How to Make Stuffed Chicken Breast

Last Updated: September 7, 2019 References

Stuffed chicken breasts are quite versatile, mainly because of how many different stuffing recipes there are to choose from. Once you learn the basic stuffing technique, you can use it to prepare many different dishes.

Ingredients

Makes 4 servings

4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1/4 cup (60 ml) butter, melted
Salt, to taste
Ground black pepper, to taste

Chicken Kiev

1/2 tsp (2.5 ml) minced garlic
1/8 tsp (0.6 ml) salt
2 Tbsp (30 ml) fresh chopped parsley
6 Tbsp (90 ml) unsalted butter, softened

Cheesy Pepperoni Chicken

12 slices pepperoni
1/2 cup (125 ml) shredded mozzarella cheese
1/4 cup (60 ml) marinara sauce (optional)

Mediterranean Chicken

1 small red bell pepper, chopped
2 Tbsp (30 ml) crumbled feta cheese
1 Tbsp (15 ml) kalamata olives, chopped and pitted
2 tsp (10 ml) fresh chopped basil

Savory Apple Chicken

1 apple (Fuji, Braeburn, or Empire), chopped
1 Tbsp (15 ml) lemon juice
1/2 cup (125 ml) shredded cheddar cheese
2 Tbsp (30 ml) seasoned dry bread crumbs
1 tsp (5 ml) chopped fresh thyme
2 tsp (10 ml) Dijon mustard

Part 1

Part 1 of 4:

Preparing the Chicken

1
Buy thick boneless, skinless chicken breasts. You'll need a relatively thick cut of meat, and regular boneless, skinless chicken breasts are usually sufficient. Avoid anything labeled tenders, filets, or thin-cut.^{[1]
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- You'll also need a sharp, smooth paring knife with a 3 to 4 inch (7.6 to 10 cm) blade. Avoid serrated knives since these won't be able to pierce through the side of the chicken without sawing it.
2
Lay the chicken breast on the cutting board. Place one chicken breast in the center of the cutting board, aligning it vertically. Hold it steady with your non-dominant hand.
- Press gently. If you apply too much pressure, the knife might have difficulty sliding through the chicken.
- Keep your fingers centered and slightly offset to your non-dominant side to keep them out of the way of the knife.
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3
Pierce into the side of the chicken breast. Using your dominant hand, hold the knife at a perpendicular angle to the chicken breast. Slid it into the side of the chicken breast at the approximate midpoint.
- If one side is thicker than the other, pierce the chicken closer to the thicker side.
- The knife should be halfway between the top and bottom of the chicken breast.
- Only slide the knife about two-thirds of the way through the side of the chicken. Do not cut through to the other side.
4
Slice across the entire side. Glide the knife up the side of the chicken, expanding the initial cut upwards. Remove the knife, insert it back into your starting position, and slice the same side open downward.
- The entire time, keep the knife centered between the top and bottom of the chicken breast. Do not pierce through to the other side.
- Note that the easiest way to stuff chicken breast is to cut this side completely so that it can open like a book—a culinary technique known as "butterflying." If you'd like to minimize the cut space along the side and keep more of the stuffing in the chicken, however, try the advanced pocket technique:
  - From your starting cut, carefully saw the tip of the knife up and toward the outside edge of the chicken breast without cutting back through the original side or expanding the opening.
  - Flip the knife around and repeat the same motion toward the bottom side of your original pocket. Again, you'll need to avoid expanding the opening.
5
Expand the cut using your fingers. If you cut one side completely open, use your fingers to pry the chicken breast open like a book, continuing until it can lie with the "spine" flat on the cutting board.^{[2]
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- Depending on how deep the original cut runs, you may need to cut the opening a little wider using the knife before the chicken breast will lie flat enough.
- If you used the pocket method instead of the butterflying technique, place your finger inside the pocket opening and work it into the inner cavity, breaking any loose fibers and expanding the opening as much as possible.

