Spinach Ricotta Stuffed Chicken (Printer-friendly)

Tender chicken breasts filled with creamy spinach and ricotta mixture, baked in flavorful tomato sauce.

# What You Need:

→ Chicken

01 - 4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
02 - Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
03 - 1 tablespoon olive oil

→ Filling

04 - 1 cup ricotta cheese
05 - 1 cup fresh baby spinach, chopped
06 - 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
07 - 1 garlic clove, minced
08 - 1/2 teaspoon dried Italian herbs
09 - Zest of 1/2 lemon
10 - Salt and pepper to taste

→ Tomato Sauce

11 - 2 cups canned crushed tomatoes
12 - 1 small onion, finely chopped
13 - 2 garlic cloves, minced
14 - 1 tablespoon olive oil
15 - 1 teaspoon dried oregano
16 - 1/2 teaspoon sugar
17 - Salt and pepper to taste

# Steps:

01 - Preheat the oven to 375°F.
02 - In a mixing bowl, combine ricotta cheese, chopped spinach, Parmesan, minced garlic, Italian herbs, lemon zest, salt, and pepper. Mix until well incorporated.
03 - Using a sharp knife, make a horizontal pocket in each chicken breast, being careful not to cut all the way through. Season both sides with salt and pepper.
04 - Stuff each chicken breast with the ricotta-spinach mixture and secure with toothpicks if needed.
05 - Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in an oven-safe skillet over medium-high heat. Sear the stuffed chicken breasts for 2-3 minutes per side until golden. Remove and set aside.
06 - In the same skillet, add 1 tablespoon olive oil and sauté onion until translucent, about 3 minutes. Add garlic and cook for 1 minute more. Stir in crushed tomatoes, oregano, sugar, salt, and pepper. Simmer for 5 minutes.
07 - Nestle the stuffed chicken breasts into the sauce. Spoon some sauce over the top.
08 - Transfer the skillet to the oven and bake, uncovered, for 20-25 minutes, or until the chicken is cooked through with an internal temperature of 165°F.
09 - Remove toothpicks, sprinkle with extra Parmesan or fresh basil if desired, and serve hot.

# Top Tips:

01 -
  • It looks like something from a restaurant menu but comes together with pantry staples and basic skills.
  • The creamy ricotta filling stays impossibly tender inside the chicken, and the tomato sauce ties everything together with just enough tang.
  • Leftovers reheat beautifully, and somehow taste even better the next day when the flavors have had time to settle in.
02 -
  • Don't skip the searing step, that golden crust adds so much flavor and keeps the chicken from drying out in the oven.
  • If your chicken breasts are uneven in size, the smaller ones will cook faster, so check them individually with a thermometer to avoid overcooking.
  • Let the chicken rest for a few minutes after baking, the juices will redistribute and the filling will set just enough to stay put when you slice in.
03 -
  • Pound the chicken breasts to an even thickness before cutting the pocket, it makes stuffing easier and ensures they cook at the same rate.
  • If the filling starts to leak out during searing, don't panic, just spoon it back in or let it mingle with the sauce, it all tastes good in the end.
  • Use a meat thermometer to check for doneness, guessing leads to overcooked, dry chicken more often than not.
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