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My Mediterranean Stuffed Chicken recipe is a delicious dish that will have your mouth watering before the first bite. It is so simple to make and only takes about an hour or less from start to finish.
Here are a few sides you can serve with this amazing chicken: Southern Green Beans, Garlic Mash Potatoes, Parmesan Grits, Stewed Okra and Tomatoes, and Corn Maque Choux.
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The chicken breasts stuffed with fresh spinach, fresh garlic, onion, feta cheese, and parmesan! The spinach-stuffed chicken is served with a side of roasted vegetables.
I haven't made this recipe since 2008. It was my first year out of college and one of my very first private dinners. A friend wanted to do something different for his anniversary dinner and was hesitant when he saw this spinach-stuffed chicken breast with feta on the menu because he had not eaten spinach, EVER.
After the dinner, he raved about it because I got him to eat spinach for the first time finally. I've updated the ingredients a bit to maximize flavor.
Key Ingredients
To make these amazing stuffed chicken breasts, you will need the following key ingredients:
Fresh Spinach
Using fresh spinach gives you the best quality and saves you tons of time instead of using frozen spinach. To cook 10 oz. of fresh spinach takes only a few minutes.
Crumbled Feta
Crumbled feta provides a creamy texture and pairs well with the spinach stuffed chicken breast.
Shredded Parmesan
Shredded parmesan adds the salty component to the spinach filling.
Italian Parsley
Italian parsley has a superior flavor compared to curly parsley. Italian parsley is the only parsley I use for cooking.
Chicken Breasts
Using boneless, skinless chicken breasts is exceptionally lean and healthy. Since the chicken breast is lean, it's more prone to drying out while cooking. Many people struggle to bake a moist, tender, and juicy chicken breast. This recipe removes that issue.
Herbs
Using a fresh combination of rosemary, parsley, thyme, and basil, gives this dish an outstanding Mediterranean flavor profile.
How To Make Mediterranean Stuffed Chicken Recipe
This recipe has three parts, but the dish's star is the spinach-stuffed chicken breast. Here are the steps to making a moist and delicious chicken dinner.
Spinach Filling:
2 tablespoons avocado oil
½ onion, chopped
10 oz. fresh spinach
3 garlic cloves chopped fined
½ cup crumbled feta
½ cup shredded parmesan
1 teaspoon cayenne
¼ cup Italian parsley, chopped
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1 teaspoon black pepper
Chicken Breast:
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1 teaspoon black pepper
1 teaspoon garlic powder
¼ teaspoon cayenne
2 sprigs of fresh rosemary
6 sprigs of fresh thyme
¼ cup Italian parsley
6 leaves basil
4 boneless skinless chicken breasts
2 tablespoons avocado oil
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
Preheat oven to 425°F degrees. In a skillet over medium heat, add oil and onions cook for 2 minutes. Add spinach and garlic cook until spinach has wilted. Pour spinach in a small colander to drain off water. In a bowl, mix together spinach, feta, cayenne, parsley, salt, and pepper.
On a cutting board, chop together rosemary, thyme, parsley, and basil. In another bowl, mix salt, pepper, garlic powder, cayenne, and herbs. Evenly season chicken on front and back with spice and herb mix.
On the thick side of each chicken, make a medium size slit that should be large enough to fit 2 tablespoons of filling. Place 2 tablespoons of filling in chicken and use a couple of toothpicks to hold the filling together.
In a skillet over medium heat, add 2 tablespoons of oil and butter. Cook chicken skin side down for 4 minutes, flip over and cook for 1 minute on the other side. Transfer to a foiled lined baking sheet—repeat steps with the following pieces of chicken. Bake in the oven for 20 minutes or until the chicken's internal temperature reached 165°F degrees.
How To Store Stuffed Chicken
Fridge: Raw Stuffed Chicken Breast: You can prepare the stuffed chicken breast one day in advance. Place in an air-tight container for 2 days max.
Cooked Stuffed Chicken Breast: After the chicken breast has cooled. Place in an air-tight container for 7 days.