Part 2

Part 2 of 4:

Preparing the Stuffing (with Variations)

1
Prepare chicken kiev.^{[3]
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Research source} Chicken kiev is a classic type of stuffed chicken breast. The stuffing itself only consists of butter, garlic, salt, and parsley.
- Grind the salt and minced garlic into a paste using a mortar and pestle or the back side of a spoon.
- Mix the parsley into the garlic paste.
- Work the softened butter into the paste, as well, mashing until the ingredients are thoroughly combined.
- Wrap the entire mixture in plastic wrap and chill it for 15 minutes before using it to stuff the chicken.
2
Try a cheesy pepperoni stuffing.^{[4]
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Research source} This is a layered stuffing that hardly requires any preparation before you add it to the chicken, making it one of the simplest you can use.
- You can opt to use marinara sauce to add another dimension of taste to this stuffing, but it isn't necessary; the cheese and pepperoni are flavorful enough.
- If you do use the sauce, however, note that you should only spread a thin coating over the bottom of the open chicken breast to prevent the dish from getting too messy. Add the sauce first, followed by the solid ingredients.
3
Use the flavors of the Mediterranean.^{[5]
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Research source} For this version, you'll mix together several ingredients commonly found in Mediterranean cuisine, including red bell pepper, feta cheese, kalamata olives, and basil.
- Consider broiling the bell pepper before chopping it. Slice the bell pepper in half, remove the seeds and inner membranes, and broil it for 15 minutes, or until it becomes charred. Peel away the skin and finely chop the flesh.
- Combine the chopped bell pepper with the feta cheese, olives, and basil. Use this mixed stuffing to fill the prepared chicken breasts.
4
Create a savory apple filling.^{[6]
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Research source} This is a mixed stuffing that only requires minimal preparation before you use it to fill the chicken.
- Toss the chopped apple with lemon juice in a medium mixing bowl. This should help prevent the apples from browning prematurely.
- Add the cheese, bread crumbs, and thyme to the coated apples, tossing until evenly mixed. This completes the mixed portion of the stuffing.
- When stuffing the chicken breasts, spread the Dijon mustard over the open bottom first. Follow the mustard with the prepared mixed stuffing.

Part 3

Part 3 of 4:

Stuffing the Chicken

1
Fill the chicken breast with your chosen stuffing. Mixed stuffings should be spread evenly across the open chicken breast, while stuffings consisting of separate ingredients should be layered over the open chicken breast.
- If there are any sauces or other spreadable items involved, spread them over the chicken breast first. Follow this with any cheese, meat, vegetables, fruits, and seasonings, in that order.
- Note that if you used the pocket technique instead of the stuffing technique, you'll need to stuff all of the ingredients through the narrow opening you created in the side of the chicken.^{[7]
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  Research source} It can be difficult to layer ingredients through such a small opening, so that technique works best for mixed stuffings.
2
Close the opening. Fold the open chicken back into its original form, sandwiching the stuffing in between the top and bottom halves.
- Depending on how loose the ingredients are, you may need to use your fingers to hold them in place as you fold the chicken breast over. Don't be afraid to reposition the stuffing once the chicken is back in form, too.
3
Secure the sides together. Stick two toothpicks through the top and bottom layers of the chicken breast. Position both near the open edge, and place one near the upper edge and the other near the bottom edge.^{[8]
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- If preferred, you could tie the chicken breast together using clean kitchen twine instead of using toothpicks.
- Note that this is usually only necessary if you follow the butterfly technique. You probably won't need to do this if you used the pocket technique.

Part 4

Part 4 of 4:

Cooking the Chicken

1
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit (200 degrees Celsius). Meanwhile, prepare a baking sheet by lining it with parchment paper or aluminum foil. Coating it with nonstick cooking spray would also work.
- Note that it might be in your best interest to preheat the oven before you begin preparing the chicken and stuffing depending on how long it takes your oven to preheat.
2
Season the top of the chicken as desired. The simplest way to dress up the top of the chicken breast is to brush it with a little butter, which will help it brown, before sprinkling it with some salt and ground black pepper.^{[9]
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- Another option would be to coat the chicken breast in breadcrumbs. This can create an elegant appearance and an interesting texture.
  - Dredge both sides of the chicken breast with flour.
  - Dunk the chicken breast into a bowl of lightly beaten eggs. Allow the excess to drip off.
  - Toss the chicken breast into a dish of dry bread crumbs, coating both sides.
- You could also try brushing the chicken with a sauce or glaze. For instance, if you decided to skip the marinara sauce inside the cheesy pepperoni stuffed chicken, you could still spread a thin layer on top of the closed chicken breast before baking it.
3
Bake for 20 minutes. Place the chicken breasts into the preheated oven and cook them for 20 to 25 minutes, or until they are fully cooked.^{[10]
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- The most accurate way to test for doneness is with an instant read meat thermometer. Insert the thermometer into the thickest part of the chicken breast. If the dish is done, the thermometer should read 165 degrees Fahrenheit (74 degrees Celsius).
- If you don't have a cooking thermometer, pierce the chicken with a knife. The juices should run clear if the chicken is done.
4
Enjoy. Remove the stuffed chicken breast from the oven and remove any toothpicks or kitchen twine. Serve the dish immediately to enjoy the best taste.