Recipe Overview
Why you’ll love it: Spinach and feta stuffed chicken is a great weeknight meal but fancy enough to impress guests as well. You’ll love the flavors and the presentation. The recipe is not difficult and it really is great tasting.
How long it takes: 1 hour (just 15 minutes prep time)
Equipment you’ll need: sharp knife, skillet, baking dish, oven
Servings: 4 (it’s really easy to double this recipe)
Don’t you think anything that’s stuffed looks kind of fancy? Stuffing just dresses things up a bit. Think stuffed turkey, stuffed peppers, or stuffed mushrooms.
Stuffing adds lots of flavor, too. Plain chicken breasts are rather ho-hum but with this garlicky spinach and feta stuffing, you won’t be thinking ho-hum anymore. The Greek flavors of feta and spinach, along with the crispy panko coating make this chicken dish something really special.
Stuffed baked Greek chicken is fancy enough to serve to guests but it isn’t fancy to make. It’s actually pretty easy. I mean, it’s a little more fussy than making shredded chicken in the Instant Pot. That’s about as easy as you can get, with only two ingredients.
But this stuffed chicken isn’t difficult. If I can do it, so can you! And you have an advantage because I’m going to tell you how.
About this stuffed chicken
It’s all in the cut! The trick to making these is cutting them properly. Keep reading for how to do it. You’ll need a good sharp knife. And please be careful! We don’t want any knife injuries.
Once you’ve mastered the cut, there’s lots more stuffed chicken recipes for you to try. Check out the list below in the section More “Fancy” Chicken Recipes. There’s even a recipe for portobello mushrooms stuffed with chicken. Instead of stuffing the chicken, you’ll stuff the mushrooms!
I’ll run through the recipe here and get you started. If you prefer, skip right on down to the recipe card.
Ingredient Notes
- Boneless Skinless Chicken Breasts: This cut of meat is the easiest to stuff. You don’t have to maneuver around bones or skin. Look for a package with 4 smaller sized pieces. Larger ones will work too but will have to be cut into halves before serving.
- Spinach: To keep things really easy, I like to use a package of frozen chopped spinach. If you prefer, fresh spinach works fine too.
- Onion and Garlic: Chopped finely, onion and garlic give the stuffing good flavor. More garlic is added to the breading.
- Feta Cheese: A container of crumbled feta is perfect. A block of feta is good too; you’ll just have to crumble it yourself, no biggie. Don’t buy fat-free feta for this dish because it has a lot of additives and doesn’t taste as good.
- Ground Black Pepper and Freshly Grated Nutmeg: You’ll love the subtle flavor nutmeg adds to the stuffing.
- Panko Breadcrumbs: Because panko has coarser airier crumbs than regular breadcrumbs, it gives the breading a crispier texture. It’s mixed with melted butter, dried oregano leaves, and a pinch of salt.
How To Make Stuffed Chicken Breasts
Butterfly the chicken breasts. This creates a pocket for the stuffing. Place a boneless skinless chicken breast flat on a cutting board. Make a slice through the middle, horizontally, from side to side, but not all the way through. Leave a “hinge” on one side.
Open the sliced breast like a book. This is called butterflying the chicken breast because you end up with two wings connected in the middle. Don’t worry if you accidentally cut all the way through and end up with two pieces. It will still work just fine.
Make the stuffing. Sauté the chopped onions and garlic in a small skillet until they soften. Stir in a package of frozen spinach, thawed and squeezed as dry as you can. Add a sprinkle of nutmeg, and season with salt and pepper. Stir in feta cheese.
Stuff the chicken. Divide the stuffing evenly between the butterflied breasts. Put the stuffing on one side, and fold the other side of the chicken over the stuffing. Some will spill out the sides but that’s okay. Place the chicken in a greased baking dish.
Add the panko topping. I love the crisp panko topping on this chicken. Just sprinkle it on the folded chicken breasts and kind of pat it on. Again, some will spill off but don’t worry.
Bake. Pop the chicken into the oven and bake for 40 to 50 minutes or until the chicken is done!
Serve. A nice green arugula salad goes well with the chicken. Easy garlic roasted potatoes are a good side choice, too. Mediterranean green bean salad complements it perfectly too.
Recipe Variations
- Substitute another green. Baby kale, Swiss chard, arugula, or any other tender green can be substituted.
- Add ins: If you want to jazz up the filling a little more, add finely chopped sun-dried tomatoes or kalamata olives. Increase the garlic if you like.
- Make this dish gluten-free and keto-friendly. Omit the breading. Simply season the chicken breasts with salt, pepper, and a little sprinkle of oregano and spray lightly with olive oil spray before baking.
If you’re thinking this is a great recipe for a dinner party, you’re right! It has a really nice presentation and you can make it ahead so it’s all ready to pop into the oven at dinner time.
Simply prepare the chicken breasts, making sure the stuffing is cool before stuffing the breasts. Arrange them in a baking dish, top with the panko breading, and cover the dish tightly. Refrigerate up to 24 hours in advance.
Take the dish out of the fridge about 15 minutes before baking to warm up a bit. Bake as directed in a preheated oven.
Refrigerate/Freeze: If you have leftover chicken, cover and refrigerate it for up to 3 days. It can be frozen for up to a month. Thaw overnight in the fridge before heating for best results.
Reheat: Bake the chicken in the oven or toaster oven for 10 minutes at 350ºF or until heated through. It can also be reheated in the microwave but the panko will not be crispy. If you have an air fryer, it works well for reheating, too.
