Spinach Stuffed Chicken
Spinach stuffed chicken is loaded with melty mozzarella cheese and sautéed spinach and then roasted with a paprika and Parmesan top for an easy and irresistible chicken dinner!
Yield: 4 servings
Ingredients
- 2 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided
- 4-5 oz. fresh baby spinach (a few very big handfuls)
- Salt and pepper to taste
- 4 (6 oz.) boneless, skinless chicken breasts
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- ¼ teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- ¼ cup grated Parmesan cheese
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375.
- Heat one teaspoon of the oil in a medium sauté pan over medium-low heat. Add the spinach and stir until wilted, 3-4 minutes. Season lightly with a pinch of salt and pepper and set aside.
- Butterfly the chicken breasts by cutting them horizontally so that they open up like a book and are attached on one side. (See more details and step-by-step photos on how to butterfly chicken if it’s your first time.)
- Sprinkle the inside of the chicken breasts with salt, pepper and garlic powder.
- Divide the mozzarella and the sautéed spinach among the chicken breasts, laying it down along the bottom half. Fold each one over to “close up” the chicken breast. (I don't bother with toothpicks but you can secure yours if you'd like.)
- Drizzle the tops of each chicken breast with remaining teaspoon of olive oil. Sprinkle each chicken breast with ¼ teaspoon of paprika and then 1 tablespoon of Parmesan.
- Place the stuffed chicken breasts on a foil-lined baking sheet (for easy clean-up). Bake at 375 for 30-35 minutes, until the chicken breasts are cooked through.
Notes
We love this with melty mozzarella cheese and I just use shredded cheese. You could also do fresh mozzarella or try this with shredded cheddar cheese instead.
It helps to have decent sized chicken breasts, not the super thin ones or perfectly portioned ones, since you’ll have to slice them across in half to stuff them.
The Parmesan and paprika on top really brings the cheesy home and adds a nice browned crust to the top of the chicken. However, you could skip it if you prefer. Or you could do a buttery breadcrumb topping instead if you’d like.
This recipe calls for fresh spinach that you sauté down before stuffing the chicken breasts. I haven’t made this recipe with frozen spinach, but I think you could. Make sure you thaw it completely and get ALL the extra liquid squeezed out before using it.
We love this chicken served over steamed brown rice. White rice, cauliflower rice or quinoa would be good too.
Video
Nutrition
Serving: 1serving | Calories: 345kcal | Carbohydrates: 8g | Protein: 48g | Fat: 13g | Saturated Fat: 5g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 6g | Cholesterol: 121mg | Sodium: 799mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 1g
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