Stuffing Stuffed Chicken Breast

You can make stuffing stuffed chicken breast with leftovers from Thanksgiving, or simply when you’re in the mood for some comfort food. This dish uses a classic stuffing recipe, but there’s lots of room to explore here, so be sure to peep our recipe variations too.

Go ahead and follow the recipe and use the oven, or if you’d like, you can saute the chicken breasts in a high-quality frying pan. We like cast iron because it holds heat well and helps give the chicken breast a crispy texture.

Ingredients for Stuffing Stuffed Chicken Breast

• Onion: Onion provides a sweet, savory and slightly pungent flavor to the stuffing. Sweet, white and yellow onion will all work well in this recipe.
• Celery: One of three ingredients in mirepoix, celery has a grassy flavor that balances out rich and sweet dishes.
• Garlic: With its pungent, savory profile, garlic helps to balance some of the more rich and salty flavors in this recipe.
• Butter: Used to saute the celery and onion, butter not only imparts a great flavor, it also adds a lovely mouthfeel. Replace the butter with olive oil, if desired.
• Chicken bouillon granules: This ingredient gives another layer of umami, or savory flavor, to this recipe.
• Bread crumbs: Bread crumbs are the main ingredient for the stuffing, so you’ll want to be sure you use high-quality bread crumbs. Consider making your own bread crumbs from a super absorbent bread like challah or brioche.
• Milk: This recipe calls for fat-free milk, but you can use any variety you’d like. As a liquid ingredient, its main role is to bind the stuffing.
• Seasonings: Three herbs are combined here. Parsley, with its fresh and vegetal profile, helps to lift and brighten the flavors of the stuffing. Although its intensity decreases when dried, a little rosemary can go a long way. What’s more, it’s one of the best herbs to grow indoors. A member of the mint family, thyme is a unique herb that gives great depth of flavor to a dish.
• Chicken: Boneless, skinless chicken breast halves offer the most even texture for flattening and stuffing.
• Black pepper: With its punchy, powerful character, freshly cracked black pepper makes an outsized impact in terms of flavor.

Directions

Step 1: Saute the veg

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In a small nonstick skillet, saute the onion, celery and garlic in 1 tablespoon of the butter until tender.

Step 2: Make the stuffing

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In a large bowl, dissolve the bouillon in the boiling water. Stir in the bread crumbs, milk, herbs and celery mixture. Set the stuffing aside.

Step 3: Prepare the chicken

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Using a mallet, flatten the chicken to 1/4-inch thickness. Sprinkle it with salt and pepper, then spread the stuffing mixture evenly over each chicken breast. Roll up the stuffed chicken breasts and secure them with one or more toothpicks.

Step 4: Bake the stuffed chicken breasts

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Preheat the oven to 350°F. Place the chicken in a 13×9-inch baking dish coated with cooking spray. Bake it, uncovered, for 25 minutes.

Step 5: Add the finishing touches

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Melt the remaining 1 tablespoon butter, and after the first 25 minutes of cooking, brush the butter over the chicken. Bake it for an additional 10 to 15 minutes or until a thermometer reads 170°. Discard the toothpicks and serve.

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Stuffing Stuffed Chicken Breast Variations

• Try a different stuffing: Cornbread, mushroom, wild rice and more—there are plenty of great stuffing recipes you can swap in for the one used in this dish.
• Marinate the chicken: Once you flatten the chicken, why not pop it in a marinade for a few hours? The marinade used in this sheet-pan lemon garlic chicken is a great option.

How to Store Stuffing Stuffed Chicken Breast

First, let any leftovers cool for no more than two hours (this is the food-safety limit). Transfer them to an airtight container and keep it in the fridge for up to four days. You can individually wrap each stuffed chicken breast in reusable beeswax wraps, or simply stack them one on top of another, ensuring there is as little space left in the container as possible.

Can I freeze stuffed chicken breast with stuffing?

To extend its freshness as long as possible, wrap each portion in either foil or reusable beeswax wraps. Place them in a freezer bag or an airtight container, and store it in the freezer for up to two months. When you’re ready, remove only what you plan on eating and allow the stuffed chicken breast to thaw in the fridge overnight.

Stuffing Stuffed Chicken Breast Tips

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What is the best way to stuff chicken breast?

You’ll need the chicken to be flattened before you stuff it, and if you’re unsure, here’s how to flatten chicken.

What can I put on my chicken breasts to keep them moist?

Because chicken breasts are low in fat, they can easily taste dry and bland. We suggest using a brine and learning a few other tricks for how to bake chicken breasts without drying them out.

How do you keep stuffing moist when cooking?

To get the right level of moisture in your stuffing, consider a couple of methods. First, add your liquids slowly so you can gauge how it’s looking and adjust accordingly. You can also add water to a pan and place it on the rack below the chicken. As the water evaporates, it will create a moist environment for the stuffed chicken.