This spinach stuffed chicken breast is tender and flavorful from a cream cheese filling with spinach and Parmesan cheese. This comforting dinner is a family favorite and ready in just over 30 minutes!
Stuffed Chicken Breast with Spinach
I’m always looking easy chicken breast recipes for dinner because I love their versatility. The most important thing for me is that the meat stays juicy and this recipe ensures that every mouthful is tender and full of flavor.
This stuffed chicken breast version of my easy oven baked chicken breast is perfect for weeknights or dinner parties! You’ll start by making a cheesy herby filling with three different kinds of cheese and then you’ll add in some spinach and seasoning.
The filling gets stuffed into the chicken which will then be cooked in a skillet until golden perfection similar to parmesan crusted chicken! My mouth is watering just thinking about this recipe!
Other chicken dinner recipes we love include Madeira chicken, chicken Francese and creamy crockpot chicken!
Why This Recipe Works
- Quick and easy. These spinach and cheese stuffed chicken breasts only need about 15 minutes of prep time and 20 minutes of cooking time. That’s it!
- Juicy & tender. The meat is browned in a hot skillet on the stovetop before finishing it off in the oven. This browning not only gives the meat a delicious flavor, but it also helps seal in amazing juices.
- Healthy spinach. Spinach is a great source of iron, vitamins, and minerals. This is a tasty way to enjoy all of those benefits!
- A household favorite. Everyone I’ve served this to has loved it, including the kids, which is a true seal of approval in my eyes! I’m sure you’re going to love it too.
Recipe Ingredients
All it takes is some chicken breasts and a few varieties of cheese and spices to make this spinach and cream cheese stuffed chicken. It’s so easy and ultra creamy and delicious!
See full printable recipe with detailed measurements below.
- Cream cheese: Make sure your cream cheese is soft before you begin mixing. It will make the process so much easier!
- Minced garlic: I prefer to mince garlic for the best flavor. If you’re in a pinch, you can also use minced garlic from a jar.
- Cheese: I used a blend of mozzarella and parmesan, but you can use any cheese that works for you. I recommend using something that melts.
- Italian seasoning: This is an herby blend of things like basil, oregano, thyme, and parsley. You can whip up a homemade blend of Italian seasoning or buy it premade in most spice sections of the grocery store.
- Chicken breasts: Choose boneless and skinless chicken breasts. This recipe makes about 3 – 4 spinach and cream cheese stuffed chicken breasts depending on their size.
How to Make Spinach Stuffed Chicken Breasts
You won’t have to spend a lot of time in the kitchen preparing this easy yet impressive dish, which makes it a winner in my books! It’s perfect for both quick weeknight meals or weekend dinner parties with friends.
- Make stuffing. Stir together the softened cream cheese, garlic, spinach, mozzarella, parmesan, and seasoning. Stir everything well until it’s all combined.
- Cut slits. Use a sharp knife to carefully slice the side of the chicken breast ¾ of the way through the middle to create pockets. Make sure you don’t cut all the way through to the other side.
- Stuff. Spoon the spinach and cream cheese mixture into the pockets and secure with toothpicks inserted horizontally. Season the chicken breasts.
- Cook. Add some color to the cheese stuffed chicken breasts by browning them on the stovetop in a skillet for 3 minutes per side until golden brown then bake them in the oven for 10 minutes. Allow the spinach and cream cheese stuffed chicken breast to rest for 10 minutes before slicing which lets the juices settle back into the meat.
Expert Tips
- Seal the pocket. Be careful not to cut the slit through your chicken breast, but don’t worry if your knife goes a little too far. You can seal it up by using toothpicks to prevent all of your stuffing from leaking out of your finished cheese stuffed chicken breast.
- Cover with foil. If the outside of the stuffed chicken breast is browning too quickly in the oven, cover it with some foil to prevent over-browning.
- Extra spinach stuffing. You can use any extra stuffing as a delicious veggie dip!
- Save time. The stuffing is super easy to whip up, but if you find yourself short on time, you can substitute with a store-bought spinach dip or use leftovers of baked spinach artichoke dip or this easy creamed spinach.
Recipe FAQs
Absolutely! Just make sure to use a melting cheese in place of the mozzarella cheese. Cheddar or gruyere would be good options! Parmesan cheese can be left out or used with any other type you decide on.
I recommend using fresh spinach if you can, but if you only have frozen then go ahead and use it. Make sure to defrost it first and squeeze as much water as you can out of it before mixing it with the other filling ingredients.
Make sure you cut the slit three-quarters of the way through the breast (being careful not to cut it all the way through) to create a large enough pocket for the filling.
