Spinach and feta stuffed chicken
Chicken breasts filled with garlicky spinach, feta and cream cheese, seared and finished in the oven.
- Hands-on
- 25 min
- Total time
52 min, show breakdown
- Prep 20 min
- Cook 25 min
- Clean up 7 min
- Pans
- 1
- Ingredients
- 7
- Cost/serving
- $3.77
Per serving
- Calories
- 413
- Protein
- 50 g
- Fiber
- 1.3 g
- Net carbs
- 2.6 g
- Fat
- 21 g
High in (% Daily Value per serving): Vitamin K 186%, Niacin (B3) 124%, Vitamin B6 107%, Selenium 92%, Riboflavin (B2) 48%, Vitamin A 35%, Vitamin B12 32%, Folate 26%, Magnesium 23%, Thiamin (B1) 22%, Potassium 21%, Zinc 21%
Whole recipe (): . Full nutrition facts, vitamins and minerals. All nutrition is estimated; check your own labels.
Everything else is scaled from this.
Nutrition per serving is the whole batch divided by this.
Already egg-free, gluten-free, nut-free, soy-free.
Ingredients for 2
Tap an ingredient for other units and forms.
You changed this recipe. Nutrition and cost include your changes. This combination hasn't been tested.
- 2 breasts chicken breast, boneless skinless (400 g)
3 cups baby spinach (90 g)
Same amount as: 720 mL.
¼ cup feta, crumbled (38 g)
Same amount as: 60 mL.
2 tbsp cream cheese (29 g)
Same amount as: 30 mL.
1 clove garlic, smashed (3 g)
Same amount as: 1 tsp fresh minced garlic, ½ tsp jarred minced garlic, ⅛ tsp garlic powder.
1 tbsp olive oil (14 g)
Same amount as: 15 mL.
½ tsp paprika (1.1 g)
Same amount as: 2 mL.
- salt, to taste
- black pepper, to taste
Use the menu next to each ingredient to skip it, halve it or add more. Nutrition updates as you go. The main ingredient changes with servings instead.
Amount for everything you're cooking. Missing an ingredient? Ask for it.
Healthier swaps
Optional. Nutrition and cost update as you choose; the recipe was written with the original.
Optional
Adds about 0 kcal per serving.
Quantities are for 2 servings. Use an oven-safe skillet. Up to 4 breasts fit in a 30 cm pan.
Nutrition Facts
2 servings per recipe
Serving size 1 plate (288 g raw)
| Nutrient | Per serving | % DV* | Whole recipe |
|---|---|---|---|
| Calories | 413 | ||
| Total fat | 21 g | 27% | |
| Saturated fat | 7.8 g | 39% | |
| Cholesterol | 179 mg | 60% | |
| Sodium | 537 mg | 23% | |
| Total carbohydrate | 3.9 g | 1% | |
| Dietary fiber | 1.3 g | 5% | |
| Total sugars | 1.5 g | ||
| Net carbs† | 2.6 g | ||
| Protein | 50 g | 100% | |
| Vitamin D | 0.36 mcg | 2% | |
| Calcium | 166 mg | 13% | |
| Iron | 2.3 mg | 13% | |
| Potassium | 973 mg | 21% | |
| Vitamin A | 311 mcg | 35% | |
| Vitamin C | 13 mg | 15% | |
| Vitamin E | 2.6 mg | 17% | |
| Vitamin K | 223 mcg | 186% | |
| Thiamin (B1) | 0.26 mg | 22% | |
| Riboflavin (B2) | 0.63 mg | 48% | |
| Niacin (B3) | 20 mg | 124% | |
| Vitamin B6 | 1.8 mg | 107% | |
| Folate | 103 mcg | 26% | |
| Vitamin B12 | 0.77 mcg | 32% | |
| Magnesium | 98 mg | 23% | |
| Zinc | 2.3 mg | 21% | |
| Selenium | 50 mcg | 92% |
Estimated, not verified. These numbers are calculated from typical ingredient data and haven't been checked against a lab or your brands. Check the labels of what you buy and confirm anything that matters to you, especially sodium, sugar and allergens.
* % Daily Value shows how much one serving adds to a 2,000-calorie day. † Net carbs is not on US labels; it is total carbs minus fiber, allulose, erythritol and half of other sugar alcohols. "To taste" amounts are counted as written. Counted items (eggs, cloves, spoons) use the rounded amount shown in the ingredient list. Vitamins and minerals are from raw ingredients; cooking lowers some, especially vitamin C and folate. How this is calculated.
Steps
Heat the oven to 200 °C / 400 °F. Mince the garlic.
Heat ½ tbsp oil in the skillet on medium. Cook the spinach and garlic 2 minutes, stirring, until wilted. Move to a bowl and cool 5 minutes.
Squeeze the spinach hard over the sink. Chop it and mix with the feta and cream cheese.
Done looks like: A thick filling that holds its shape on a spoon, not wet. Lay each breast flat. Cut a deep pocket into the thick side, stopping 1 cm (½ in) from the other edges. Spoon in the filling and press the opening closed. Rub the outside with paprika, salt and pepper.
Wipe out the skillet. Heat the rest of the oil on medium-high. Sear the breasts 3 minutes a side.
Done looks like: Golden brown on both sides. Move the skillet to the oven. Bake 15–18 minutes. Check the thickest part of the meat, not the filling. Rest 5 minutes.
Done looks like: Thermometer in the meat reads 74 °C / 165 °F or higher.
Equipment
Large frying pan or skillet, 30 cm (12 in) $25–60
What to look for
- Wide flat base so food cooks in one layer
- Stainless steel or cast iron for high heat
Skip: Woks on flat electric stoves; they do not heat evenly there.
Instant-read digital thermometer $10–30
What to look for
- Reads in 5 seconds or less
- Thin probe tip
- Shows °C and °F
Skip: Dial thermometers that take 20+ seconds.
Silicone spatula $5–12
What to look for
- One-piece (no seam where the head meets the handle)
- Stiff enough to scrape, safe on non-stick
Skip: Wooden spatulas for non-stick pans; they work but do not scrape as cleanly.
Chef's knife, 20 cm (8 in) $15–50
What to look for
- Comfortable handle that does not slip when wet
- Blade you can sharpen, or a cheap one you replace every few years
Skip: Knife blocks with 12 knives. A chef's knife and a small paring knife cover almost everything.
Cutting board $10–30
What to look for
- At least 30 × 40 cm (12 × 16 in), so food stays on it
- Wood or plastic; plastic goes in the dishwasher
Skip: Glass or stone boards. They dull knives fast.
What goes wrong
| What | Cause | Fix |
|---|---|---|
| Filling leaks out | Pocket cut through the side, or overstuffed. | Stop cutting 1 cm (½ in) from the edges. Leave a little room at the opening. |
| Watery filling | Spinach not squeezed. | Let it cool, then squeeze until almost no liquid drips out. |
| Outside dry before the middle is done | Very thick breasts. | Pound the thick end to an even 3 cm (1¼ in) before cutting the pocket. |
Notes
Allergies: removing an allergen from the recipe does not remove it from your kitchen or from other products. Check labels for "may contain" warnings.
Pregnancy: Cook to at least 74 °C / 165 °F in the thickest part of the meat. Use pasteurized feta and cream cheese.