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Spinach Stuffed Chicken Breasts

Spinach stuffed chicken breasts with a molten cream cheese spinach center—golden seared on the stovetop and baked until juicy. Each chicken breast is cut into a pocket, filled with mozzarella and sun-dried tomatoes, and finished with a seasoned herb crust.
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Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 28 minutes
Total Time 48 minutes
Servings: 4 servings
Course: Main Dish
Cuisine: American
Calories: 610
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Chicken
  • 4 boneless skinless chicken breasts
  • 0.5 tsp salt to taste
  • 0.5 tsp pepper to taste
  • 0.5 tsp garlic powder to taste
  • 0.5 tsp Italian seasoning to taste
  • 0.25 tsp smoked paprika to taste
  • 2 tbsp olive oil
  • 4 toothpicks to secure
Spinach Cream Cheese Filling
  • 8 oz cream cheese softened
  • 2 cup fresh baby spinach finely chopped
  • 1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
  • 0.5 cup sun-dried tomatoes chopped
  • 3 clove garlic minced
  • 1 tsp Italian seasoning
  • 0.5 tsp salt to taste
  • 0.5 tsp pepper to taste

Equipment

  • 1 cast iron skillet

Method
 

Make the spinach cream cheese filling
  1. Preheat the oven to 400°F.
  2. In a mixing bowl, beat together the softened cream cheese, finely chopped spinach, shredded mozzarella, chopped sun-dried tomatoes, minced garlic, Italian seasoning, salt, and pepper until fully combined.
Prepare the chicken
  1. Cut a deep horizontal pocket in each chicken breast, careful not to cut all the way through.
  2. Season the inside and outside of each chicken breast generously with salt, pepper, garlic powder, Italian seasoning, and smoked paprika.
  3. Spoon the filling into each pocket and secure each breast with 2-3 toothpicks.
Sear and bake
  1. Heat the olive oil in an oven-safe skillet over medium-high heat.
  2. Sear the stuffed chicken for 3-4 minutes per side until golden.
  3. Transfer to the oven and bake for 18-22 minutes, until the internal temperature reaches 165°F.
Finish and serve
  1. Remove the toothpicks and rest the chicken for 5 minutes.
  2. Slice the chicken and serve to showcase the molten spinach and cream cheese filling.

Notes

For clean pockets, stop the cut just before you reach the other side and keep the pocket evenly sized so the filling stays centered. Refrigerate leftovers in an airtight container for up to 3 days; reheat gently in the oven at 325°F until warmed through. Freezing is not recommended because the filling texture can soften after thawing. For a lighter option, use reduced-fat cream cheese and part-skim mozzarella.