Hi. Is the mayo essential for this recipe or can I leave it out?
One of our readers shared that they forgot to add mayo and it was still good.
can you stuff the chicken couple days ahead???and keep refrigerated until ready to use?
Hi Alla. I’m not sure how many days in advance this can be done (for food safety reasons), but some of my readers have prepped this the day before and then refrigerated and cooked it the next day.
This recipe was so easy and really delicious. I will make this again I wish I could post a picture. Thank you
Hi April! I’m so glad you liked it. Thank you for sharing. You can tag me in a picture on Instagram or Facebook if you’d like. #natashaskitchen
I havent tried it yet, but can the parmesan cheese be sustituted for white cheddar cheese?
Hi TT! I think that would be fine. Let us know how it turns out if you experiment.
I made for dinner last night following your recipe, and it did not disappoint. It was so delicious with definitely make again. I did actually use 4 large breasts since I had more filling than for just the three breasts.
5 stars all the way!
That’s just awesome! Thank you for sharing your wonderful review, Bonnie!
Can you please remind me what your favourite cast iron frying pan is. Thank you
Hi Lynn, click on “shop” from the menu above at the top of the page and you can view my Amazon affiliate shop with all my recommended favorites by category.
I should have watched the video first to see the size of the chicken breasts, so mine didn’t look pretty like hers. (Mine were enormous and the stuff leaked out more)
BUT, the flavor is outstanding. My family was very impressed and this will go into my dinner rotation. Tastes like its’ from a restaurant but simple and, honestly, pretty quick. Thanks!
I’m so happy you loved the flavor, Lisa!