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
Do you think that this recipe would work if the chicken was wrapped in puff pastry i.e. en croute, and then cooked in the oven for 30 mins? Happy New Year from Australia.
Hi Sue! To be honest, I don’t know how that would turn out. I’ve never tested anything like it. Happy new year!
Can this be dine in an air fryer? Will it still be as juicy as when cooking in an oven?
Hi Meghna, I haven’t tried this in an air fryer, but here’s what one of my readers wrote: “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 hope this help.
After lightly browning the chicken breasts, could I then throw them into a slow cooker with chicken broth to finish cooking?
Hi Andy! I think that can work. Add just enough broth to cover the bottom by about ¼ inch — you don’t want them submerged. You may need to secure the breasts with toothpicks or kitchen twine so the filling doesn’t spill out.
Invited friends for this recipe. They all loved it!!
I’m so glad you all enjoyed it
A new family favorite!! It’s sooo good and pretty simple. I have substituted the spinach for sun dried tomatoes too and it was still just as delicious!!
Thank you so much for sharing, Christine! I’m glad to know you found a new family favorite.
It is so delicious I’m making it for New Year’s Eve dinner
That’s so great! Happy New Year!
This was delicious and easy to make. I had a bag of spinach I needed to use as well as the chicken breasts.
I had a similar recipe for stuffed pork chops but you have to cook down the spinach before stuffing.
I will definitely be making this again soon.
Bonus that I already had all ingredients on hand and didn’t need to go shopping.
Made my dinner planning and cooking for me and my elderly mother so much easier. Thank you
Hello thank you for your delicious recipe is the seasoning for each piece of chicken or is the seasoning supposed to be used for all three chickens?
Hello! Thr seasoning in the recipe is meant for all three chickens. Hope uyou love it!
We love this!
Hello, can this recipe be frozen and best way to thaw, if yes.
Hi Clori! 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 on how to reheat this.
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!
I’m so happy to hear you & your family loved it, Allison!
What would be a good side dish to go with this?
Lighter side of veggies like roasted asparagus with lemon zest, green beans, or fresh salads. Mashed potatoes and garlic will be great too!
Hi Natasha,
To prep this, can I make the mixture the day before?
Hi Mehr, I have not tried making the mixture ahead to advise, if you happen to try that, please let me know how you like it.
I made the filling a few hours ahead and it was fine.
Ifr I sub basil leaves for the spinach what might be a good proportion of basil leaves to use? Would it work mixing froz squeezed spinach and basil?
Hi Heather! Basil is quite strong, replacing it entirely with basil will overpower the dish. Mixing some fresh Basil with the spinach would work. I would start with a little and add more to taste.
I made this tonight for dinner and it was delicious. Easy to follow instructions
off the charts delicious! Can you recommend a side?
Hi Dorothy! It’s excellent with mashed potatoes, veggies, salad, etc.
Can I use gruyere or swiss cheese instead of mozzarella. What are the differences.
Hi Linda. Taste and texture are different, but feel free to experiment with other cheeses.
Is there an alternative to using a skillet if I don’t have one?
Hi Megan! A heavy bottom oven safe pan will work too.
DELICIOUS! I also added sundried tomatoes. Yum!!
I’m so happy you enjoyed that. Thank you for sharing that with us, Dorothy!
Natasha, what kind of side dish would you serve with this?
Hi there! There are different side dishes that you can pair this with like roasted veggies, mashed potatoes, rice and so much more!
Natasha 🙂 Thanking You for this Delicious recipe. You are Great.
You’re so very welcome!