If the stuffing seems to be overflowing, I like to seal the cheese stuffed chicken breast with toothpicks to help enclose it inside of the breast meat.
You never want to eat undercooked chicken, so it’s important to make sure that it’s cooked to the right temperature. The chicken is fully cooked once the thickest part of the chicken reaches an internal temperature of 165°F.
The best way to test the temperature is with a meat thermometer. Insert the thermometer through the thickest part of the meat to get the best reading.
To round the meal out, we love to serve this with some creamy mashed potatoes and garlicky steamed veggies, parmesan roasted broccoli or green beans. Or, keep it low carb with cauliflower rice!
Storing + Reheating
This chicken recipe tastes the best when you eat it on the first day as it can sometimes be a bit tricky to reheat, but you can definitely store it.
Place your leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
To reheat the cheese stuffed chicken breast, place it on a baking sheet and cover with foil, then warm it in the oven for 10 minutes at 325°F.
Looking for more chicken recipes? Try baked chicken parmesan, one pot chicken parmesan pasta or chicken alfredo.
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Spinach Stuffed Chicken Breast
Video
Ingredients
Cream Cheese Filling
- 4 ounces cream cheese
- 3 cloves garlic , minced
- ¾ cup chopped baby spinach , about 2 cups before chopped
- ¼ cup mozzarella cheese
- 3 Tablespoons parmesan cheese
- 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
Chicken
- 2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts (3-4 breasts)
- 1 teaspoon Kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon smoked paprika
- ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper , plus more to taste
- 2-3 Tablespoons avocado oil , or olive oil
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 425°F.
- In a large bowl, stir together the cream cheese, garlic, spinach, mozzarella, parmesan, Italian seasoning and 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt until combined.
- Trim the chicken of any excess fat and pound the top if it is too thick (don't pound less than 1/2-inch). Cut a slit 3/4 the way through the middle of the chicken (being careful not to cut all the way through). Then stuff the chicken with the spinach mixture. Secure with toothpicks (placing in horizontally if possible).
- In a small bowl, whisk together the salt, garlic powder, paprika, and pepper. Rub evenly over both sides of the chicken.
- In a large, heavy-bottomed iron skillet, heat olive oil over medium heat. Add chicken and sear 3 minutes per side, or until golden brown.
- Transfer skillet to oven. Bake 10 minutes, or until a thermometer inserted into the middle of the chicken reads 165˚F.
- Remove from the oven and let rest 5 to 10 minutes before slicing to allow the juices to absorb. Do not skip this step or your chicken will not be as juicy.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition provided is an estimate. It will vary based on specific ingredients used.
Did you make this recipe? Don’t forget to give it a star rating below!
Categorized as: 30 Minute Meals, 30 Minute Meals, American, Chicken, Dinner, Gluten-Free, Low Carb, Nut-Free
Jamielyn Nye is the founder and recipe creator at I Heart Naptime. She is the author of the I Heart Naptime Cookbook and shares easy family-friendly recipes and desserts for every occasion.
I need to add a bit more salt to the chicken, otherwise it was pretty darn good and filling. Also I ground the chicken so mine came out looking like extra large Chicken eggs. 🥚🙂
Sounds delicious! Glad you enjoyed!
This recipe is sinfully delicious while still healthy and low calorie! Will definitely be making again!
So glad you enjoyed the stuffed chicken breast!
Question: when you say “1 tsp. kosher salt, divided” in the chicken section of the printed recipe, does that mean 1 full tsp of kosher salt for the chicken seasoning, or does it mean 1/2 tsp kosher salt for the stuffing (as listed) and then the remaining 1/2 tsp kosher salt mixed in with the garlic powder, paprika, and black pepper for the chicken seasoning? Thanks in advance for any clarification you can provide.
That is kind of confusing. Just go ahead and add the 1/2 tsp salt to the cream cheese mixture and 1 tsp salt to the seasoning for the chicken itself. Hope that helps, Mindy!
This stuffed chicken recipe is amazing. It is very easy to make comes together in minutes and is so flavorful! The spinach cream cheese stuffing is so good too!
This chicken has been a major win in our house! So delicious!! The first time I made it, I used frozen spinach and didn’t squeeze all the liquid from it, so it was a little runny. Thanks for posting!
Glad to hear it was a hit! :)
This is really easy to follow, loved this stuffed chicken breast recipe! It’s really tasty and very flavorful! Will surely have this again! Highly recommended! Great recipe!
So happy to hear you enjoyed the recipe, Allyssa :)