Stuffed Chicken Breasts

Last Updated October 31st, 2022 at 11:04 pm by Lisa

Stuffed Chicken Breasts makes a great weeknight family dinner, and is perfect for special occasions, holidays, or romantic date nights. This dinner can be made ahead for entertaining and has the best sauce with only one pan and a tiny bowl to clean!

Years ago, I learned to make a similar recipe in cooking school, and this became one of my all-time favorite chicken breast recipes plus it is low-carb. Full of deep rich flavors, and you can use so many flavorfull fillings tucked inside. Drizzle with the easy pan sauce, and serve this gorgeous dinner...

PRO TIP: For entertaining, make the chicken and sauce, refrigerate, and finish in the oven right before your party. You will be a kitchen superstar, relax, and enjoy being with your guests!

Stuffed Chicken Breast Recipe

Step 1: Make The Stuffing

• 1 tablespoon butter
• 1 teaspoon sea salt
• 1 teaspoon fresh cracked black pepper
• 2 cups thinly sliced leeks (1 small leek)
• ½ cup gorgonzola crumbled (or cheese of your choice!)
• 1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves

1. Clean and finely slice the leeks. See my recipe post for tips, set those aside. In an extra-large heavy skillet, melt butter, sea salt, and cracked pepper.
2. Add the sliced leeks, and saute over medium heat for about 5-8 minutes until soft and light brown. Add ¼ cup white wine, and cook for 2 minutes over medium heat.
3. Turn off the heat, and transfer this mixture to a small mixing bowl and cool. Once cool, add ½ cup gorgonzola cheese, and 1 tablespoon of fresh thyme leaves. Mix until combined, and set aside.

Step 2: Stuff The Chicken Breasts

• 4 skinless boneless chicken breasts (approximately 32 oz package)
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon fresh cracked pepper
• 2 tablespoons Hungarian paprika smoked, not hot!

1. Use a sharp knife and cutting board, and trim fat bits from the meat. A small paring knife works to cut a pocket into each breast. Start at the thickest end, place your palm on top of the breast, insert a paring knife, and carefully move the knife back and forth to open slicing slowly to form a pocket without piercing all the way through to the other side.
2. Make the seasoning, in a small bowl mix salt, pepper, and paprika. Set aside. Using a regular teaspoon, fill the pocket with about 2-3 tablespoons of the leek stuffing mixture. Insert 2 toothpicks to close up the pocket and keep it closed while cooking. Sprinkle the dry season mix on both sides of the stuffed breasts, and set on a plate.

Step 3: Pan Saute Chicken

1. Heat extra-large skillet on medium-high heat. Add 2 tablespoons olive oil, and swirl around the pan to coat.
2. Place stuffed breasts in pan and sear until brown about 6 minutes per side, or until nice golden color. Use tongs to turn until golden brown on each side of the breasts.
3. Remove the golden brown breasts from the pan and rest on a platter. Don't clean the pan yet!

Step 4: Finish Cooking In The Pan Sauce

• 1 shallot finely diced
• 1 cup white wine
• 2 tablespoons fresh thyme leaves stems removed
• 1 cup chicken stock bone broth
• 1 tablespoon cornstarch

1. Chop the shallot finely. Whisk 1 tablespoon of cornstarch into 1 cup of chicken stock, this will thicken the pan sauce. In the same extra-large pan you sauteed the chicken, add the chopped shallot, and stir for about 2 minutes until soft. Add 1 cup white wine, 1 cup chicken stock/cornstarch mixture, and fresh thyme leaves. Gently scrape brown bits from the pan using a wooden spoon or spatula. Cook the pan sauce for 5 minutes on medium heat until slightly thickened.
2. Remove the toothpicks, and place the breasts back in the pan, turn the heat down to medium-low. Let the chicken simmer in sauce on the stove for another 10 minutes until cooked through. Check with a good meat thermometer, for an internal temperature of 165 degrees f. I love my Thermoworks Thermapen, it is so easy to use, very accurate, and will last for years.
3. Serve stuffed chicken with a nice salad and spoon the hot sauce over, and garnish with fresh thyme sprigs.

Take a look at my recipe to make your own homemade Stock bone broth...

How to Clean and Slice Leeks

1. On a stable cutting board, trim the root end off and discard. Next, remove 5 inches of the top dark green leaves, leaving the lighter green leek leaves. (The dark part is tough but is great in chicken stocks and bone broths!)
2. Then, from the root end slice up all the way through the leek but leave the top end connected, this is so you can soak and wash the dirt but not have leaves everywhere!
3. Soak both ends of the leeks in a bowl of water, once most of the dirt is removed slice all the way through so you have two halves.
4. Change the water in the bowl, and rinse the leeks halves again. Keep washing and changing the water several times as you fan the leaves open underwater to be sure they are clean. And keep changing the water until clear.
5. Once clean, move to a cutting board. Now slice all the way through the leeks, and slice into thin strips for your recipe.

But, when you take a bite of this chicken for the first time, I bet you will make it again and again. Happy cooking!

More Stuffed Chicken Recipe Ideas

More Chicken Recipes To Try!

Sheet Pan Chicken with croutons and small potatoes takes 20 minutes to prep and this entire sheet pan dinner bakes in 50 minutes. Easy pretzel-coated Honey Mustard Chicken can be on the table for your family in under an hour, with four simple store-bought ingredients and a 10-minutes to put together.

Grill Hawaiian Huli Huli Chicken, and pineapple, and add some coconut lime rice into pineapple bowls. A gorgeous way to entertain for luaus, graduation celebrations, pool parties, or summer cookouts.

A super easy Chicken Enchilada Casserole layered with corn tortillas, Mexican Oaxaca cheese, black olives, shredded chicken, and fire-roasted salsa verde for added depth of flavor from south of the border.

The classic flavors from simple ingredients make this the Best Homemade Chicken Noodle Soup recipe. Keep shredded, sliced, cubed, or finely Diced Chicken ready to go so you can whip out easy chicken dinner recipes in a rush saving time and money. Learn how to make your own homemade Chicken Stock, also known as bone broth. This recipe has all the step-by-step instructions, on how to freeze it, plus 15 delicious new recipe ideas.

Chicken Gnocchi Soup is so easy to put together and loaded with creamy shredded meat, vegetables, and gnocchi which are soft puffy "Italian dumplings".