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
My husband loved this so much I made it two nights in a row! Next time I want to try adding diced up artichoke hearts to the mix as well. 🙂
Sounds great! I’m glad you both enjoyed this.
Natasha, you are like a breath of fresh air amongst all the cooks out there! You are genuine and fun. I feel like I’m sitting with my girlfriend in her kitchen as she cooks! Thank you for the delicious recipes😁
Thank you for that wonderful compliment, Nancy! 🙂 I’m so glad you’re enjoying my recipes and videos!
Natasha, you are my go to Chef…. I think you are fabulous…Where can I get you cookbook?
Thank you, Maria! I appreciate your love and support. I am still working on my cookbook, it will be ready by the fall of next year.
I can’t wait to try this recipe. I have an induction stovetop so I do not have a pan that I can use on the stove that can also be put into the oven. Suggestions?
Hi Anita! If you have an oven-safe dish, like a casserole dish, you can transfer the chicken to that and put it in the oven.
I made this last night and it was the best meal I have had in a while. Thank you for sharing. I already shared it with all of my friends and I am encouraging them to try it too. I can’t wait to have this again. I did notice that for the salt for the filling is not mentioned in the instructions. I did add it to the filling.
Thank you for your feedback, Grant! I’m so glad you enjoyed it!
I finally cooked the stuffed chicken breast tonight for the first time. I thought it was very good. It will definitely be a dish I make again. Thanks for sharing your delicious recipes with us Natasha.. They are fantastic…
Hi Crystal great to know that you loved this recipe! Thank you for the review, we appreciate it.
Made this for dinner tonight and it was absolutely delicious! I didn’t get my pockets cut very evenly so some parts of the chicken were thicker than others. I baked it for 20 minutes after putting it in the oven and it came out perfectly done. There was a little more stuffing left over after I filled the chicken so I just spooned that into the pan when I put it into the oven and it was great for spooning over the finished chicken. My kids gobbled it right up which is high praise! Will make it again soon!!
That’s wonderful! So glad your family enjoyed this meal. Thank you for sharing, Chandra.
This was amazing!
Tips…
-go heavy with seasoning
-add sun dried tomato
-maybe bacon too
Great tips! Thank you so much for sharing!
Firstly, thank you for sharing, this sounds delicious! However, I’m a busy mom and I like meal prepping for busy weeknights, is this a recipe I could prepare, freeze, and then bake without running into any problems?
Thank you (:
Hi Rebeca! 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.
I rarely comment on recipes but this one truly deserves it! My entire family loves it and my kids request it at least once a week. I’ve made it so often that I now have it memorized. Every one of your recipes that I’ve tried have been amazing; thank you so much for sharing!
That is the best when the family loves what we moms make. That’s so great! Thank you for sharing your awesome review with me, Nikki!
Thank you SO much. I made this for the first time for relatives who were sick with covid. It really was a blessing. They loved it.
I’m glad to hear that they enjoyed it! I hope they will get well soon. Prayers for your family.
I’ll come back to review recipe tomorrow after we eat it.
You wrote stuff each breast with 1/4 of mixture. There are 3 breasts. Should it be 1/3 or do I use the remainder as a topping?
Hi Suzanne, you are absolutely correct, I made a typo and have corrected it. It should read 1/3 of the mixture since there are 3 chicken breasts. Thank you for pointing that out.
I am fixing your delicious spinach and cheese stuffed chicken. How do I reheat and not dry out dish?
Hi Anne, I recommend using the “How to Reheat Stuffed Chicken” instructions in the post.
I plan to make the stuffed chicken tonight ant suggestions for a side dish?
Hello Mary, how about some pasta, rice, potatoes or salad?
I’ve made this dish before and it’s delicious . Could I start this one day saute’ chicken and finish next day in oven?
Hi Anne, I haven’t tried making ahead that way, but I would be concerned about leaving the chicken not fully cooked through and then cooling it down and reheating it. If not cooking it within an hour or so, it might be safer to finish the dish and then reheat it using the “How to Reheat Stuffed Chicken” instructions in the post.
I made the Stuffed spinach recipe. It was easy to follow and came out delicious (according to my family). This was the first of your recipes I make and I will be making more.
Thank you for the good comments and feedback, Ramon. I hope your family will love all the recipes that you will try for them.
Added water chestnuts for crunch. This is amazing! Very tasty and filling. Will make it again.
Sounds delicious!
I made this last week. So good and easy. All the goodness inside stayed there. Will be making this again soon.
I’m glad you enjoyed this recipe, Bev. Thank you for the review.
I have to tell you, this recipe is absolutely delicious! The ONLY thing I changed was to add a little water to the skillet before I put it in the oven so I’d have more sauce. Winner, winner…..
Thank you so much for the great feedback, Randi, We appreciate it!
We are a family of seven, including twin boys who play high school football. This is their favorite dish, and beg me to make it all the time. Thank you for this recipe and all of them! My cooking has greatly improved using your recipes!
You’re welcome and I am happy to hear that, Julie! Keep up the excellent work.
Hi Natasha – I never enjoyed cooking and wasn’t very good at it until I started following you. Thank you. You make it fun and uncomplicated. My husband says thank you also because I’m cooking a lot more and a lot better. Love your videos.
Aww, that’s the best! Thank you so much for sharing that with me. I’m all smiles
Made this today with rave reviews! I love that I can make your recipes with confidence, knowing they will always be a hit! Thank you!
You’re so welcome, Wendy! I hope you’ll love all the recipes that you will try.