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Spinach Stuffed Chicken Breast
Juicy chicken breasts stuffed with a creamy spinach and cheese filling, then baked until perfectly tender. An easy, flavorful dinner that feels restaurant-worthy but comes together with simple ingredients in less than an hour.
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This recipe makes cooking restaurant-quality spinach stuffed chicken breast at home easy business! Yes, you can make this gooey and delicious, perfectly baked stuffed chicken in just minutes.
Mix together a simple filling, and we'll show you how to stuff your chicken perfectly, so it bakes up golden and moist.
More Easy Recipes To Use Up Chicken Breast ⭐ Marry Me Chicken | Crockpot Chicken and Gravy | Ritz Chicken
We know many home cooks shy away from stuffed chicken because it seems too difficult, but this recipe is one that even a beginner can handle. Plus, every step of our recipe was tested multiple times (in home kitchens, just like yours!) so you don’t have to guess or tweak. Just follow the steps, and enjoy!
Ingredients For Spinach Stuffed Chicken Breast
What you'll need to make this recipe for stuffed chicken breast with spinach:
- 4 boneless skinless chicken breasts, approximately 2 pounds – of 4 equally sized pieces
- 3 tablespoons olive oil, divided (2 tablespoons to make the seasoning blend and 1 tablespoon for sauteing the spinach)
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- ¼ teaspoon smoked paprika
- ¼ teaspoon garlic powder
- ¼ teaspoon onion powder
- ½ cup yellow onion, small diced
- 2 teaspoons minced garlic
- 5 ounces fresh baby spinach, approximately 3 cups
- 4 ounces cream cheese, room temperature
- 1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
- ½ cup grated parmesan cheese
Expert Tips for Success
Here are our best tips for helping guide you while making your stuffed chicken breast with cheese and spinach.
👉 Cut the pocket while the chicken is still cold — the helps the breast hold its shape and gives you clean edges. A small paring knife works really well. Just go slow so you don’t cut all the way through. You want a pocket, not a hole.
👉 When making your filling in the saute pan, add the onions and garlic first, then the spinach. Cook just until the spinach looks wilted and the pan looks dry. Any moisture left will make the filling watery, and we don't want that.
👉 After sautéing, allow the spinach mixture cool for a few minutes before stirring in the cheese. If it’s hot, it will melt the cream cheese and make the filling loose and greasy instead of smooth and creamy.
👉 Don’t overstuff your chicken. Each chicken breast only needs about a quarter of the filling. If you try to pack in more, it’ll squeeze out while baking and make a mess in the pan.
Pro Tip
If you're using smaller chicken breasts and have extra filling, use it as a topping for baked potatoes.
👉 Mix your spices right into olive oil. This does two things: it helps the spices to stick better, and it helps the top brown beautifully in the oven. You’ll get even color instead of pale spots.
Use a pastry brush to coat the tops with your olive oil seasoning blend. We found when we poured it onto the chicken, it pooled in the bottom of the pan and made the chicken soggy instead of crispy.
👉 Bake on the middle rack. This helps the tops brown evenly without overcooking the bottom. Chicken is done when it hits 165°F in the thickest part of the meat. The filling will get hotter than the meat, so make sure your thermometer is in the meat, not the filling.
🍽️ Before Serving:
Allow your cream cheese and spinach stuffed chicken breast to rest for 5-10 minutes in the pan. This gives the juices a chance to redistribute in the meat, and gives the filling time to set and cool so it doesn't just run out all over your plate.
This is a rich dish, so pair your chicken with simple sides, like sweet potato fries, a garden salad, or air fryer carrots (always a hit at our house).
Make Ahead and Storage FAQ
To Make Stuffed Chicken With Spinach Ahead: You can make your filling and assemble the stuffed breasts in the morning for dinner late that afternoon. We don't recommend making this more than about 12 hours ahead.
Store your prepped chicken in a covered baking dish in the fridge. Let your pan sit out on the counter for 30 minutes before you bake it, just to allow it the chicken to come to room temperature.
