Looking for a high-protein, low carb dinner that doesn’t skimp on flavor? This spinach stuffed chicken has it all! Succulent chicken breasts stuffed with a savory combo of spinach, garlic, and three cheeses, and drizzled with a buttery pan sauce. It’s bound to become one of your favorite keto chicken recipes.
I don’t usually cook with or eat chicken breasts. I’ve always found them a bit boring and lacking in flavor. I much prefer chicken thighs any day. Unless we happen to be talking about this keto stuffed. Then I take back every bad thing I ever said about how chicken breasts are dry and boring. Because this meal is ANYTHING but boring.
I have a lot of delicious chicken recipes that have become reader favorites, like Keto Chicken Broccoli Casserole and Easy Keto Chicken Fajitas. This this one needs to be added to the list, because it is absolutely mouthwatering!
What readers are saying
“This recipe is incredible and is one of my favorite go-tos. I’ve served to non-keto eaters and they adore it. Perfectly accompanied with some cauliflower rice with Basil and Pine Nuts. So good! Brilliant work Carolyn!” — Jasmine
Why you’ll love this Spinach Stuffed Chicken
- Big on flavor – juicy chicken with a cheesy spinach stuffing.
- Simple ingredients – everyday staples that you can find at any grocery store.
- High protein – a satisfying meal with 47 grams of protein per serving.
- Keto friendly – with 5.1 grams of carbs and 1.9 grams of fiber, it fits your healthy low carb diet.
- Universal appeal – even non-keto eaters love this recipe.
- Easy but impressive – totally restaurant-worthy but it comes together in under an hour.
Ingredient Notes
- Chicken breasts (boneless, skinless) – medium size works best
- Frozen spinach (thawed, well-drained) or cooked fresh spinach (pressed dry)
- Ricotta (whole-milk) – rich and creamy filling
- Mozzarella (shredded or freshly grated)
- Parmesan (avoid processed canned)
- Garlic – fresh for best flavor
- Butter, paprika, salt & pepper – pantry staples for savory seasoning
Overview: How to make this recipe
- Prepare the stuffing: Mix the spinach, ricotta, mozzarella, Parmesan, garlic, salt, and pepper in a bowl.
- Butterfly the chicken: Slice each chicken breast through the center but not all the way through.
- Stuff the breasts: Fill each with one quarter of the spinach & cheese mixture and secure with toothpicks.
- Pan-sear: Add the chicken breasts, butter, and garlic to an ovenproof skillet and cook until golden brown.
- Oven-bake: Transfer to a 350ºF oven and bake until the internal temperature reaches 165ºF.
Expert tips
Choose smaller chicken breasts: Many store-bought chicken breasts are absurdly large, which makes it harder to cook through properly. Aim for medium-sized breasts, about 6 ounces each.
How to split chicken breasts: Lay the chicken down on a cutting board and used a sharp knife to cut a deep slit into the side of each breast. You want to make sure not to cut right through so that they open like a book. Then you can spread one side with the filling and fold the other side overtop.
Secure with toothpicks: Use 2 to 3 toothpicks per breast to close up the opening as best you can. Just don’t forget about them when it comes time to serve. You can simply tug and twist them gently to remove them and the breasts will retain their shape.
Pan-sear and then bake: Pan-searing the Spinach Stuffed Chicken adds phenomenal flavor and allows the outside to brown nicely. Baking in the oven ensures that the breasts cook through properly. I don’t recommend skipping either step.
Serve with the pan juices: The filling does ooze out a bit and between that and the butter and garlic, you have a gorgeous pan sauce to drizzle over the chicken as you serve.
Frequently Asked Questions
The easiest way to stuff chicken breast is to butterfly it first. Lay each breast flat on a cutting board and use a sharp knife to slice it horizontally through the middle, but don’t cut all the way through. Then you can open the breast like a book and fill it with any mixture of fillings.
How long it takes can depend on how large the breasts are and the type of stuffing. These Spinach Stuffed Chicken Breasts take 25 to 30 minutes to cook through completely. Make sure you check the internal temperature, as it should reach 165ºF in the thickest part of the breast.
This keto stuffed chicken recipe has 5.1g of carbohydrate and 1.9g of fiber. So it has 3.2g net carbs per serving.
What to serve with Spinach Stuffed Chicken
This delicious keto meal pairs with all your favorite sides. Here are a few you might try:
Spinach Stuffed Chicken Breasts
Equipment
Ingredients
- 4 medium chicken breasts, boneless and skinless
- 8 ounces (226.8 g) frozen chopped spinach, thawed and drained
- 1/4 cup (59.15 ml) butter, divided
- 4 garlic cloves, minced, divided
- Salt and pepper
- 1/2 cup (118.29 ml) whole milk ricotta
- 1/2 cup (118.29 ml) shredded mozzarella
- 1/4 cup (59.15 ml) grated Parmesan
- 1/2 tsp (0.5 tsp) paprika
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350ºF. Squeeze as much moisture as possible out of the spinach.
