You won’t believe how tender and delicious this Stuffed Chicken Breast is! It’s super easy to prep, making it a perfect weeknight healthy dinner for you or a great dish to impress your guests.
Table of Contents
Why you should make this recipe
This recipe was based entirely on what I had left in the fridge after making a huge salad for lunch. And it turned out to be one of the best recipes I have ever cooked!
Don’t let the idea of “stuffing” in this dish fool you: there are NO complicated steps or fiddling required!
In fact, this is one of my favorite meals to serve when I have guests. It’s an impressive dinner that is secretly so easy to make.
My friends ALWAYS ask for the recipe, which I think is one of the best compliments I can receive when I cook for a group!
Ingredients
The recipe comes together with just 8 simple ingredients and is baked in the oven to golden perfection.
Here’s what you’ll need to make healthy stuffed chicken breasts:
- chicken breast: Make sure you use boneless skinless chicken breast as it’s the leanest cut of chicken and cannot be subbed with thighs or any other cut.
- mozzarella: low-fat mozzarella preferred
- artichoke heart: You will need approximately 1 artichoke heart so if your can or jar has quartered hearts, you will need 4 pieces. Make sure your artichoke hearts are in water not marinated in oil.
- sun-dried tomatoes: As with artichoke hearts, make sure your sun-dried tomatoes are just tomatoes and not preserved in oil. This will help keep the fat content low.
- basil leaves
- fresh garlic: minced or coarsely chopped
- curry powder
- paprika
- black pepper: just a pinch of freshly ground black pepper
Step-by-step instructions
Ready to see how easy this delicious and beautiful recipe is to prep? The entire meal can be ready in less than 30 minutes if you don’t mess around.
You can see how I make the recipe in this short video or read the step-by-step instructions below:
You can prepare all the ingredients for the stuffing while the oven heats up. And then stuffing the chicken breast is done in a heartbeat!
Step 1: Preheat the oven to 365˚F (185˚C). Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil or parchment paper. Set aside.
Step 2: Firstly, butterfly the chicken breast. Holding the top of the chicken breast with one hand, guide a sharp knife horizontally from the thicker end of the chicken breast slicing lengthwise towards the thin end, making sure not to cut through to the opposite side.
Open the chicken breast and it should resemble a butterfly or more commonly a heart shape.
Step 3: Meanwhile, cut the mozzarella into thin slices, the artichoke hearts into strips, and slice the basil and sundried tomatoes. Coarsely chop up the garlic. Combine all of that in a small bowl or directly on a cutting board.
Step 4: Spoon the mozzarella mixture onto one side of the opened butterflied chicken breast, spreading it evenly across the open chicken breast.
Step 5: Cover the stuffing by folding the other side of the butterflied chicken breast back into its original form, sandwiching the stuffing between the two halves. Secure the opened chicken breast by sticking a few toothpicks through the top and the bottom layer.
Step 6: Transfer the stuffed chicken breast onto the prepared baking sheet. Season with curry powder, paprika, and a pinch of black pepper.
Step 7: Bake the chicken in the preheated oven for 20 minutes or until the chicken breast is fully cooked. The most accurate way to test for doneness is with an instant-read meat thermometer. Insert the meat thermometer into the thickest part of the breast. If the thermometer reads 165˚F, the chicken is thoroughly cooked.
Alternatively, you can pierce the chicken with a knife. If the juices run clear, the chicken is done.
Step 8: Lastly, remove the chicken breast from heat and rest for 5 minutes for juices to redistribute back to the meat. Remove toothpicks and serve.
Expert tips
This stuffed chicken breast is fairly quite simple to make. But there are a few tips that I have learned that would be helpful for you.
- To tenderize chicken breast: you can brine it in saltwater first as described in my post on How to Cook the Perfect Chicken Breast.
- For meal prep: If you want to prepare some of this recipe ahead of time, you can pre-cook a few chicken breasts. Then, when you’re ready to eat, just cut the pocket into the side of the chicken, add the stuffing, then microwave for about a minute before serving. It won’t be QUITE as good as when you cook everything together from scratch, but it’s still delicious. I do this a lot when I don’t have time (or am too lazy) to cook.
Variations
If any of these ingredients aren’t quite to your taste, you are welcome to swap them out. Feel free to experiment, there are lots of tasty combinations when it comes to the stuffing for your chicken breast.
Here are a few ideas for you to try:
- Add thin asparagus, chopped-up broccoli, or even French green beans (Haricots Verts) to up the vegetables.
- Shred the mozzarella and add a bit of cream cheese for creamy stuffing.
- Add a handful of baby spinach for a punch of nutrients for spinach-stuffed chicken
- Layer sliced tomatoes with basil and fresh mozzarella for a Caprese flare.
- Add feta cheese and Kalamata olives for a Mediterranean flavor.
In conclusion, the options are endless! Stuffed chicken breast is a wonderful way to enjoy this lean cut of meat in various ways.
Serving suggestions
This healthy cheese-stuffed chicken breast makes a good lunch on its own. It’s rich in lean protein and packed with flavor.
For a more balanced meal, serve this with cauliflower rice or a simple side of roasted vegetables. Similarly, stuffed chicken breasts also pair well over cauliflower mash.
As always, any chicken dish goes well with a large green salad.
Storage instructions
Any leftover stuffed chicken breast can be stored in an airtight container for up to 3-4 days in the refrigerator.
Reheat in the microwave for 1 minute or until heated through. Alternatively, you can reheat in a small pan covered with a lid over medium-high heat for a few minutes or until heated through.
If you wanted to meal prep this recipe, I recommend using the method above to pre-cook the chicken but saving the stuffing for when you are ready to serve. This will give better flavor and texture than making the full recipe and storing it for days.