Storing Leftover Cream Cheese Spinach Stuffed Chicken Breast: Wrap your leftovers tightly in plastic wrap and store in the fridge for up to 2 days. We don't recommend freezing your leftovers, as the filling isn't going to thaw well.
How to Reheat Baked Stuffed Chicken Breast: Leftovers will reheat well in the oven at 350°F for about 15 minutes. Heat them wrapped in aluminum foil or covered on a shallow baking dish.
Want More Delicious Stuffed Dinners?
We love stuffed dinners! Try these easy recipes and watch your family run to the table tonight:
Spinach Stuffed Chicken Breast
Juicy chicken breasts stuffed with a creamy spinach and cheese filling, then baked until perfectly tender. An easy, flavorful dinner that feels restaurant-worthy but comes together with simple ingredients in less than an hour.
Did you try this recipe?Let our readers know how it turned out by Leaving a Review!
Ingredients
- 4 boneless skinless chicken breasts (approximately 2 pounds – of 4 equally sized pieces)
- 3 tablespoons olive oil (divided (2 tablespoons to make the seasoning blend and 1 tablespoon for sauteing the spinach))
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- ¼ teaspoon smoked paprika
- ¼ teaspoon garlic powder
- ¼ teaspoon onion powder
- ½ cup yellow onion (small diced)
- 2 teaspoons minced garlic
- 5 ounces fresh baby spinach (approximately 3 cups)
- 4 ounces cream cheese (room temperature)
- 1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
- ½ cup grated parmesan cheese
DIRECTIONS
- Preheat oven to 375* F. Spray a 9×13 baking dish with non-stick cooking spray. Set aside.
- Using a sharp paring knife, trim any fatty pieces off of each of the chicken breasts. Lay the trimmed chicken breast flat onto a cutting board and carefully cut a slit through the center of the chicken breast, being careful not to cut all the way through. You want to create a pocket for the filling to be stuffed into. Set aside.
- To a small bowl add the olive oil, salt, black pepper, smoked paprika, garlic powder and onion powder. Stir to combine. Set aside.
- In a medium skillet, on medium-high heat, add 1 tablespoon olive oil, diced yellow onion and minced garlic. Cook for 1 minute to soften the diced onion before adding the fresh baby spinach to the skillet. Cook the vegetables for 2-3 minutes or until all the spinach has wilted and the onions are translucent. Remove from the heat and allow the spinach to cool slightly before adding it to the cheese mixture.
- To a large mixing bowl add the cream cheese, shredded mozzarella, grated parmesan cheese and cooled sauteed spinach mixture. Using a wooden spoon, or rubber spatula, stir to combine until the ingredients are evenly distributed.
- Using a spoon, fill one of the chicken breasts with a quarter of the spinach filling mixture. Place the stuffed chicken breast into the prepared 9×13 baking dish. Repeat until all four of the chicken breasts have been stuffed and placed into the baking dish.
- Using a pastry brush, brush the tops of each of the stuffed chicken breasts with the olive oil spice mixture being sure to completely cover the tops of each of the stuffed chicken breasts.
- Bake the spinach stuffed chicken breasts for 35-40 minutes or until the internal temperature of the chicken reaches 165*F and the top of the chicken is lightly golden brown and the spinach and cheese filling is bubbly.
- Remove the spinach stuffed chicken from the oven and allow it to rest on the counter for 5-10 minutes to allow the cheese mixture to set and cool slightly before plating and serving.
Notes
- It’s easier to make the pocket in the meat when the chicken is very cold. use a small, sharp knife, and cut slowly.
- Cook the spinach until the water has evaporated from the pan. This helps ensure your filling mixture won’t be too watery.
- Use a meat thermometer to check for doneness, however, make sure you stick the probe into the meat, not the stuffing.
Nutrition
Calories: 606kcal | Carbohydrates: 8g | Protein: 61g | Fat: 36g | Saturated Fat: 14g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 3g | Monounsaturated Fat: 15g | Trans Fat: 0.03g | Cholesterol: 206mg | Sodium: 1066mg | Potassium: 1159mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 2g | Vitamin A: 4132IU | Vitamin C: 15mg | Calcium: 335mg | Iron: 2mg
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