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
Loved your recipe and made it the other day. I made 2 substitutions. Instead of only spinach, i made it with a 50/50 blend of spinach and arugula (love the peppery taste) and used 1/3 lower fat cream cheese. It came out heavenly. I love your recipes and watching your videos
Nice to know that worked out great! Thanks for sharing that with us, Peter.
So easy to make and VERY delicious!
Thank you for your great feedback, Trish!
Amazing! Hubby loved it!
So glad to hear that he loved it! I hope you’ll both love every recipe that you will try.
Super easy! Carb friendly. The garlic is just the right touch to this recipe. Definitely something I too would order in a restaurant.
I’m so happy you enjoyed this Kathy!
Made this tonight, had large chicken breasts I seared them for 5-6 min on both sides and into the oven at 425 for 15 min. I was surprised that they were done because they were huge. I made the smashed potatoes for a side. My daughter said the meal was restaurant quality. Husband gave thumbs up and taking leftovers for lunch. Great recipe as usual.
Wow, that’s very heartwarming! So great to know that your family loved this recipe. I hope you and your fam will love all the recipes that you will try!
Hi Natasha, you do add salt in the filling, right? it’s in the ingredients, but not in the steps, so thought I’d ask. Thanks! Can’t wait to make it and try it, will let you know how it turns out.
Hi Elean, we Season the outside of the chicken breast all over with 3/4 tsp salt, listed in step 3. The 1/4 tsp salt is mixed into the filling. Please see this section in the recipe “How to Make Spinach Stuffed Chicken Breast.” — “Make Filling”
Amazing recipe! Husband thought is was in the top 10! Can’t wait to make again.
Wow, thanks for the compliment, Cindi!
Wow This looks so good! Just for a little extra goodness, soak the chicken breasts in buttermilk for 4 hours first. You will love it!
That’s a good suggestion, thanks for sharing that with us, Carol!
Hi Natasha
I made this for our dinner tonight and it was a big hit! Thank you for all your wonderful recipes.
That’s so great Susan! Thank you so much for sharing that with me.
So yum! My family loved this and it was so easy to make. Definately will make again.
Great to hear that, Michaela! Thank you for your good comments and review.
This looks amazing, Natasha! What do you serve with the chicken?
Thanks!
Hi Cheryl, there are a lot of options it just depends on your preference but it’s good with different types of pasta, veggies, potatoes and so much more.
I made this recipe last night for dinner after seeing it on Instagram. It was a hit, smelled great while it was cooking too. The chicken was juicy and flavorful. I will make this again!
I’mm glad you loved the result, Kim! Thank you for sharing your great experience making this recipe
I made this recipe and my family loved it! They said it tasted like a dish you would get at a high-end restaurant.
Wow! Sounds like you executed it perfectly and you have a new favorite! That’s so great!
Thank you it looks delicious I am going to try it for my family 😋
I hope they all love this recipe!
Your stuffed spinach chicken was a huge hit! Followed most of your recipe except added some ricotta cheese into the mix. I also bought some powdered cumin today so I added it to the chicken with the paprika and spices!Needed extra toothpicks to keep breast together! Amazing flavor to palate!
I’m so glad to hear that, Jeff! Thank you so much for sharing that with me.
This is absolutely delicious! Thank you Natasha for sharing this recipe, me and my husband truly loved it, in fact, he wanted me to make it again so we could bring to my Mom-in-law on Mother’s Day.
That’s just awesome! It sounds like you have a new favorite!
The recipe looks good,what side dish would you suggest with this
Hi Sharon, you can try it with rice or potatoes. Salads work great as well.
здравствуйет Наташа.
We made this last evening for supper, and once again, they were a huge hit. The only deviation from your recipe was that we used grape seed oil instead of olive oil. Everything else was pure Наташа.
Yum! Thank you so much for sharing that with me. I’m so happy you enjoyed that.
Hi Natasha!
Love this recipe, it was a hit.
Do you have any suggestions for what to do with some left over filling? I made two breasts instead of three and couldn’t toss the delicious filling, I’m hoping to use it for something else.
PS, I am a huge fan of you and your cooking! I look forward to all of your new videos and posts.
Hi Melissa, you could always add it to the pan and just have more pan juices or warm it in a small saucepan and have a very tasty spinach chip dip.
Just made these, couldn’t wait to write a review. There are no words, just DELICIOUS! The only problem I had was cutting the slits and with the toothpicks. But its probably just because this was the first time I ever made stuffed chicken breast. They still turned out wonderful!! Im making this again just as soon as I get some more chicken breast!!
Hi Charity, so awesome to hear that you loved this recipe! It will get better as you practice that’s for sure. Thanks for sharing your great review with us.
can you made cordon bleu please it will be so nice from you as always
Hi Jana, I don’t have a recipe for that yet but thanks for the idea and suggestion! I”ll try to add that to our list.