How to stuff chicken breast with mozzarella

Spinach and Cheese Stuffed Chicken is such a popular and easy dinner recipe. This easy cheese stuffed chicken breast recipe has a delicious creamy spinach filling and is baked until tender and juicy. It’s delicious and less than 350 calories! A perfect chicken dinner recipe that’s low carb and keto-friendly!

When it comes to a hearty, healthy and delicious weeknight meal, you can’t go wrong with Cheese Stuffed Chicken! Perfectly marinated chicken is loaded with a creamy ricotta filling and popped into the oven. It doesn’t get easier than this!

In under one hour from start to finish, you can have this cheese and spinach stuffed chicken on the dinner table in no time! With fresh spinach, garlic, three kinds of cheese, and the right blend of spices, the creamy filling will take your taste buds on a ride.

This is chicken delicious, healthy, and perfect for keto. So, low in carbs and high in fat with little protein. Less than 330 calories per serving. The spinach is a great way to get some potassium in too!

I’m always looking for ways to jazz up a chicken dinner, and if you’re hunting for delicious chicken recipes too, you’re in the right place! Why not also try my addictive Buffalo Chicken Tacos or my Easy Avocado Chicken Salad.

Why this stuffed spinach and Cheese Chicken is the best

• A Delicious Filling: A blend of creamy ricotta, Parmesan and mozzarella cheeses really sends this stuffed chicken over the top. You just can’t go wrong with three cheeses! Throw in some fresh spinach and the perfect blend of spices and seasonings and you have a melty, cheesy, heavenly filling that’s fit for a king!
• Easy: If you’re looking to simplify your dinner routine, this chicken stuffed with spinach is for you! It’s really as simple as 1-2-3. Simply cut, stuff, and bake – easy! This looks like it’s restaurant quality, but it really couldn’t be easier.
• Healthy: With only 330 calories per serving, this cheese stuffed chicken is perfect for if you’re trying to watch what you eat. Plus, spinach is rich in nutrients like Vitamin A, Vitamin C, Vitamin K, iron, folate, and potassium. But the low calories and extra nutrients doesn’t mean it’s bland! This chicken is literally packed with flavor.
• Family Friendly: This recipe is always a winner winner, chicken dinner at our house! Because the spinach is blended with so many creamy cheeses, the kids won’t even realize you snuck an extra serving of veggies into their dinner!

Ingredients for baked spinach stuffed chicken

• Chicken Breasts: We need boneless and skinless chicken breasts for this recipe. The thickness of breasts allow for easy cutting and stuffing for maximum cheesiness! Ideally, go for organic/free-range if at all possible.
• Seasoning: The seasonings used for this cheese stuffed chicken breast are simple and you more than likely already have them in your spice cabinet! We use a blend of Italian seasoning, onion powder, and garlic powder.
• Red Pepper Flakes: These add just a touch of heat to your chicken dinner, as well as additional flavor. Feel free to add as much or as little as you’d like!
• Cheese: A mix of ricotta, mozzarella, and parmesan. We love to shred our own cheeses whenever possible, as pre-shredded cheese doesn’t melt as well. Feel free to mix up the cheeses to your liking! Any creamy, melty cheese will do.
• Olive Oil – I usually opt for olive oil when cooking because it can be used at high temperatures. However any mild oil will do here such as vegetable oil, grapeseed oil, etc.
• Spinach: I like to use fresh spinach here, as frozen spinach will take time to thaw. We’re going for quick and easy with this cheese stuffed chicken! Make sure your spinach is steamed until just wilted, and then squeezed dry with a paper towel. You can use frozen spinach if that’s what you have.
• Garlic: Freshly minced garlic is the way to go for this spinach and cheese chicken!
• Salt: Divided

How to make this Spinach and Cheese Stuffed Chicken

• Make the Marinade: In a small bowl, mix olive oil, Italian seasoning, red pepper flakes, garlic
  powder, onion powder, and salt. Mix everything together until combined and set aside while you work on your chicken.
• Cut the Chicken: Using a sharp knife, cut a pocket in the chicken, but be sure you don’t cut all the way through. Rub the chicken with marinade and store in the fridge until ready to use. One hour is preferred, but you can take it out whenever you’re ready for it.
• Make the Filling: While the chicken is marinating, mix the ricotta cheese, mozzarella cheese, Parmesan cheese, spinach, and garlic in a small bowl. Season the mixture with salt and pepper to taste.
• Cook: Stuff the filling into the chicken and secure with a toothpick if needed. Bake for 25 mins or until the chicken is nicely browned. When it’s ready, serve it up with a nice side salad or steamed vegetables. Asparagus would work beautifully!

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I use frozen spinach?

Fresh spinach is always great, but of course, you can use frozen. If you’re using frozen spinach, thaw it thoroughly first and take up a handful and squeeze out the water before mixing it with the cream cheese. If you’re using fresh spinach, cook it first.

What’s the best way to stuff a chicken?

I use boneless skinless chicken breasts for this recipe. Lay them flat on a cutting board. Then cut a pocket parallel to the cutting board, that remains connected on three sides.

You can either stuff the chicken or lock the fillings in, by closing the chicken with a toothpick. Or you can stuff the chicken and turn it upward, almost like a bowl, so the fillings are on top.

Tips and Substitutions for cheesy stuffed chicken

• You can use fresh or frozen spinach, just make sure to drain off the water.
• Try different cheese if you like, but keep them melty! Swiss would work as well as feta.
• Allow your chicken to marinate in the fridge, an hour is good, but you can take it out quicker.
• An instant-read thermometer is your best bet for determining the temperature of your chicken. 165 degrees Fahrenheit is the safe internal temperature

  What's the best way to stuff chicken breast?

  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 keep cheese from oozing out of stuffed chicken?

  The other "trick" is to make a small cut along the folded edge of the breast after you fold and seal the packets, which essentially makes it almost like a sandwich; the top and bottom parts can move independently and you don't have tension trying to pull the top piece away.

  What can I stuff inside a chicken?

  Simple ingredients, such as onions, garlic, lemon, herbs, and spices, can be inserted into the cavity of the chicken or under the skin to add flavor to the meat. Bread or grain based stuffing may include sausage, chopped or ground giblet pieces, vegetables, herbs, and spices.