Free Meal Plan
Interested in a weekly meal plan that includes this recipe? Take a look at Meal Plan #74. You’ll find a wholesome recipe for each weekday plus a categorized grocery list. We add a new meal plan weekly.
More “Fancy” Chicken Recipes
Now that you have stuffed chicken mastered, you’re going to want to try these recipes:
- Hasselback Chicken with Spinach and Artichoke
- Bacon Wrapped Chicken with Avocado and Cheddar
- Apple Gouda Stuffed Chicken Breasts
- Fajita Stuffed Chicken
- Feta Stuffed Chicken Breasts with Sun-Dried Tomatoes and Kale
- Healthier Chicken Cordon Bleu
- Chicken Parmesan Stuffed Portobello Mushrooms
- Roasted Chicken – the EASIEST recipe!
Spinach and Feta Stuffed Chicken
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- ⅓ cup finely chopped onion (about ½ onion)
- 2 large cloves garlic, finely chopped, divided
- 1 box (10 oz.) frozen chopped spinach, thawed, excess liquid pressed out
- ½ cup crumbled feta cheese
- ¼ teaspoon ground pepper
- ⅛ teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg (or ground nutmeg)
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 1 cup panko breadcrumbs
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
- 2 lbs. skinless boneless chicken breasts (3 to 4)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 425ºF. Prepare a baking dish or pan by spraying lightly with cooking spray.
- Heat olive oil in a small skillet over medium heat. Add onion and two-thirds of the garlic and cook until softened, 3 to 4 minutes. Transfer to a bowl to cool slightly, then add the spinach and feta; season with pepper and nutmeg.1 tablespoon olive oil, ⅓ cup finely chopped onion, 2 large cloves garlic, finely chopped, divided, 1 box (10 oz.) frozen chopped spinach, thawed, excess liquid pressed out, ½ cup crumbled feta cheese, ¼ teaspoon ground pepper, ⅛ teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
- Add butter to skillet, heat until melted. Turn off the heat and add panko, remaining garlic, oregano, and salt; toss to combine.2 tablespoons unsalted butter, 1 cup panko breadcrumbs, 1 teaspoon dried oregano, ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
- Split each chicken breast across, but not through, and open like a book (be careful, you can easily cut yourself doing this!). Stuff with the spinach and feta mixture, dividing the stuffing evenly, and letting the stuffing overflow at the edges. Fold the top half of the chicken back over the stuffing. Place each chicken breast in the baking dish, sides not touching, and top evenly with the breadcrumbs.2 lbs. skinless boneless chicken breasts
- Bake until the juices run clear, or until internal temperature measures 165°F with an instant read thermometer, about 45-50 minutes.
Notes
- Add ins: Add extra garlic, chopped sun-dried tomatoes, or kalamata olives to the stuffing.
- Keto or gluten-free: Omit the breading. Season chicken breasts with salt, pepper, and dried oregano. Spray lightly with olive oil spray before baking.
- Make Ahead Tip: Prepare the chicken breasts, making sure the stuffing is cool before stuffing the breasts. Arrange them in a baking dish, top with the panko breading, and cover the dish tightly. Refrigerate up to 24 hours in advance. Remove from refrigerator 15 minutes in advance. Bake as directed in a preheated oven.
Video
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Did You Make This?Share a comment and rating below! I love hearing what you think!
Love this recipe. I doubled the stuffing portion and baked the extra as a side dish. It went fast!
So happy you liked it! Thank you for taking the time to leave a review!
Super easy. Huge hit with the family. Everyone loved it!
I’m so glad to hear that! Thank you for leaving a review!
Dry , overcooked. Needs more moisture. What a waste of money.
Sorry to hear that. We love this recipe.
Nice flavor but the bake time was too long. I took it out early and the chicken was still very dry.
It definitely depends on the size of your chicken breasts. Sorry to hear yours came out overcooked.
sounds wonderful
It’s so yummy!
This sounds delicious. My husband can’t eat spinach. What can I substitute for this?
Can he have kale? That would be a great substitution.
I just made this for the first time, and it was a huge hit! I made a couple of changes by doubling the feta to a full cup, halved the bread crumbs to a half cup, and I added about a half cup of diced mushrooms to the onion and garlic mixture, when I sautéed it.
**I have a Tip for slicing, dicing, or splitting chicken breasts, that I’ve used for years. Place the breasts on a plate or board, cover with plastic, and place in the freezer, before doing any of the prep work, and leave them in the freezer for about an hour, while doing the prep work. This will firm them up, without freezing them. For me, this makes the handling & cutting so much easier, and less likely to cut yourself.
Thanks for taking the time to leave a comment and for the helpful tip! You’re right that partially frozen meat does cut much more easily. Glad you liked the recipe!
I served this dish with homemade garlic and parsley butter seasoned angel hair pasta, and pull apart yeast rolls, that I use frozen bread loaf dough to make. Sooo good!
Yum! Sounds like the perfect dinner!
Very disappointing. I made this exactly as the recipe directed. It looks great, but was very bland; unexceptional at best. We will probably scrape out the spinach/feta stuffing, chop up the chicken and make chicken salad.
I was very hopeful that this would be THE chicken recipe, but no way.
Sorry to hear that – we love this recipe! There are a lot of other great chicken recipe on my site though, maybe you’ll find THE one! https://www.rachelcooks.com/category/recipes-type/main-dish/chicken/
We had this at Rachel's this past weekend–Yummy! And since I helped make it, I can vouch that it's easy but looks impressively hard. Mom