Stuffed Chicken Breasts Recipe

Cooked Gorgonzola Stuffed Chicken in pan sauce garnished with fresh thyme.

5 from 1 vote

Stuffed Chicken Breasts makes a great weeknight family dinner, and is perfect for special occasions, holidays, or romantic date nights. Make ahead for entertaining, and has the best sauce with only one pan and a tiny bowl to clean! Try lots of different stuffings and ingredients.

Prep Time30

Cook Time40

Total Time1 10

Course: Dinner & Main Dishes

Cuisine: American

Keyword: chicken breast recipe, gorgonzola chicken, stuffed chicken, stuffed chicken breast recipe

Servings: servings

Calories: 230kcal

Author: Lisa Hatfield

Equipment

Ingredients

4 skinless boneless chicken breasts approximately 32 oz package

gorgonzola leek stuffing

1 tablespoon butter
1 teaspoon kosher sea salt
1 teaspoon fresh cracked pepper
2 cups thinly sliced leeks 1 small leek
½ cup gorgonzola crumbled
1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves

chicken seasoning

1 teaspoon kosher sea salt
1 teaspoon fresh cracked pepper
2 tablespoons Hungarian paprika smoked, not hot!

pan sauce

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

extra thyme sprigs for garnish

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Instructions

Prepare chicken stuffing

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.
Add the sliced leeks, and saute' over medium heat about 5-8 minutes until soft and light brown. Add ¼ 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 ½ cup gorgonzola cheese, and 1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves. Mix until combined, set aside.

Stuff chicken breasts

Use a sharp knife and cutting board, and trim fat bits from the chicken. A small paring knife works to cut a pocket into each chicken breast. Start at the thickest end, place your palm on top of the chicken, 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.
Make the chicken 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, set on a plate.

Pan saute chicken

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

Make pan sauce

Chop the shallot finely, and 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 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.
Remove the toothpicks, place the breasts back in the pan, and 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.
Serve chicken with a nice salad. Spoon sauce over the chicken, and garnish with fresh thyme sprigs.

Notes

Side Dish Pairings

Rice pilaf, fingerling potatoes, parmesan risotto, mashed potatoes, or grilled asparagus.

Make-Ahead Tips

Brown the chicken, make the pan sauce and cool the pan for 45 minutes on the counter. Then cover the pan with chicken breasts and sauce, and place in the fridge until an hour before dinner.
I used a small roasting pan with handles that fit into my fridge (my cooking pan wouldn't fit so check first). Pull out the roasting pan about 30 minutes before cooking, and preheat the oven to bake 375.
Bake in the oven for about 30 minutes. Be sure there are no toothpicks. This will finish cooking the chicken and heat the sauce. Serve on warm plates, spoon sauce on chicken, and garnish with thyme sprigs. Enjoy!

Variations & Swaps

Cheese Stuffing: Stuff in cheddar cheese, feta cheese, shredded mozzarella cheese, or Swiss cheese.

Cheese Mixture Variations: Another option is to swap in some cream cheese for a milder flavor. Stuff with mixed cheeses and cream cheese for the mixture you select, it will be delicious. You can add some Italian seasoning or chopped fresh herbs like rosemary or basil.

Cornbread Stuffing: Stuff some baked cornbread stuffing inside the chicken breasts.

Spinach Stuffed Chicken Breast: Saute fresh spinach into a cheese mixture with some fresh herbs to stuff the chicken. Use cheeses you like or have on hand!

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