Nutrition tips
This recipe clocks in at a whopping 46.1 grams of protein with only 262 calories and 6.1 grams of net carbs.
I’d say this delicious main entrée needs to be a regular on the kitchen table in all households.
Even though this particular stuffed chicken recipe is not dairy free, it can easily be modified to suit your dietary needs so this recipe is suitable for everyone. Just make sure you are using low-carb ingredients for the stuffing.
Frequently asked questions
The best way to stuff chicken breast is to cut it lengthwise, horizontally (what’s known as butterfly chicken breast). Then place your favorite stuffing onto one side of the opened chicken breast and cover it with the other side of the chicken breast.
To secure the chicken breast back to its original form after stuffing it, use toothpicks and stick them between the top and bottom layers. You can also use kitchen twine and wrap the stuffed chicken breast crosswise to secure the stuffing.
More delicious and healthy chicken breast recipes
Are you like me and love having plenty of great chicken breast recipes on hand? If so, here are a few more of my favorites that I’m sure you’ll love:
- Prosciutto Wrapped Chicken Breast with Cream Cheese
- Mustard Baked Chicken Tenders
- Lemon Chicken Piccata
For even more inspiration, check out this roundup of my favorite low-carb chicken recipes for people with diabetes. You can never have too many tasty chicken breast recipes, right?
When you’ve tried this stuffed chicken breast recipe, please don’t forget to let me know how you liked it and rate the recipe in the comments below!
Healthy Stuffed Chicken Breast
Ingredients
- 1 chicken breast, skinless and boneless
- 1 ounce low-fat mozzarella cut into strips
- 1 artichoke heart (in water) cut into strips
- 1 teaspoon sundried tomato (dried not in oil) chopped
- 5 large basil leaves sliced
- 1 clove garlic coarsely chopped
- ¼ teaspoon curry powder
- ¼ teaspoon paprika
- ⅛ teaspoon black pepper
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 365˚F (185˚C). Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil or parchment paper. Set aside.
- Butterfly the chicken breast. Holding the top of the chicken breast with one hand, guide a sharp knife horizontally from the thicker end of the chicken breast slicing lengthwise towards the thin end, making sure not to cut through to the opposite side.1 chicken breast, skinless and boneless
- Meanwhile, cut the mozzarella into thin slices, artichoke hearts into strips, and slice basil and sundried tomatoes. Coarsely chop up the garlic. Combine all of that in a small bowl or directly on the cutting board.1 ounce low-fat mozzarella, 1 artichoke heart (in water), 1 teaspoon sundried tomato (dried not in oil), 5 large basil leaves, 1 clove garlic
- Spoon the mozzarella mixture onto one side of the opened butterflied chicken breast, spreading it evenly across the open chicken breast.
- Cover the stuffing by folding the other side of the butterflied chicken breast back into its original form, sandwiching the stuffing between the two halves. Secure the opened chicken breast by sticking a few toothpicks through the top and the bottom layers.
- Transfer the stuffed chicken breast onto the prepared baking sheet. Season with curry powder, paprika, and a pinch of black pepper.¼ teaspoon curry powder, ¼ teaspoon paprika, ⅛ teaspoon black pepper
- Bake the chicken in the preheated oven for 20 minutes or until the chicken breast is fully cooked. The most accurate way to test for doneness is with an instant-read meat thermometer. Insert the meat thermometer into the thickest part of the breast. If the thermometer reads 165˚F, the chicken is thoroughly cooked. Alternatively, you can pierce the chicken with a knife. If the juices run clear, the chicken is done.
- Remove the chicken breast from heat and rest for 5 minutes for juicesto redistribute back to the meat. Remove toothpicks and serve.
My husband prefers red meat, but this dish made him a fan of chicken for at least one night. He even said it was something he would find in a restaurant.
I’m still trying to find a link to the video…..
The video is in the post. For some reason, a very small percentage of people can’t see the video (less than 1 in 10,000). We are not quite sure why but we are trying to find out. To see the video, please try reading the post on a different computer or mobile device.
What if you don’t like artichoke hearts
You can omit it or add another vegetable
Substitute with asparagus mmmm
Uh, that’s a great idea. Thank you for sharing
Thank you so much for this recipe. I have a brother with Type 1 diabetes and also a few good friends with type 2. I have been searching for tasty recipes to make for them. I now make this and serve it often. My family all loved it and could not believe it was a healthy recipe. I highly recommend this recipe.
I made this recipe but modified it a bit. Don’t like artichokes and sundries tomato so I used spinach with the other fillings and was awesome.
Made this for new neighbors! Big hit!
I used extra basil but otherwise stayed close to the recipe.
Making it again for out of town guests tomorrow! Definitely recommend it.
My 12 year old Granddaughter was recently diagnosed with Type 1 Diabetes. Cooking for a diabetic is completely new to me. I’ll invite her over, and we’ll make this recipe together, (she likes to cook and bake, I would also like her to learn how to prepare delicious meals for herself. I’ll check back later.
Thanks for the recipe,
Concerned Grandmother
You’re welcome. And please know that there is nothing that she can’t eat, so no need to cut our carbohydrates completely unless she chooses to. However, she does have to pay attention to her food choices, count her carbs and learn how to manage her blood sugars with insulin.
My husband cannot have greens due to blood thinner meds. what are the cubes of vegetables pictured? Are they different types of potatoes?
Those are yellow and red beets. When baked they will have a consistency similar to potatoes
Thanks! Makes sense, potatoes are very starchy!
This was so easy and delicious!
Thank you for the idea — I am planning a meal for 10, group including several diabetics. — This will serve as the main dish but I also need ideas for sides (and a dessert!). Am from a “meat and potato” back ground so this is all new to me.
You can still do potatoes, just add in some greens as well, so that it’s not 100% carbohydrates