Description
Juicy chicken breasts stuffed with cheesy spinach make weeknight dinners feel fancy without the fuss. One bite of this creamy, savory goodness and you’ll never go back to plain chicken again.
Ingredients
Scale
- 4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (6–8 oz each)
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- ½ teaspoon Italian seasoning
- Salt and fresh ground black pepper to taste
- 6 oz fresh spinach (about 4 cups), roughly chopped
- 8 oz cream cheese, softened
- ½ cup shredded mozzarella cheese
- ¼ cup grated Parmesan cheese
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes (optional)
- 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon lemon zest
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375°F (190°C).
- Make the filling by mixing chopped spinach, cream cheese, mozzarella, Parmesan, minced garlic, red pepper flakes, lemon juice, and zest in a medium bowl.
- Butterfly each chicken breast by slicing horizontally through the middle, stopping just before cutting all the way through. Open like a book.
- Season both sides of chicken with salt, pepper, garlic powder, paprika, and Italian seasoning.
- Place about ¼ of the spinach filling onto one half of each butterflied chicken breast, leaving a ½-inch border.
- Fold the empty half over the filling and secure with toothpicks.
- Heat olive oil in a large oven-safe skillet over medium-high heat.
- Sear the stuffed chicken breasts for 3-4 minutes per side until golden brown.
- Transfer the skillet to the preheated oven and bake for 15-20 minutes, until chicken reaches 165°F (74°C) internal temperature.
- Remove from oven and let rest for 5 minutes before removing toothpicks.
- Slice diagonally to showcase the filling and serve immediately.