Freezer: Raw Stuffed Chicken Breast: You can prepare the stuffed chicken breast days, even weeks in advance. Place in a freezer-safe container for 3 months.
Cooked Stuffed Chicken Breast: After the chicken breasts have cooled. Place in a freezer-safe container for 2 months.
Reheating: Stuffed Chicken Breast: Bake in a 350°F degree oven for 10-15 minutes with ½ cup of chicken stock. The stock will add moisture and keep the breast from drying out.
Pro Recipe Substitutions, Tips & Tricks:
Here are some of my top tips and tricks to help you make this delicious stuffed chicken breasts dish:
- Use fresh chicken breasts that have been washed and dried.
- There are no guarantees that every chicken breast will be equal in size in a pack. The extra chicken is great because you'll have leftovers for lunch the next day.
- Use toothpicks that are strong enough to hold the chicken breast together.
- Before I flip my chicken in the skillet, I remove the toothpicks to make sure the chicken is flat for cooking.
- Feel free to add some crumbled beef bacon, sausage, cream cheese, or red chili flakes to your spinach filling.
- This is an excellent recipe to prep in advance and finish when you're ready for dinner. A great place to pause is after you stuff the chicken breasts with the filling, step 2 in the instructions.
- Using the two-step cooking technique in the recipe, we achieve a great color on our chicken and reduce the time it takes to bake the stuffed chicken breast.
- You can used thawed frozen spinach instead of fresh spinach.
- Feel free to use cream cheese instead of feta.
Frequently Asked Questions
Here are the answers to some of the most frequently asked questions about making stuffed chicken breast:
How long does it take to bake chicken breast at 350F?
It usually takes about 20-25 minutes to bake boneless, skinless chicken breast. If the chicken breast has bones and skin, add another 5-10 minutes, depending on the size of the chicken breast.
How do you stuff boneless chicken breast?
The best way to stuff chicken breast is by using a small sharp knife to cut a 2 x 2 pocket into the thickest part of the breast. Once the pocket is created, use a spoon to stuff the chicken breast with whatever filling you like.
How long do you cook stuffed chicken breasts?
It typically takes about forty-five minutes to bake stuffed chicken breast at 350 degrees. You can cut the cooking time by using an oven bag or covering the stuffed chicken breast.
For this recipe, it only takes 20 minutes to cook the stuffed chicken breast because we're using boneless skinless chicken breasts, and we first cook the chicken breasts in the skillet for 5 minutes.
How much longer does a stuffed chicken take to cook?
A stuffed chicken breast only takes an additional 10-15 minutes to cook, depending on what you have stuffed in your chicken breast. Vegetable fillings take the least amount of time, while a ground Italian sausage and spinach stuffed chicken breast can take up to an additional 20 minutes.
The extra time guarantees the ground sausage is thoroughly cooked.
What goes in stuffed chicken breast?
While this recipe is for a Mediterranean stuffed chicken breast, there are tons of options. Below are some of my favorites.
- Cream Cheese
- Gouda
- Sun-Dried Tomatoes
- Mozzarella Cheese
- Bacon (beef, pork, turkey)
- Broccoli
- Asparagus
- Ground Meat (chicken, sausage, pork, or veal)
- Crawfish
- Shrimp
- Mushrooms
Can you freeze stuffed chicken breasts?
Yes, you can freeze stuffed chicken breasts before you cook them or after you have finished cooking them. If freezing your chicken breast raw, place it in a freezer-safe storage bag for 3 months in the freezer. After the stuffed chicken breast has cooled, put it in a freezer storage bag for 2 months. Thaw 24 hours in the fridge before reheating.
More Chicken Recipes:
- Lemon Pepper Chicken Skewers with Tzatziki
- Kale Pesto Roasted Hens with Coconut Mashed Sweet Potatoes
- Curried Chicken Ramen
- Sous Vide Jerk Chicken
- Crispy Southern Fried Chicken
This stuffed chicken breast is a great way to enjoy Mediterranean flavors without having to travel. Whether you're craving something new or just want an easy meal that tastes amazing, it's time to make this recipe and tag me on Instagram!
