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These easy Spinach Stuffed Chicken Breasts are packed full of flavor! You’ll love the garlic and herb cream cheese, spinach and feta cheese filling, which comes together in just minutes and transforms boring chicken into a decadent meal. Serve the spinach cream cheese stuffed chicken with rice, mashed potatoes, pasta or bread for a simple dinner that’s ready in about 30 minutes.
Spinach Cream Cheese Stuffed Chicken
It might look or sound fancy, but spinach and cheese stuffed chicken is such a simple way to add tons of flavor to your next dinner! Cream cheese, garlic, herbs and spinach form the base of the filling, while feta adds a great tangy, salty, rich punch. If you don’t love feta, you can easily swap it out and use grated mozzarella cheese or Parmesan cheese. The stuffed chicken breasts basically taste like a marriage between golden pan-seared chicken and your favorite creamy, cheesy, spinach dip!
Ingredients
This is just a quick overview of the ingredients that you’ll need to make the stuffed chicken breast with cream cheese. As always, exact measurements and specific cooking instructions are included in the printable recipe box at the bottom of the post.
- Boneless, skinless chicken breasts: use 2-4 chicken breasts, depending on how many people you plan to serve.
- Cream cheese: softened at room temperature so that it’s easy to mix. Regular or low-fat cream cheese will both work.
- Feta cheese: with it’s strong, tangy, salty flavor, this cheese gives you lots of “bang” for your buck and pairs really well with the spinach. If you don’t love the taste of feta, you can substitute with grated mozzarella or grated Parmesan.
- Frozen chopped spinach: a great, budget-friendly time-saver because you don’t need to cook the spinach before stuffing the chicken. Instead, just let the spinach thaw, and then squeeze it dry.
- Garlic, basil, oregano and onion powder: add flavor to the cream cheese filling. Feel free to use fresh herbs if you have them, or substitute with other herbs that you like.
- Olive oil and butter: for searing the chicken in the skillet.
- Salt and pepper: to enhance the flavors in the dish.
How to Make Stuffed Chicken Breasts with Spinach
Spinach and cheese stuffed chicken comes together in about 30 minutes for a decadent-tasting low-carb dinner that you can enjoy any night of the week!
- Cut a horizontal three-inch-wide pocket in the side of each chicken breast.
- Stir together the filling by combining cream cheese, feta, spinach, garlic, basil, oregano, onion powder and salt in a large bowl.
- Stuff the cheese mixture into the pocket of each chicken breast.
- Sear the chicken breasts in butter and oil until golden brown, about 3-4 minutes per side.
- Transfer the skillet to a 425° F oven and bake the chicken for 12-15 more minutes, or until the meat reaches an internal temperature of 165° F.
What to Serve with Spinach Stuffed Chicken
Serve the stuffed chicken breasts with any of these easy sides:
- Garlic Bread, Crusty No-Knead Bread, French Baguette, Dinner Rolls or Crescent Rolls
- Buttermilk Biscuits or Drop Biscuits
- Rice, Parmesan Risotto, or Easy Oven-Baked Mushroom Risotto
- Amish Green Beans with Brown Butter
- Baked Potatoes, Baked Potato Wedges, or Crispy Oven-Roasted Seasoned Potatoes
- Mashed Potatoes
- Garlic and Parmesan Cauliflower Mash (for a lower-carb option)
- Buttered Homemade Egg Noodles
- Broccoli Cauliflower Salad
- Caesar Salad or Tomato, Cucumber and Onion Salad
- Garlic Roasted Broccoli or Sauteed Zucchini
- Hummus and Pita Chips or Pita Bread
- Couscous Salad
Storage
Leftover stuffed chicken will keep in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3-4 days or in the freezer for up to 3 months. Thaw in the refrigerator overnight before reheating.
Make Ahead
This is a great prep-ahead meal, which you can assemble in advance, cover, and refrigerate for 1-2 days before cooking. Allow the chicken to sit on the counter and come to room temperature for at least 30 minutes to 1 hour before pan-searing.
How to Reheat Spinach Stuffed Chicken with Feta
Reheat the chicken in a 350° F oven or in the microwave until heated through.
