Stuffed Chicken Breast with Spinach and Cheese

These stuffed chicken breasts are filled with garlicky spinach, cream cheese and Parmesan, roasted on a bed of peppers and zucchini, then sliced and served with a quick orange and mustard pan sauce. They look impressive but take about 45 minutes, and each serving has about 39 g of protein. The recipe serves 4.

• Serves: 4
• Prep time: 20 minutes
• Cook time: 25 to 30 minutes
• Total time: about 50 minutes

Ingredients

Chicken and filling

• 4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, about 150 g (5 oz) each
• 100 g (3½ cups) baby spinach
• 2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
• 80 g (⅓ cup) cream cheese, softened
• 20 g (¼ cup) finely grated Parmesan
• 1 tablespoon olive oil, plus 1 teaspoon for the filling
• ½ teaspoon salt and black pepper
• Cocktail sticks or kitchen string

Vegetables

• 1 red bell pepper (about 200 g), sliced
• 1 medium zucchini (about 200 g), sliced
• 2 teaspoons olive oil

Orange and mustard sauce

• 120 ml (½ cup) fresh orange juice
• 2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
• 10 g (2 teaspoons) butter

Method

1. Heat the oven to 200°C (400°F), or 180°C (350°F) for a fan oven.
2. Make the filling: heat 1 teaspoon of oil in a frying pan, add the garlic for 30 seconds, then the spinach. Stir until wilted, about 2 minutes. Tip into a sieve and press out as much liquid as you can. Let it cool slightly, chop it, and mix with the cream cheese and Parmesan.
3. Lay a chicken breast flat and, holding a sharp knife parallel to the board, cut a deep pocket along the thick side without cutting all the way through. Repeat with the others.
4. Spoon a quarter of the filling into each pocket and close it with cocktail sticks. Season the outside with salt and pepper.
5. Toss the pepper and zucchini with 2 teaspoons of oil in a roasting tin and spread them out.
6. Heat 1 tablespoon of oil in the frying pan over medium-high heat and brown the chicken for 2 minutes on each side.
7. Put the chicken on top of the vegetables and roast for 20 to 25 minutes, until cooked through. The thickest part of the chicken, not the filling, should reach 74°C (165°F), the safe temperature for poultry in the USDA’s chart. Without a thermometer, cut into the thickest part to check there’s no pink.
8. While the chicken roasts, add the orange juice and mustard to the frying pan, scraping up any browned bits, and simmer for 3 to 4 minutes until slightly thickened. Take off the heat and stir in the butter.
9. Rest the chicken for 5 minutes, remove the cocktail sticks, and slice each breast into thick rounds.
10. Serve on the roasted vegetables with the sauce spooned over.

Tips

• Squeeze the spinach dry. Wet spinach makes the filling watery and leaks out.
• Even out the thickness. If one end is thin, fold it under or flatten the thick end gently with a rolling pin so the breast cooks evenly.
• Don’t overfill. A little less filling keeps the pocket closed.
• Rest before slicing, so the juices settle and the slices hold their shape.
• Handle raw chicken safely. Don’t wash it, and wash your hands, board and knife after preparing it.

Swaps and variations

• Cheese: use ricotta, goat cheese or feta instead of cream cheese.
• Mediterranean: add chopped sun-dried tomatoes and basil to the filling.
• Mushroom: cook 100 g of finely chopped mushrooms with the garlic and use instead of half the spinach.
• Roulade: flatten the breasts between baking paper to about 1 cm thick, spread with filling, roll up and tie with string. Roast for about 25 minutes.
• Lower carb: skip the orange sauce and serve with a squeeze of lemon and the pan juices.
• More vegetables: add cherry tomatoes and red onion to the tin.

Nutrition per serving (estimate)

One serving is one stuffed chicken breast with a quarter of the vegetables and sauce. These figures were calculated from USDA FoodData Central values for raw skinless chicken breast, spinach, cream cheese, Parmesan, garlic, olive oil, salt, orange juice, Dijon mustard, butter, red pepper and zucchini.

Chicken breast is one of the leanest protein foods, and most of the saturated fat here comes from the cream cheese, Parmesan and butter. Using a light cream cheese or ricotta lowers it. The orange juice adds most of the sugars, about 3 g per serving. Our guide to building a balanced meal shows how to round this out with a starchy side.

Contains: milk (cream cheese, Parmesan, butter) and mustard.

Storage and reheating

Cool leftovers quickly, cover and refrigerate within 2 hours. Eat within 3 to 4 days, as the USDA advises, and reheat until steaming hot all the way through. Cold slices are good in salads and wraps.

What to serve with it

• New potatoes, brown rice or our mushroom rice pilaf.
• Steamed green beans or broccoli.
• A green salad with a lemon dressing.

For another easy chicken dinner, try our sheet pan chicken and potatoes.

Common questions

Can I make stuffed chicken ahead?

Yes. Fill the breasts, cover them and keep them in the fridge for up to a day before cooking. Add a few minutes to the roasting time if they’re cold from the fridge.

Can I use chicken thighs?

Yes. Open boneless thighs flat, spread with filling, roll them up, and roast for about 25 minutes until they reach 74°C (165°F).

Why did my filling leak out?

The pocket may be too shallow or overfilled, or the spinach too wet. Secure the opening well with cocktail sticks and squeeze the spinach thoroughly.

This article is general information, not medical advice. Nutrition figures are estimates from USDA FoodData Central and will change with the brands and amounts you use. If you follow a diet for a medical reason, check the recipe with your doctor or dietitian.