If you don't have the exact ingredients listed below, use what you have in your pantry for substitutions. You can also experiment with different herbs or spices if you like your food spicier than I made mine. Have fun creating your version of my dish; I'm always excited when people share their creations with me!
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Tag me @kennethtemple_ and use #LezEat on Instagram to share your remakes with me, and don't forget to leave a star rating and comment below.
📖 Recipe
Mediterranean Stuffed Chicken
Ingredients
Spinach Filling:
- 2 tablespoons avocado oil
- ½ onion chopped
- 10 oz. fresh spinach
- 3 garlic cloves chopped fined
- ½ cup crumbled feta
- ½ cup shredded parmesan
- 1 teaspoon cayenne
- ¼ cup Italian parsley chopped
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon black pepper
Chicken Breast:
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon black pepper
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- ¼ teaspoon cayenne
- 2 sprigs of fresh rosemary
- 6 sprigs of fresh thyme
- ¼ cup Italian parsley
- 6 leaves basil
- 4 boneless skinless chicken breasts
- 2 tablespoons avocado oil
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
Sautéed Vegetables:
- 1 eggplant sliced ¼ inch, seasoned with ½ teaspoon salt
- 3 tablespoons oil
- 2 zucchinis sliced ¼ inch
- 1 red onion sliced ¼ inch
- ½ yellow bell pepper sliced ¼ inch
- ½ red bell pepper sliced ¼ inch
- 1 sprig fresh rosemary chopped
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- extra virgin olive oil garnish
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 425°F degrees. In a skillet over medium heat, add oil and onions cook for 2 minutes. Add spinach and garlic cook until spinach has wilted. Pour spinach in a small colander to drain off water. In a bowl, mix together spinach, feta, cayenne, parsley, salt, and pepper.
- On a cutting board, chop together rosemary, thyme, parsley, and basil. In another bowl, mix salt, pepper, garlic powder, cayenne, and herbs. Evenly season chicken on front and back with spice and herb mix.
- On the side of each chicken, make a medium size slit that should be large enough to fit 2 tablespoons of filling. Place 2 tablespoons of filling in chicken and use a couple of toothpicks to hold the filling together.
- In a skillet over medium heat, add 2 tablespoons of oil and butter. Cook chicken skin side down for 4 minutes, flip over and cook for 1 minute on the other side. Transfer to a foiled lined baking sheet—repeat steps with the following pieces of chicken. Bake in the oven for 20 minutes or until the chicken's internal temperature reached 165°F degrees.
- Once you slice your eggplant season it with salt and sit on a paper towel lined plate for 15 minutes. In a large skillet over medium heat, add oil and eggplant, zucchini, red onion, both bell peppers, rosemary, salt and black pepper cook for 6-7 minutes until all vegetables are nice and tender. Serve hot and garnish with olive oil.
Video
Notes
- Use fresh chicken breasts that have been washed and dried.
- There are no guarantees that every chicken breast will be equal in size in a pack. The extra chicken is great because you'll have leftovers for lunch the next day.
- Use toothpicks that are strong enough to hold the chicken breast together.
- Before I flip my chicken in the skillet, I remove the toothpicks to make sure the chicken is flat for cooking.
- Feel free to add some crumbled beef bacon, sausage, cream cheese, or red chili flakes to your spinach filling.
- This is an excellent recipe to prep in advance and finish when you're ready for dinner. A great place to pause is after you stuff the chicken breasts with the filling, step 2 in the instructions.
- Using the two-step cooking technique in the recipe, we achieve a great color on our chicken and reduce the time it takes to bake the stuffed chicken breast.
- You can make a lemon garlic sauce by squeezing the juice of 1 lemon, 2 garlic cloves minced, ½ cup unsalted chicken stock and 4 tablespoons of cold unsalted butter to the pan that you cooked the chicken in over medium heat.
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