Recipe Variations
- If you prefer to substitute with fresh spinach instead of frozen spinach, you’ll need a total of about 1 ½ cups of cooked spinach. Start with about 1 ½ lbs. of fresh spinach, sauté the spinach in butter and/or olive oil until it wilts, gently squeeze out the excess moisture, and use in the recipe as instructed.
- Instead of feta cheese, use grated mozzarella or grated Parmesan cheese.
- Use fresh herbs if you have them (you’ll need about 1 ½ teaspoons of fresh basil and 1 ½ teaspoons of fresh oregano), or pick your favorite herbs to use instead. Parsley, rosemary, and thyme would all be delicious as well!
- Season the outside of the chicken with paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, or all-purpose seasoning for even more flavor.
Tips for the Best Spinach Stuffed Chicken Recipe
- Cooking for a smaller family? You can cook 2-4 chicken breasts, depending on how many mouths you need to feed. The filling should be the perfect amount for 4 chicken breasts. If you’re preparing only 2 pieces of chicken, you can cut the filling ingredients in half since you won’t need as much.
- When cutting the pocket in the chicken, hold one hand on top of the chicken breast and slice horizontally into the thickest part of the middle of the breast with a very sharp knife, being careful not to cut all of the way through.
- Squeeze the spinach very dry before adding it to the filling. I like to put it in a dish towel and wring it out over the sink. This will prevent the spinach from watering-down the creamy, cheesy filling.
- If you don’t have a cast iron skillet, sear the chicken in a skillet first, and then transfer the meat to an oven-safe dish to finish baking.
- The total cooking time will vary depending on the size and thickness of your chicken. Use a meat thermometer to know exactly when the chicken is done. It should read 165° F on an instant-read thermometer.
More Spinach Recipes to Try
- Creamed Spinach Casserole
- Sauteed Spinach with Garlic
- Spinach Stuffed Shells
- Creamed Spinach
- Spinach and Ground Beef Casserole
- Spinach Pasta
- Crustless Quiche with Spinach
Spinach Stuffed Chicken
Ingredients
- 2-4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (about 5-7 ounces each)
- 4 ounces cream cheese, softened at room temperature
- 4 ounces crumbled feta cheese
- 1 (10 oz) package frozen chopped spinach, thawed and squeezed dry
- 1 clove minced garlic
- ½ teaspoon dried basil
- ½ teaspoon dried oregano
- ¼ teaspoon onion powder
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 tablespoon butter
- Kosher salt and ground black pepper
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 425° F.
- Cut a 3-inch-wide pocket in the side of each chicken breast, being careful not to slice all of the way through. Pat the chicken dry with paper towels and season with salt and pepper on all sides.
- In a large bowl, stir together the cream cheese, feta, spinach, garlic, basil, oregano, onion powder and ½ teaspoon kosher salt.
- Stuff the cream cheese mixture into the pocket of each chicken breast.
- Heat oil and butter in a large cast iron skillet over medium heat. Add the chicken breasts to the pan and cook just until golden brown on each side, about 3-4 minutes per side. Transfer the skillet to the oven and continue cooking for about 12-15 more minutes, or until the meat reaches an internal temperature of 165° F.
- Remove chicken to a cutting board and let rest for about 5 minutes before serving.
Notes
- Cooking for a smaller family? You can cook 2-4 chicken breasts, depending on how many mouths you need to feed. The filling should be the perfect amount for 4 chicken breasts. If you’re preparing only 2 pieces of chicken, you can cut the filling ingredients in half since you won’t need as much.
- When cutting the pocket in the chicken, hold one hand on top of the chicken breast and slice horizontally into the thickest part of the middle of the breast with a very sharp knife, being careful not to cut all of the way through.
- Squeeze the spinach very dry before adding it to the filling. I like to put it in a dish towel and wring it out over the sink. This will prevent the spinach from watering-down the creamy, cheesy filling.
- If you don’t have a cast iron skillet, sear the chicken in a skillet first, and then transfer the meat to an oven-safe dish to finish baking it.
- The total cooking time will vary depending on the size and thickness of your chicken. Use a meat thermometer to know exactly when the chicken is done. It should read 165° F on an instant-read thermometer.
