Marry This Creamy Spinach and Red Pepper Chicken is a rich, savory, and restaurant-quality recipe. Juicy chicken breasts are stuffed with a decadent mixture of spinach, roasted red peppers, and a three-cheese cream sauce, then seared to golden perfection. It’s an impressive main course that’s surprisingly easy to make, perfect for a special weeknight dinner or for entertaining guests, ready in under an hour.
Jump to RecipeCreamy Spinach and Red Pepper Chicken Ingredients
- 4 whole boneless, skinless chicken breasts
- 4 Tbsp. Butter, divided
- 4 Tbsp. Olive Oil, divided
- 4 cloves Garlic, sliced thin or chopped
- 1 whole Medium Yellow Onion, diced
- 10 oz. fresh Baby Spinach
- 1 cup Roasted Red Peppers, sliced into strips
- 4 whole Roma Tomatoes, diced
- 1/2 tsp. Kosher Salt, plus more to taste
- 1/2 tsp. Black Pepper, plus more to taste
- 1 1/4 cups Heavy Cream
- 3/4 cup Grated Parmesan Cheese
- 4 oz. Cream Cheese, softened
- 8 leaves Fresh Basil, chiffonade (thinly sliced)
- Parmesan Shavings, for serving
How To Make Creamy Spinach and Red Pepper Stuffed Chicken
- Make the Creamy Filling: In a large skillet over medium-high heat, heat 2 tablespoons of butter and 2 tablespoons of olive oil. Add the garlic, onion, and roasted peppers and cook, stirring, for 2-3 minutes. Add the spinach and 3 of the diced Roma tomatoes. Season with salt and pepper and cook until the spinach has just wilted.
- Finish the Sauce: Stir in the heavy cream and allow it to simmer and reduce slightly, about 3 minutes. Reduce the heat to medium-low and stir in the Parmesan and the softened cream cheese until the sauce is smooth and creamy. Taste and adjust the seasoning.
- Stuff the Chicken: Remove the pan from the heat. Use a slotted spoon to transfer about 1 cup of the vegetable mixture (leaving the sauce in the pan) to a bowl and let it cool slightly. With a sharp knife, carefully cut a horizontal pocket into the thickest side of each chicken breast. Season the inside of the pockets with a little salt and pepper. Stuff each pocket with 1/4 of the cooled spinach mixture. Use 3 toothpicks to securely seal the opening of each chicken breast. Season the outside of the chicken with salt and pepper.
- Sear and Bake: Preheat the oven to 400°F. In a large, ovenproof skillet, heat the remaining 2 tablespoons of butter and 2 tablespoons of olive oil over medium-high heat. Place the stuffed chicken breasts, smooth side down, in the skillet and cook for 4 minutes until golden brown. Flip the chicken.
- Finish in the Oven: Transfer the entire skillet to the preheated oven and bake for 8 to 10 minutes, or until the chicken is cooked through (reaches an internal temperature of 165°F) and the filling is hot.
- Serve: Gently reheat the remaining creamy spinach and red pepper sauce in the first skillet. To serve, spoon some of the creamed spinach onto a plate. Remove the toothpicks from the chicken and place a chicken breast on top. Spoon some of the pan juices from the chicken skillet over the top. Garnish with the remaining diced fresh tomatoes, the sliced basil, and Parmesan shavings.
Recipe Tips
- How to get perfectly juicy chicken? The sear-then-bake method is a classic restaurant technique. Searing the chicken on the stovetop first creates a beautiful, flavorful golden-brown crust, while finishing it in the oven allows it to cook through gently and evenly without drying out.
- How to keep the filling from leaking out? Don’t be shy with the toothpicks! Using three toothpicks to securely pin the pocket closed is the most important secret to keeping all that delicious, creamy filling inside the chicken while it cooks.
- Can I make parts of this ahead of time? Absolutely! The creamy spinach and red pepper filling/sauce can be made up to two days in advance and stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator. This turns an impressive dish into a very quick weeknight meal.
