Mediterranean Stuffed Chicken
Updated Jun 04, 2021
These stuffed chicken breasts are a flavorful and healthy weeknight meal. Easy to make with simple ingredients, serve them with all of your favorite sides!
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This healthy low carb dinner is so delicious and simple to make! Mediterranean stuffed chicken is a quick and easy weeknight meal that is ready to serve in around 30 minutes and it’s loaded with fresh and vibrant flavors.
Ingredients to make stuffed chicken
- Chicken breasts: Use skinless boneless thick breasts for this recipe. Make sure to pat them dry before adding the seasoning.
- Seasonings: Oregano, paprika, salt and pepper.
- Spinach: I love the pop of color that the spinach adds as well as being a great source of vitamins and minerals.
- Feta cheese: Feta is a Greek cheese made of sheep milk. It has a great rich and tangy flavor.
- Roasted red peppers: For ease and convenience I like to use jarred roasted peppers in this recipe.
- Basil: Fresh basil adds a nice herby quality to the stuffing mixture.
- Kalamata olives: I love to use kalamata olives in any Mediterranean style dishes. They add a great texture and salty flavor.
- Garlic: Use fresh garlic cloves for the best flavor.
- Olive oil: For cooking. I like to use olive oil for flavor but avocado or canola will also work well.
How to make stuffed chicken
Place the ingredients for the stuffing in a bowl and combine. It helps to chop everything small to make it easier to combine it all.
- Create a pocket in each chicken breast using kitchen sheers or a paring knife.
- Season the chicken all over and don’t forget the inside as well.
- Place the mixture inside each breast and secure with toothpicks.
Sear the breasts on the stovetop before baking in the oven and serving.
Tips for stuffing chicken
- Pat the chicken dry before adding the spice rub. Use paper towels to remove any excess moisture from the chicken. This will allow the outside of the chicken to have a wonderful brown crisp.
- Use frozen spinach if you prefer. It works well with frozen spinach, but make sure to thaw completely and drain any excess liquid.
- Don’t overcrowd the pan. If you add all the chicken in one skillet, you may end up steaming the chicken rather than searing it. So, make sure to leave enough space around each chicken breast for proper browning.
- Use an instant-read thermometer for best results. It should ready 165°F for the ideal temperature, and that way the chicken is not undercooked or overly dry.
Frequently asked questions
This recipe will work really well with most veggie, potato and salad side dishes. Try it with:
Cauliflower Fried Rice
Avocado Caprese Salad
Air Fryer Brussel Sprouts
Mediterranean Potato Salad
Baked Sweet Potato Fries
You can make the stuffing mixture two to three days ahead of time and keep it covered in the fridge. You can stuff the breasts earlier in the day and keep them covered and chilled until you are ready to cook them.
These chicken breasts are best served as soon as they are cooked, but if you have leftovers they will keep refrigerated for up to 3 days. You can reheat them covered in the oven at 200°F for about 20 minutes.
Yes, you can stuff these chicken breasts and then freeze them for make ahead meals. Defrost them in the fridge overnight before cooking. If you can, allow the chicken to come to room temperature before cooking them.
More chicken recipes to try
- Chicken Taco Cups
- How to Make Chicken Stock
- Oven Baked Chicken Breast
- Coconut Curry Chicken
- Buffalo Chicken Salad
- Thai Peanut Chicken Stir Fry
If you try this healthy-ish feel good Mediterranean Stuffed Chicken recipe or any other recipe on Feel Good Foodie, then please come back to rate the recipe and leave me a comment below! I would love to hear about your experience making it. And if you snapped some shots of it, share it with me on Instagram so I can repost on my stories!
Mediterranean Stuffed Chicken
Video
Ingredients
- 4 (6-ounce) boneless skinless chicken breasts
- 1 cup baby spinach chopped
- ½ cup crumbled feta cheese
- ¼ cup roasted red peppers chopped
- 2 tablespoons kalamata olives chopped
- 1 tablespoon fresh basil chopped
- 2 garlic cloves minced
- 2 tablespoons olive oil divided
- 2 teaspoons oregano
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- ¾ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400°F.
- Pat the chicken dry with a paper towel. Using a sharp knife, cut a horizontal slit in the thickest part of each breast to create a pocket, being careful not to cut all the way through.
- In a small bowl, combine the spinach, feta, roasted red peppers, olives, basil, garlic, and 1 tablespoon olive oil. Set aside.
- Season the chicken on both sides and inside the pocket with oregano, paprika, salt, and black pepper. Divide the filling evenly among the chicken breasts and close each one with 2 toothpicks.
- Heat the remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil in a large oven-safe skillet over medium-high heat. Sear the chicken for about 3 minutes per side, until golden brown.
- Transfer the skillet to the oven and bake uncovered for 15–18 minutes, or until the chicken is cooked through and reaches 165°F internally. Let rest for 5 minutes before serving.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information provided is an estimate. It will vary based on cooking method and specific ingredients used.
Comments
I love the stuffing part of this. So many times I just make and eat that, sooo good
So glad you like it, Rachel! Thanks!!
This looks amazing! I am trying to put together some freezer meals for a family member having surgery next week and they are gluten free so it’s hard to find recipes. Would you recommend this to freeze? If so, would you cook the chicken ahead of time or freeze it raw? Any suggestions would be hugely appreciated 🙂
You can absolutely freeze this recipe! I recommend stuffing the chicken breasts and freezing them raw. Before cooking, defrost them in the fridge overnight and (ideally) allow the chicken to come to room temperature before cooking them. Hope your family member recovers quickly!
Easy, pretty, and delicious. Had to substitute chopped sundried tomatoes for the roasted red peppers. Once done cooking in the oven, I flipped the chicken breasts over once so the tops would glisten. Then I removed the chicken and added cooked brown rice to the pan drippings to give the rice added flavor. Yumm!
Aww, thank you so much! Love your tip about cooking rice in the drippings. That sounds so good!!
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