These spinach-stuffed chicken breasts feature cream cheese, cheddar cheese, spinach, and crispy bacon filling! They are elegant enough for a special occasion and easy for weeknight family dinners! So, if you're tired of the same old chicken breast recipes, this is a great way to switch things up!
See what to serve with chicken and what to serve with baked chicken for great side dish ideas!
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I keep a few chicken breasts in the freezer at all times, and I'm always looking for new ways to make them exciting. As much as I love simple baked chicken breasts or air fryer chicken breasts, sometimes I feel like they need a little more oomph!
These chicken breasts are stuffed with creamy bacon and spinach filling and tons of melted cheese. If you're feeling bored with plain old chicken breasts, this recipe will ignite your love for them again!
🥘 Ingredients
I usually have most of these ingredients on hand and only have to grab some spinach, cream cheese, and bacon from the store. The seasonings will be combined to make a seasoning blend and then divided into two equal parts.
- Chicken Breasts - 4 boneless skinless chicken breasts.
- Bacon - 2 strips of thick-cut bacon cooked and chopped. Reserve the grease in the pan.
- Spinach - 3 cups of fresh spinach, chopped.
- Seasonings - 1 teaspoon of both salt & pepper (to taste), ½ tablespoon of Italian seasoning, ½ teaspoon of garlic powder, ½ teaspoon of onion powder or an onion powder substitute, and ½ teaspoon of paprika or a paprika substitute.
- Cream Cheese - 4 ounces (half a block) of cream cheese softened at room temperature.
- Cheddar Cheese - 1 cup of grated cheddar cheese.
*Be sure to see the free printable recipe card below for ingredients, exact amounts & instructions with tips!*
🔪 How To Make Spinach Stuffed Chicken Breasts
When slicing the chicken, be sure not to cut all the way through as if you were butterflying it. You just want to make a pocket for the filling. Grab a knife, measuring utensils, 2 small bowls, a mixing bowl, a spatula, and a 9x13 baking dish to get started.
I typically plan on serving 1 stuffed chicken breast per person, so 4 chicken breasts are 4 servings.
Step 1: Prep. Preheat your oven to 375°F (190°C). Pat 4 boneless skinless chicken breasts (452 grams) dry with paper towels, then slice them open along part of 1 side to form a pocket. Set aside.
Step 2: Cook the bacon. Cook 2 strips (44 grams) of bacon in a skillet over medium-high heat until crispy. Then, transfer it to a paper towel-lined plate to cool slightly before chopping it into bite-sized pieces. Set aside.
Step 3: Wilt the spinach. Add 3 cups (90 grams) of fresh chopped spinach to the pan with the bacon grease and cook until wilted (about 3 minutes). Remove from heat.
Step 4: Make the seasoning blend. Add 1 teaspoon (6 grams) each of salt & pepper, ½ tablespoon (2.5 grams) of Italian seasoning, ½ teaspoon (1.5 grams) of garlic powder, ½ teaspoon (1 gram) of onion powder, and ½ teaspoon (1 gram) of paprika to a small bowl and stir to combine. Divide the seasoning into two equal parts.
Step 5: Make the filling. In a separate mixing bowl, add the softened 4 ounces (114 grams) of softened cream cheese, 1 cup (113 grams) of grated cheddar cheese, the chopped bacon, wilted spinach, and HALF of the seasoning blend from the previous step. Stir to combine.
Step 6: Stuff and season the chicken. Stuff each chicken breast with the spinach and cream cheese mixture until you have used it all. Then, season the breasts on all sides with the remaining seasoning blend.
Step 7: Bake. Put the cream cheese-stuffed chicken breasts into a 9x13 baking dish and bake at 375°F (190°C) for 30-40 minutes or until the chicken is golden brown and no pink remains.
Step 8: Rest and serve. Remove from oven and let rest for 2-3 minutes before serving.
🍽️ What To Serve With Chicken
Serve with any of your favorite chicken dinner sides! You can never go wrong with baked potatoes or ranch roasted potatoes and a green vegetable like steamed broccoli or pan-fried asparagus. Enjoy!
💭 Angela's Pro Tips & Recipe Notes
- Substituting Bacon Grease: If you prefer to omit bacon from the recipe, replace the bacon grease with ½ to 1 tablespoon of cooking oil. This will help in cooking without compromising on moisture and flavor.
- Choosing Spinach: Opt for fresh spinach whenever possible. Fresh spinach is more suitable for baking as it holds up better and contains significantly less moisture compared to frozen spinach.
- Securing the Chicken Breasts: If there's a concern about the filling oozing out during baking, you can secure the chicken breasts with toothpicks or kitchen twine. This will help keep the filling intact while the chicken cooks.
- Avoiding Overcooking for Juiciness: To ensure the chicken remains juicy, be mindful not to overcook it. The safe internal temperature for cooked chicken is 165°F (74°C). Using a meat thermometer can help you achieve the perfect doneness without drying out the chicken.