- How to get a non-lumpy cheese sauce? For the smoothest sauce, make sure your cream cheese is fully softened to room temperature before you stir it in, and always add the cheeses over a low heat to allow them to melt gently without breaking or becoming grainy.
What To Serve With This Dish
This is a rich and complete main course that pairs beautifully with simple sides that can soak up the delicious cream sauce. Serve it with:
- Creamy mashed potatoes or a simple rice pilaf.
- A bed of your favorite pasta, like angel hair or fettuccine.
- A side of steamed asparagus or a simple green salad.
- Crusty bread for dipping.
How To Store Leftovers
- Refrigerate: Store leftover chicken and any extra sauce in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
- Reheat: For the best results, reheat the chicken gently in a covered skillet over low heat with a splash of water or chicken broth to prevent it from drying out.
Stuffed Chicken Nutrition Facts
- Serving: 1 stuffed chicken breast
- Calories: 750 kcal
- Carbohydrates: 25g
- Protein: 55g
- Fat: 52g
- Saturated Fat: 28g
- Sodium: 1450mg
Nutrition information is estimated and may vary based on ingredients and cooking methods used.
FAQs
Yes. While the blend of Parmesan, cream cheese, and Fontina (as suggested in the original recipe) is fantastic, you can easily substitute the Fontina or Parmesan with a good melting cheese like mozzarella, provolone, or Gruyère.
This stuffing method works best with thick chicken breasts that you can cut a pocket into. However, you could use boneless, skinless chicken thighs by pounding them thin, placing the filling in the center, and rolling them up jelly-roll style, securing them with toothpicks or twine.
No, this recipe is savory and creamy, not spicy. For a spicy kick, you could add a pinch of red pepper flakes to the sauce when you are sautéing the garlic and onions.
Try More Recipes:
- Spinach with Garlic Chips Recipe
- Elevating Frozen Spinach Recipe
- Spinach and Mushroom Quesadillas Recipe
Creamy Spinach and Red Pepper Stuffed Chicken Recipe
Course: DinnerCuisine: AmericanDifficulty: Easy4
servings25
minutes30
minutes750
kcalA restaurant-quality main course featuring juicy chicken breasts stuffed with a creamy filling of spinach, roasted red peppers, and three cheeses, all seared and baked to perfection.
Ingredients
4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
Filling/Sauce: 4 Tbsp each of butter & olive oil; 4 cloves garlic; 1 onion; 10 oz spinach; 1 cup roasted red peppers; 4 Roma tomatoes; 1 1/4 cups heavy cream; 3/4 cup Parmesan; 4 oz cream cheese.
Garnish: Fresh basil, Parmesan shavings.
Directions
- Make the sauce: In a large skillet, sauté garlic, onion, and roasted peppers in butter and oil. Add spinach and most of the diced tomatoes and cook until wilted.
- Stir in the cream, let it reduce slightly, then stir in the Parmesan and cream cheese over low heat until a smooth sauce forms. Season.
- Remove about 1 cup of the chunky part of the sauce and let it cool.
- Preheat oven to 400°F. Cut a pocket into each chicken breast, season the inside, then stuff with the cooled spinach mixture. Seal with toothpicks.
- Sear the stuffed chicken breasts in a hot, oiled, ovenproof skillet for 4 minutes on one side until golden. Flip.
- Transfer the skillet to the oven and bake for 8-10 minutes until the chicken is cooked through.
- Serve the chicken over a bed of the remaining warm cream sauce, garnished with fresh tomatoes and basil.
Notes
- Seal it Tight: The most important tip for this recipe is to use toothpicks to securely seal the pocket in the chicken breast. This is the non-negotiable secret to keeping the creamy filling from leaking out.
- Don’t Overcook: Use a meat thermometer to pull the chicken from the oven as soon as the internal temperature reaches 165°F for a perfectly juicy result.
- Make the Sauce Ahead: For a quick weeknight meal, make the entire cream sauce up to two days in advance and store it in the fridge. Then, just stuff, sear, and bake the chicken.
- Serve with the Sauce: Don’t forget about the delicious extra sauce left in the pan! It’s the perfect accompaniment to serve with the finished chicken.
