Last Updated June 23rd, 2020 at 10:17 am by Lisa
One pan Gorgonzola Leek Stuffed Chicken is a hit for entertaining, special occasions, or a romantic date night dinner.
Years ago, I learned this recipe at a cooking school. And over the years, I have made this amazing stuffed chicken countless times. An absolute favorite recipe for my friends and family.
For dinner, caramelize the stuffed chicken, drizzle with the easy pan sauce, and serve right away.
For entertaining, make the chicken and sauce, refrigerate, and finish in oven right before your party. You will be a kitchen superstar, relax, and enjoy being with your guests.
Isn’t this a gorgeous dish?
Let me list the reasons I LOVE this recipe:
perfect for a romantic date night dinner
one pan (and a tiny bowl) to clean
make it ahead for entertaining
deep amazing delicious flavors
people ask for the recipe
inexpensive ingredients
looks gorgeous
And….this pan sauce, oh my it is just that good…
How to Clean and Slice Fresh Leeks:
Make Chicken Breast Pockets for Stuffing:
Make The Gorgonzola Leek Stuffing:
Next, Stuff and Season Chicken Breasts:
Caramelize Stuffed Chicken Breasts:
After the chicken is caramelized and brown, rest them on a plate. Next, you will make the easy pan sauce, that is worth every bit of time it takes to pull together.
Make the Pan Sauce:
Then place the chicken back into the pan, remove the toothpicks, and at this point you could cool it down and keep refrigerated until your ready to pop into the oven to finish cooking or reheat for your party.
Oh my gosh, this recipe always gets me hungry!
More Chicken Recipes:
And there you have it, my friends. Yes, this recipe has a few steps. But, when you take a bite of this chicken for the first time, I bet you will make it again and again. Happy cooking!
All The Best Dishes,
Lisa
XO
Gorgonzola Leek Stuffed Chicken (One Pan)
Ingredients
- 32 oz skinless/boneless chicken breasts
stuffing:
- 1 tablespoon butter
- 1 teaspoon kosher sea salt
- 1 teaspoon fresh cracked pepper
- 2 cups thinly sliced leeks 1 small leek
- 1/2 cup gorgonzola crumbled
- 1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves
pan sauce:
- 1 shallot finely diced
- 1 cup white wine
- 2 tablespoons fresh thyme leaves stems removed
- 1 cup chicken stock
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch
dry seasoning mix:
- 1 teaspoon kosher sea salt
- 1 teaspoon fresh cracked pepper
- 2 tablespoons Hungarian paprika
extra thyme sprigs for garnish
Instructions
Prepare dry seasoning mixture:
- In a small bowl mix salt, pepper and paprika.
Prepare stuffing:
- In an extra-large heavy skillet, melt butter, salt, and pepper.
- Add the sliced leeks, and saute’ over medium heat about 5-8 minutes until soft and light brown. Add 1/4 cup white wine, and cook 2 minutes over medium heat. Turn off heat, and transfer this mixture to a small mixing bowl and cool. Once cool, add 1/2 cup gorgonzola cheese, 2 teaspoons of fresh thyme. Mix until combined, set aside.
Prepare chicken breasts:
- On a cutting board, trim fat bits from chicken. Use a small paring knife to cut a pocket into each chicken breast. Start at the thickest end, place palm on top of the chicken, insert paring knife and carefully move knife back and forth to open a pocket without piercing all the way through to the other side.
- 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. Sprinkle the dry season mix on both sides of the stuffed breasts.
Pan saute chicken:
- Heat extra-large skillet on medium-high heat. Add 2 tablespoons olive oil, swirl around pan to coat.
- Place stuffed chicken breasts in pan and brown 6 minutes per side, or until nice golden color.
- Remove the golden brown breasts from the pan and rest on a platter. (don’t clean the pan yet!)
Make pan sauce:
- Whisk 1 tablespoon cornstarch into 1 cup 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 remaining white wine, 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.
- Place the breasts back in the pan, turn the heat down to medium-low.
- Let chicken simmer in sauce on the stove for another 10 minutes until chicken is cooked through.
These are melt in your mouth good. I love that you can do most of the labor ahead and then just pop it in the oven the next day. Those are the best kinds of recipes short of having Lisa at your house to make it all. 🙂
What do you recommend as side dishes with the chicken breasts stuffed with gorgenzola and leeks? Would oven roasted root vegetables be too much competing flavor? Serve it over polenta?
Hello Linda, I have served this dish for company with a nice green salad, and roasted vegetables would be quite nice! You could serve it with rice or polenta, that would be delicious. Sometimes I serve this dish with garlic bread and even mashed potatoes would be a good side dish. Good luck, I LOVE this recipe, it is one I have made for years!