🥄 Make Ahead Options
You can freeze the stuffed chicken breasts before or after baking (just let them cool off first). Place the chicken breasts into a heavy-duty freezer bag and remove as much air as possible.
🥡 Storing & Reheating
Once your leftovers have cooled to room temperature, they can be transferred to an airtight container and refrigerated for 3-4 days.
Seal tightly and freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw in the fridge overnight before reheating.
Reheating
Place the chicken in a baking dish and cover with foil. Reheat in the oven at 375°F (190°C) for 10-15 minutes or until they reach an internal temperature of 165°F (74°C).
>>>>See all of my recipes here<<<<
❓ Recipe FAQs
Yes, you can use frozen spinach, but I recommend using fresh spinach for the best flavor and texture. If you use frozen spinach, you will need to thaw it and squeeze out as much water as possible. You will only need about half as much frozen spinach as fresh spinach.
Mix other ingredients like chopped sun-dried tomatoes, mushrooms, or sauteed onions into the cream cheese filling. You can also leave out the bacon entirely or swap it for pancetta or diced ham!
You can prepare the spinach and cream cheese filling and cover the bowl with plastic wrap. Before making your chicken breasts, keep it in the fridge for 24 hours. Make sure to stir the filling before stuffing the chicken.
🐔 🍗 😋 More Great Chicken Breast Recipes
- Million Dollar Baked Chicken Breasts - These chicken breasts topped with bacon and 3 kinds of cheese taste like a million bucks!
- Marry Me Chicken - An easy one-pan chicken dinner featuring a creamy sun-dried tomato and Parmesan cheese sauce!
- Chicken Marsala - A Classic Italian comfort food with thin pan-fried chicken breasts slathered in a mushroom wine sauce!
- Shredded Chicken Tacos - Celebrate Taco Tuesday with some flavorful shredded chicken tacos!
- Bisquick Chicken and Dumplings - True Southern comfort food with tender chicken, fluffy dumplings, and lots of tasty veggies in a chicken broth.
- Chicken Parmesan Pizza - Impress your guests with a homemade chicken Parm pizza with crispy sliced chicken cutlets on top!
See all my chicken breast recipes here.
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📖 Recipe Card
Spinach Stuffed Chicken Breasts
Ingredients
- 4 boneless skinless chicken breasts
- 2 strips bacon (thick-cut bacon, cooked and chopped, reserve the grease)
- 3 cups spinach (fresh, chopped)
- 1 teaspoon each, salt & pepper (to taste)
- ½ tablespoon Italian seasoning
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon onion powder
- ½ teaspoon paprika
- 4 oz cream cheese (softened, at room temperature)
- 1 cup cheddar cheese (grated)
(Note: 2x or 3x only changes the ingredient list)
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 375°F (190°C). Pat 4 boneless skinless chicken breasts dry with paper towels, then slice them open along part of 1 side to form a pocket. Set aside.
- Cook 2 strips bacon in a skillet over medium-high heat until crispy. Then, transfer it to a paper towel-lined plate to cool slightly before chopping it into bite-sized pieces. Set aside.
- Add 3 cups spinach to the pan with the bacon grease and cook until wilted (about 3 minutes). Remove from heat.
- Add 1 teaspoon each, salt & pepper, ½ tablespoon Italian seasoning, ½ teaspoon garlic powder, ½ teaspoon onion powder, and ½ teaspoon paprika to a small bowl and stir to combine. Divide the seasoning into two equal parts.
- In a separate mixing bowl, add the softened 4 oz cream cheese , 1 cup cheddar cheese, the chopped bacon, wilted spinach, and HALF of the seasoning blend from the previous step. Stir to combine.
- Stuff each chicken breast with the spinach and cream cheese mixture until you have used it all. Then, season the breasts on all sides with the remaining seasoning blend.
- Put the cream cheese-stuffed chicken breasts into a 9x13 baking dish and bake at 375°F (190°C) for 30-40 minutes or until the chicken is golden brown and no pink remains.
- Remove from oven and let rest for 2-3 minutes before serving.
Notes
- If you want to leave out the bacon, substitute the bacon grease with ½-1 tablespoon of cooking oil.
- You want to use fresh spinach for this recipe when possible. It holds up the best to baking and has significantly less moisture than frozen spinach.
- If you are worried about the filling melting out of the chicken breasts, you can secure them with toothpicks or kitchen twine before baking.
- For the juiciest chicken, be careful not to overcook it. The safe internal temperature for cooked chicken is 165°F (74°C).
- To store: Once your stuffed chicken breasts have cooled to room temperature, they can be transferred to an airtight container and refrigerated for up to 3-4 days.
- To freeze: You can freeze the stuffed chicken breasts before or after baking (just let them cool off first). Place the stuffed chicken breasts into a heavy-duty freezer bag and remove as much air as possible. Seal tightly and freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw in the fridge overnight before reheating.
- To reheat: Place the stuffed chicken breasts in a baking dish and cover with foil. Reheat in the oven at 375°F (190°C) for 10-15 minutes or until they reach an internal temperature of 165°F (74°C).
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