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.
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.
I love these can you cook them using an air fryer
Yes, that should be doable. But make sure it’s cooked all the way through
nice recipe
I made this for dinner last night. I followed the recipe exactly. It was delicious! My husband also loved it. Mine took longer than 20 minutes to cook more like 35, but my chicken breasts were pretty big. I just checked the temp every 5 minutes or so after the 20 min until it reached 165.
Do you know what that side dish is in the picture??
That is roasted beets
Recipe for the beets please and thank you
Thank you! So easy to follow, taste great ! I added sundried tomato and baby spinach. This will be one of my favorite regular health meals from now on.
I made this tonight after working all day. It was quick and easy. I added baby spinach because I needed to use it before it went bad. This dish was so delicious, moist and tender. My daughter said I have to make it again but more than 1 chicken breast next time. It’s such a nice change to regular old chicken. Loved it!! Thank you!!!