- In a medium bowl, combine the spinach, ricotta, mozzarella, Parmesan, and 2 cloves of the minced garlic. Season with salt and pepper and mix well to combine.
- Using a sharp knife, slice each chicken breast horizontally through the center, but don't cut all the way through. Open each breast like a book.
- Stuff each chicken breast with 1/4 of this mixture and secure the opening with several toothpicks. Season the top and bottom of the breasts with paprika, salt, and pepper.
- Heat a large ovenproof skillet over medium heat. Add the butter to the pan and let melt. Once hot, add the remaining garlic and then add the chicken breasts. Cook until golden brown on the outside, about 3 to 4 minutes per side.
- Place the entire skillet in the oven and cook until the chicken reaches 165ºF on an instant read thermometer, about 20 minutes.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutritional Disclaimer
Please note that I am not a medical or nutritional professional. I am simply recounting and sharing my own experiences on this blog. Nothing I express here should be taken as medical advice and you should consult with your doctor before starting any diet or exercise program. I provide nutritional information for my recipes simply as a courtesy to my readers. It is calculated using MacGourmet software and I remove erythritol from the final carb count and net carb count, as it does not affect my own blood glucose levels. I do my best to be as accurate as possible but you should independently calculate nutritional information on your own before relying on them. I expressly disclaim any and all liability of any kind with respect to any act or omission wholly or in part in reliance on anything contained in this website.
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I am not a huge lover of spinach, but the flavors in the stuffing are really good! The recipe is very simple to follow and I WILL be making this again!!! Maybe with some pounded out thighs next time 💕
I am constantly looking for some good keto recipe. After trying this recipe, I started to follow Carolyn Ketchum and her blogs. They’re so easy to make plus so delicious you wouldn’t believe it’s keto! I always get compliment at work when I take some leftovers for lunch because of the smell it gives when I heat it up in the microwave! I make this spinach stuffed chicken breast at least once a month! So juicy and tasty!
This was delicious and easy to make! We served a Caesar salad with it.
My husband and I made this recipe and found it easy to make. We enjoyed the spinach in it for two reasons, one the spinach kept the chicken moist and the other reason it gave us our extra greens. We could taste the hint of Parmesan cheese which went well with the spinach and other cheeses making it creamy inside the chicken. We definitely would make this dish again for our non keto friends.
Made this. It was great! Substituted with thin sliced chicken breast I had on hand. Went to Aldi’s for ricotta which they didn’t have. Used Alouette garlic and herb spreadable cheese which they did have. Turned out great!
I made this for dinner last night. It was excellent. The chicken breast I bought were HUGE. So it took a little longer to cook, but I had my trusty thermometer .
The flavor was so rich and the spinach and cheese was perfect. I made green beans from the garden to go with. I’ll have about 4 lunch servings as leftovers.
Perfect!!
Made it tonight everybody liked it
We made this tonight for dinner. It was fantastic and very moist and so very easy to make. It really didn’t need a side dish, but I made your cornbread with jalapeños and bacon, well, just because that looked good, too. We are stuffed! (Pun intended)
Super easy! Delicious! I scaled it down to 2 servings and used the thin breasts I already had… love love love!
I will definitely make it the next time I have company for dinner. The chicken stayed moist and was flavorful. I forgot to put the paprika on until I had already browned one side but it turned out wonderfully anyway.
Servednitnwithabsidensalad and it was the perfect summer evening meal.
Made this with boneless skinless thighs instead of breasts, since that’s what we like and had on hand. It was quite filling and delicious.
Thanks for sending out this recipe! Found it in my email and was looking for something to make with chicken breasts. I have make several of your desserts so thought I would try dinner. This was fantastic! It was chicken wrapped around creamed spinach….the chicken was moist and the stuffing just melted in your mouth. No more boring chicken! This will definitely make this again!
Made this last night – so good!
I made this and the entire family was awed with the flavors and how good it was. I always have leftovers, but not this time. My 6 year old grandson even liked it and wanted seconds. Thats saying a lot!!
Absolutely delicious! Easy to find ingredients make this recipe a breeze to make. So much flavor with such few carbs, this recipe will be a repeat!
I made this tonight for dinner and oh my gosh! It was an instant family favorite! I served it with mashed cauliflower on the side and a nice salad! Thank you so much for this recipe!