Stuffed with gooey mozzarella cheese, sun dried tomatoes and spinach and then marinated in a yogurt and basil pesto sauce, this Pesto Spinach Stuffed Chicken is what dinner dreams are made of!
Gather This
From marinade to stuffing, you only need a handful of simple ingredients to make this pesto spinach stuffed chicken. A full list of ingredients with measurements for this recipe is available in the printable recipe card below.
- Boneless Skinless Chicken Breasts– For any stuffed chicken recipe, the bigger the better. Larger pieces of meat mean you have a higher likelihood to not rip the meat while cutting a pocket, stuffing and baking.
- Plain Greek Yogurt- I promise this will soon be a staple in your fridge after you realize the versatility. It’s thick, creamy and acidic making it perfect for sauces and marinades.
- Pesto
- Coarse kosher salt
- Julienned sundried tomatoes
- Baby spinach
- Mozzarella cheese
- Fresh basil
- Maldon sea salt
Make it A Meal
Chicken pairs with nearly anything from pasta to rice and certainly veggies. I’ve served it over my famous garlic linguine and also almond rice pilaf. Air fryer zucchini, broccoli, a side salad and hearts of palm cakes are also great options.
And come on, bread is always a good option. Cheddar biscuits and the ultimate cheesy garlic bread are my favorites. Or potatoes- you can never go wrong with any type of potato with this pesto spinach stuffed chicken.
Pesto Baked Stuffed Chicken Breasts Recipe
Ingredients
- 4 boneless skinless chicken breasts
- 1 cup plain Greek yogurt
- 1 cup pesto
- 1 teaspoon coarse Kosher salt
- 1/2 cup julienned sun dried tomatoes in oil , drained and patted dry
- 1/2 cup baby spinach
- 1/2 cup mozzarella , shredded
- fresh basil , for garnish
- Maldon sea salt , for garnish
Instructions
- Prepare the 4 boneless skinless chicken breasts by using a very sharp knife and carefully cutting a pocket into the side of the chicken breast that is about 1/2" shy of cutting completely through the other side and ends.
- Combine the chicken breasts, 1 cup plain Greek yogurt, 1 cup pesto and 1 teaspoon coarse Kosher salt in an airtight plastic bag. Massage the marinade into chicken breasts, including the pocket. Marinate in the refrigerator from 1 to 24 hours.
- Preheat the oven to 375°F and line a baking sheet with aluminum foil or parchment paper.
- Remove the chicken from the marinade, tapping to take off excess sauce. Discard marinade and place chicken onto the prepared baking sheet.
- Bake for 20 minutes, remove from the oven. Cooking times may vary depending on the size of the chicken, so make sure they reach 160°F.
- Using two forks, stuff each pocket with evenly divided shredded 1/2 cup mozzarella, chopped and drained 1/2 cup julienned sun dried tomatoes in oil and 1/2 cup baby spinach. Return to the oven for 10 minutes.
- Remove, allow to rest for 5 minutes and garnish with the fresh basil and Maldon sea salt.
- If you've tried this recipe, come back and let us know how it was in the comments or star ratings.
Notes
Nutrition
Storage & Freezing
Store leftovers in an airtight container for up to 5 five days. Reheat in the oven at 300°F for 10 minutes or the microwave.
Cooked chicken breasts can be frozen in airtight containers. To thaw, place frozen breast into a 350°F oven and cook for 25-30 minutes or until internal temperature reaches 165°F.
More Easy Chicken Recipes
Chicken dinners don’t have to be boring! Check out some of my favorite chicken recipes that are anything but boring.
This looks so flavorful and delicious with that melted cheese! My family will love this!
This pesto chicken was delicious! Loved the sun dried tomatoes in the dish!
I love pesto and am always looking for ways to incorporate more vegetables for dinner! Thank you for this yummy dish!
Wow! Love that these are stuffed with mozzarella, spinach and sundried tomatoes. The pesto topping looks fabulous too. Can’t wait to dig in to this flavor explosion!
The stuffing made these so moist and flavorful. Great tips for getting this recipe just right.
I’ve never thought of combining Greek yogurt and pesto, great idea Jessica.
Oh yes- I use it for nearly everything~ if you like spicy, try my Harissa Chicken that uses Greek yogurt as well!