Spinach Stuffed Chicken Breast with Sun Dried Tomatoes

This easy spinach-stuffed chicken breast recipe is loaded with a delicious blend of three cheeses, walnuts, and sun dried tomatoes. It’s rich and creamy but not heavy. Plus, it’s ready in 20 minutes!

Chicken breasts sometimes get a bad wrap for boring weeknight dinners. But treating them as a blank canvas for decadent flavors transforms the rather lean meat into a total crowd pleaser. And these spinach stuffed chicken breasts with a melty cheese filling are the perfect example of weeknight chicken done right!

With bright sun dried tomatoes, creamy ricotta cheese, and aromatic oregano, they boast big Italian-style comfort but aren’t overly heavy. They’re the perfect balance of indulgent and nutritious! And, because they cook quickly in one skillet, this recipe is perfect for busy weeknights or a special night in without the fuss.

Table of Contents

1. Spinach Stuffed Chicken Breast Ingredients
2. Swaps and Substitutions 
3. How to Make Spinach Stuffed Chicken Breast
4. What to Serve with Spinach Stuffed Chicken Breast
5. More Chicken Breast Recipes
6. Spinach Stuffed Chicken Breast Recipe

Spinach Stuffed Chicken Breast Ingredients

I wanted this spinach stuffed chicken breast recipe to be very much a “grab on the way home from work” situation. You’ll likely have most of what you need, so you only need to grab a few things! Here are the ingredients: 

• Spinach: Frozen spinach, which is already wilted and shrunk, is the secret to packing loads of this superfood into a recipe with little effort. 
• Walnuts: I prefer walnuts for the filling because they are so buttery-tender that they don’t overwhelm the creamy texture.  
• Sun dried tomatoes add a bright flavor and chewy texture. I prefer the dried variety we sell in our shop over oil-packed but either will do.
• Parsley brings freshness. 
• Garlic adds its signature sweet-savory-bold flavor. 
• Cheese: A 3-cheese mixture of ricotta, mozzarella, and parmesan is rich and flavorful without being heavy.  
• Oregano brings an aromatic quality. Look for Greek oregano, which is earthy and peppery, rather than Mexican oregano which is anise-like. 
• Kosher salt and black pepper enhance the other flavors. 
• Extra virgin olive oil holds the filling together and adds richness. I love our buttery Italian Nocellara with this recipe. 
• Chicken breasts are lean and thick, making them perfect for stuffing. 

Swaps and Substitutions 

The great thing about making stuffed chicken breast is that it’s so easy to customize based on your mood and what you have in your pantry. I went for an Italian-style flair for the filling, but you can tailor it according to what you have on hand. 

• Swapping fresh for frozen spinach: You’ll need to adjust for the difference in volume and water content. To swap 5 ounces of frozen spinach for fresh, start with about 1 pound of fresh spinach. Saute or blanch it until it’s wilted (it will shrink quite a lot), then allow it to cool before pressing or squeezing out the excess moisture. 
• Walnuts: Almonds or pine nuts. 
• Sun-dried tomatoes: Green olives or chopped preserved lemons. 
• Parsley: Basil.
• Oregano: Dried thyme, rosemary, or Italian seasoning. 
• Chicken: If you love stuffed chicken breasts, try spinach stuffed salmon! 

How to Make Spinach Stuffed Chicken Breast

Using frozen spinach is the key to getting spinach stuffed chicken breasts on your table in under 30 minutes. Here are the steps:

• Drain the spinach. Place 5 ounces of thawed frozen spinach into a clean (but not precious) kitchen towel and twist to remove the excess water.
• Make the stuffing. Add the spinach to a medium mixing bowl along with 1/2 cup of chopped walnuts, 6 chopped sun dried tomatoes, 1/4 cup chopped parsley, 2 minced garlic cloves, 1/2 cup ricotta, 1/4 cup shredded mozzarella, 1/4 cup grated parmesan, and 1 teaspoon dried oregano. Season with a pinch of salt and pepper, drizzle with a little olive oil, and mix until well combined.
• Prep the chicken. Pat the chicken breasts dry and season on both sides with salt and pepper. Now, you need to make a pocket in each chicken breast. Lay a chicken breast flat on a cutting board. Place a hand firmly on top of the breast. Insert a good chef’s knife in the thickest part of the breast and slice to make a pocket about 3- to 4-inches wide (only cut 3/4 of the way in or you will split the chicken breast).
• Stuff the chicken breasts. Spoon the stuffing mixture into the pocket of each chicken breast (try to equally divide the stuffing among all four pieces).
• Sear the chicken. In a large cast iron skillet, heat 3 tablespoons olive oil over medium-high heat until shimmering but not smoking. Add the chicken in and cook on one side for 5 to 7 minutes, then turn over and cook on the other side for another 5 minutes or so (chicken’s internal temperature should register 165°F).
• Finish and serve. Remove from heat and allow the chicken 3 to 5 minutes to rest. If you like, slice the chicken into smaller pieces. Garnish with the remaining walnuts, a bit of parsley and sun dried tomatoes. Enjoy!

What to Serve with Spinach Stuffed Chicken Breast

Because chicken breasts are a leaner meat, I like to turn them into a satisfying yet healthy meal with a hearty salad. The flavors of this Italian potato salad are a beautiful complement to the chicken.

A grain salad is another great option–this colorful Mediterranean Quinoa Salad with Peppers, Cucumbers, Olives and Feta would go well with the creamy stuffed chicken.

Of course, you can’t forget dessert! Wrap things up with a lovely lemon tart or a bright and refreshing lemon sorbet. I like a little pop of citrus to balance the richness of the cheesy filling.

More Chicken Breast Recipes

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Italian Baked Chicken Breast Recipe

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Italian-Style Skillet Chicken Breast with Tomatoes and Mushrooms

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Sun Dried Tomato Chicken (No Heavy Cream)

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Chicken Caprese Salad

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This post has recently been updated with new information for readers’ benefit.