These spinach and ricotta stuffed chicken breasts are juicy and golden brown with a delicious cheese center. Serve them with a rustic tomato sauce for a simple healthy meal in under 30 minutes.
Ricotta Stuffed Chicken Breasts
These ricotta stuffed chicken breasts are juicy and cheesy on the inside and golden brown on the outside. Stuffing a chicken breast is a great way to mix things up, and this Italian cheese stuffing with ricotta, mozzarella, and parmesan really hits the spot. The spinach adds color, nutrition, and an earthy flavor. Serve it with a rustic tomato sauce for a fully satisfying tasty meal in under 30 minutes.
Rustic Tomato Sauce For Chicken Breasts
Serve a simple rustic tomato sauce to accompany the stuffed chicken breasts. Use this basic recipe for a hearty marinara sauce. Sweat some chopped onions in olive oil with salt. Once they have softened, add garlic and cook for another two minutes. Do not get any color on the onions or garlic for this sauce. Finally, add tomatoes and simmer for about 20 minutes. Throw in fresh basil and cook for another five minutes. Season with salt and a pinch of red chili flakes if desired.
Ingredients for Spinach and Ricotta Cheese Stuffed Chicken Breast
These simple chicken breasts are stuffed with Italian cheeses and spinach and don’t require many ingredients. The main ingredients are:
- Boneless, skinless chicken breast
- Ricotta
- Mozzarella
- Parmesan
- Spinach
Making Italian Cheese Stuffed Chicken Breast
Mix the ricotta, mozzarella, parmesan, and spinach together to form the filling. Season with salt and pepper.
Butterfly the chicken breast to create a pocket, and then insert the filling into this pocket. Stuff it pretty tight, but not so tight that you rip the chicken. Make sure the stuffing is stable in the chicken breast. You will be moving the chicken breast around and cooking it later and you don’t want things coming apart. Finally, season the top and bottom of each chicken breast with salt and pepper.
Heat the canola oil in a frying pan. Gently lay the chicken breast in the hot oil and cook until they are golden brown, then turn the stuffed chicken breasts on the other side and repeat. Remove to an oven safe dish, cover with foil, and put into a 400 deg oven for about 15 minutes, or until internal temperature reaches 160 deg.
Remove from oven and let rest loosely covered in foil for at least five minutes or more. The internal temperature will continue to rise. Resting properly will ensure a juicier and more evenly cooked chicken breast.
Serving Chicken Breast Stuffed with Spinach and Ricotta
Serve the chicken breast stuffed with spinach and ricotta immediately after chicken has rested. Serve with a rustic tomato sauce and some warm crusty bread.
If you wish to heat up the stuffed chicken breast the next day after refrigeration, place the chicken in an oven safe tray. Fill the bottom of the tray about a quarter inch deep with chicken stock, vegetable stock, or water. Cover the Italian cheese chicken breasts and put into a 350 deg. oven for about 10 to 15 minutes, or until chicken is hot on inside.
Spinach and Ricotta Stuffed Chicken Breasts
Equipment
- Oven
- Stove
Ingredients
- 4 each chicken breast, boneless & skinless
- 0.5 cup ricotta
- 0.25 cup mozzarella
- 0.25 cup parmesan, grated or shredded
- -0.5 cup frozen spinach, thawed and squeezed dry
- 2 tbsp canola oil
- 1 cup tomato sauce
- salt and pepper
Instructions
- Mix ricotta, mozzarella, parmesan, and spinach in a large mixing bowl. Season with salt and pepper.
- Butterfly chicken breast. Stuff them with the ricotta cheese mixture. Season top and bottom of chicken breast well with salt and pepper.
- Preheat oven to 400 deg. Heat canola oil in saute/fry pan on stove. Place chicken breast in hot oil. Cook on each side until golden brown, about three to five minutes per side. Put chicken breasts on an oven safe tray, cover with foil, and bake in oven for about 15 minutes, until just cooked through. The internal temperature should be 160 deg or higher; if not, continue baking in oven. When chicken is done, take out of oven and let rest loosely covered for ten minutes. The internal temperature of the chicken will continue to rise.
- While chicken is in the oven, heat up your homemade tomato sauce for serving. You can use the recipe given above for the chunky marinara sauce. Sweat some onion and garlic in olive oil. Add tomatoes. Simmer for 20 minutes. Add some fresh basil and simmer for another five minutes. Season with salt and a pinch of red pepper flakes if desired.
- Serve the ricotta stuffed chicken with tomato sauce. Add additional parmesan and/or freshly chopped basil if desired.
Check out these other great chicken breast recipes!
- Italian Chicken Cutlets
- Chicken Fritters
- Oven Poached Chicken Breast
- Rigatoni With Chicken in Rose Sauce
- Spicy Kale and Corn Chicken Breasts