This spinach artichoke stuffed chicken breast recipe is loaded with melty cheese and vegetables. It’s an easy one-pan entree you can serve with your favorite sides for a complete meal. Show
Are you a fan of spinach artichoke dip? Instead of enjoying it as an appetizer, I’ve turned the ingredients into a hot and oozy filling to stuff into tender and juicy chicken breast. Just chop up the tender greens and marinated hearts, and mix with three types of cheese. It’s a quick and easy one-pan dish to make any day of the week. The lean meat is seasoned with salt and pepper just to enhance the savory taste. A generous amount of vegetable filling is added to the center to deliver a burst of flavor. It’s seared in a hot pan to develop a flavorful, golden brown crust. Then baking in the oven ensures that the meat is fully cooked and doesn’t dry out. Serve with mashed potatoes, rice, a fresh green salad, or green beans for a hearty meal. Spinach selectionFresh baby spinach is exceptionally tender. I find it easy to grab 3 cups and chop them down fine with a chef’s knife to yield 1 cup. If you have frozen chopped spinach, that’s a great substitute. Just defrost, then squeeze out excess moisture. Measure out 1 cup to add to the recipe. Artichoke selectionI used jarred marinated artichoke hearts to make this recipe easy. They have already been cooked and seasoned with oil, vinegar, and spices so that it’s slightly tangy. It adds a lot of flavor to the filling. Frozen, canned, or fresh artichoke hearts can be used. However, after tasting the filling mixture, you may need to add some additional seasoning or vinegar. Cheese selectionI use three types of cheeses in the filling to enhance the taste and texture. Cream cheese is used as the base. It’s tangy, super rich, and has a hint of sweetness. The stickiness helps to bind all of the ingredients together. Shredded mozzarella is a young cheese with enough moisture to give a nice melty consistency when the filling is heated. The flavor is mild, so I pair it with grated parmesan cheese. This aged variety gives a nutty and salty taste that’s delicious when stuffed in the chicken breast. Make the spinach artichoke fillingMake sure that the cream cheese is softened to about room temperature. Doing so will make it much easier to mix all of the ingredients. Combine the chopped spinach, artichoke hearts, mozzarella, parmesan, minced garlic, sour cream (or plain greek yogurt), salt, and pepper. You want the mixture to be thoroughly mixed for even distribution of the seasonings. If you want to meal prep, you can store the filling for three days in the refrigerator so it can be quickly stuffed the day of serving. Cut down the sideMake a deeper pocketSeason the surfaceStuff the chickenChicken selectionUse boneless skinless chicken breast about 8 to 12 ounces in weight. This size provides a large enough pocket for filling the chicken and delivering hearty portions. If you use larger pieces, closely monitor the bake time and add a few more minutes to ensure the meat thoroughly cooks. Cutting the pocketGrab a sharp paring or utility knife to create a pocket in the chicken breast. Cut a slit on the thickest side, about 4 to 5-inches long. Cut a pocket about 2 to 3-inches deep, keeping the other side intact. Simply season the surface with salt and pepper. Stuff the chickenThe spinach artichoke mixture makes about 2 cups of filling. Use about ½ cup, depending on the size of the pocket. If you have toothpicks, secure the open side and seal the edges to prevent the hot and cheesy filling from oozing out too much. As the chicken cooks, the proteins will shrink, pushing out some of the filling. If you don’t have a toothpick it’s okay. Just scoop any filling back in the pocket before serving or on the top as an extra sauce. How to cook spinach artichoke stuffed chicken breastUse a 12-inch oven-proof pan like a cast iron skillet or wide dutch oven. This allows you to go from searing on the stovetop to going directly into the oven to finish cooking the meat. No extra dishes! The chicken is first cooked in hot olive oil over medium heat. The direct contact with the pan will develop a beautiful golden crust in just 5 minutes. It’s flipped over and cooked for another 3 minutes to kickstart the browning on the bottom. The breast is thick, so to prevent dried chicken, transfer it to an oven set at 375ºF (191ºC) for about 10 to 15 minutes.
Checking for doneness of the stuffed chicken breastThe spinach artichoke filling should be hot, bubbly, and melted. The meat will be opaque and from pink to off-white color. Use an instant-read thermometer to check the top and bottom pieces of the chicken for doneness. Look for an internal temperature of between 160 to 165ºF (71 to 74ºC). The chicken is ready to serve! Check out this easy cream sauce recipe if you want to make a quick sauce to serve with the chicken! Serve this with
FAQHow long to cook spinach artichoke stuffed chicken? The stuffed chicken breast is first cooked on the stovetop over medium heat to create a flavorful crust, which takes about 8 minutes. The chicken is then transferred to the oven at 375 degrees to cook the meat thoroughly. This process takes about 10 to 15 minutes, depending on the thickness—plan for about 20 to 25 minutes of total cook time. Can I use frozen spinach and artichoke hearts? Yes! Make sure to defrost and drain the vegetables before making the filling mixture. The artichoke hearts will need to be roughly chopped before adding. Taste the filling and adjust the seasoning for extra flavor, as the artichoke hearts won’t be marinated. Using fresh artichokesWhen artichokes are in season in the spring and fall, feel free to prepare them freshly. Simply cook the artichokes by boiling or steaming, remove the artichoke heart, and enjoy the leaves with your favorite dipping sauce. You’ll need ¾ cup of chopped hearts for the recipe. If you’d like, you can add some wine, red wine vinegar, or lemon juice to the filling for a hint of tartness. Pin this recipe to save for later Pin This
Nutrition Facts Spinach Artichoke Stuffed Chicken Amount Per Serving Calories 421 Calories from Fat 261 % Daily Value* Fat 29g45% Saturated Fat 14g70% Trans Fat 0.01g Polyunsaturated Fat 1g Monounsaturated Fat 7g Cholesterol 140mg47% Sodium 1487mg62% Potassium 568mg16% Carbohydrates 7g2% Fiber 1g4% Sugar 3g3% Protein 33g66% Vitamin A 1926IU39% Vitamin C 12mg15% Calcium 207mg21% Iron 1mg6% * Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet. Tried this recipe? Tag me on Instagram. I'd love to see how it turns out! Tag @jessica_gavin Filed under: American Baking Chicken Chicken Main Dinner Ideas Gluten Free Healthy Recipes Keto Low Carb Meats Stovetop Published on July 15, 2022 This post may contain affiliate links. Please read my disclosure policy. I'm a culinary school graduate, cookbook author, and a mom who loves croissants! My passion is creating recipes and sharing the science behind cooking to help you gain confidence in the kitchen.
You May Also LikeChicken Main 30 mins How do you prepare chicken breast for stuffing?How to stuff a chicken breast. Place one hand on top of chicken to keep it steady. Insert a sharp knife in the middle of the thickest part. ... . Make a slit about 5cm long. Run the knife into the breast until it's three-quarters of the way through. ... . Fill with stuffing.. How do you butterfly a chicken breast to stuff it?To butterfly a chicken breast, first, start with a sharp knife. Then place your hand on top of the boneless, skinless chicken breast, slice horizontally into the chicken, dividing it half. Stop about a half-inch from the opposite side. When done, you should be able to open up the chicken like a book so it lies flat.
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