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.
Free Bonus: Secrets to Keto Baking!
Sign up for your favorite recipes delivered straight to your inbox plus get our FREE bonus: Secrets to Keto Baking!
This was SO GOOD!!! My whole family loved it!
I made this stuffed chicken recipe the other day. I love to cook, but I don’t like spending hours in the kitchen to make my meal. This was so easy to do, first time butterflying breasts, no problem. Stuffed it full and followed recipe exactly except maybe a little extra on cheeses. It came out perfect and was delicious and it was perfect to halve as I only cooked 2 breasts. I loved it and so did my husband. It is definitely going to be done again and again!!!
My husband and I enjoyed preparing and eating this Spinach stuffed Chicken together as a date night. It was so simple to prepare! We paired it with a Caesar Salad mix. Before we finished our meal we were planning when to eat it again. We plan to serve it to guests in the future. It is quick & simple to prepare, looks amazing and tastes incredible!
Great Sunday night dinner. Quick ,easy, and oh so delightful. My son volunteered to take the left over piece of chicken.
Can you say delish, I made this recipe for dinner tonight and it’s a keeper..The aromas loafting through the house alone was enough to make you hungry and then you take your first bite… 🤤 Yummmm
Restaurant quality at home! These stuffed chicken breasts were easy to put together too. My teenagers also loved it. Next time, I might add some marinated artichokes to the filling. I might take the meat hammer to make the chicken breasts thinner so they’ll cook even quicker next time. This recipe is a winner, winner, chicken dinner at my house.
I made this for myself and loved it! I am on a low carb diet and I prepare and freeze meals to eat later. This dish was easy and so delicous! It froze and reheated beautifully and was wonderful a week later! Try it, you’ll enjoy it!!
I made the Spinach Stuffed Chicken Breast recipe for our monthly Church Senior Game Day and received lots of good comments. Since it was for more than 4 people I sliced the cooked breasts into 1/2-3/4″ slices. They held together well and were easily served. Thank you for your great recipes.
So easy to make and enjoyed by the entire family! I used the extra spinach and threw together a quick side using broccoli and heavy whipping cream and cheese.
This will be a regular on our menu
made this recipe last night didn’t have ricotta cheese so I used cottage cheese. it was a little tangy but still delicious and filling. had extra filling so I made a dip by adding extra cheese and scooped it with pork rinds, yummy 😋
This was a great quick and easy weeknight dinner. Great flavor, and the chicken breast stays moist, which isn’t always easy to achieve. Instead of slicing open the chicken breasts, I pounded them and then rolled them around the filling. I also tied them with cooking twine instead of using toothpicks. Worked great, and my husband really loved it.
This recipe was so easy to assemble and it is impressive enough to serve at a dinner party! It tastes fantastic too!
This recipe was delicious! The cheesy spinach in the chicken was so fantastic. This going in our regular rotation for sure!
I just finished this and it was so good. I was worried because other times I have tried to stuff chicken the filling all runs out. Not with this recipe. Very flavorful and the chicken stays moist. Will definitely make this often.
So simple. The hardest part was splitting the chicken breasts and that really wasn’t difficult at all. The taste is out of this world! definitely tucked all my week night dinner boxes: fast, easy, and delicious!
Our family loved this! I loved how easy it was and that it was different from our typical chicken and bbq dipping sauce. I didn’t have ricotta so I used cream cheese and I think it still turned out well!