Stuffed Chicken Breasts with Stuffing

Four stuffed chicken breast halves on a white plate.

Stuffed Chicken Breasts with Stuffing

Stuffed Chicken Breasts with Stuffing are delicious bundles of tender chicken filled with my easy homemade stove-top stuffing. These are equally perfect for a weeknight meal or a smaller scale Christmas or Thanksgiving dinner.

Course Main Course

Cuisine North American

Diet Gluten Free

Prep Time 10

Cook Time 20

Total Time 30

Servings servings

Calories 375kcal

Author Colleen Milne

Equipment

Ingredients

Stuffing

3 tablespoon butter
2 celery stalks finely diced (about one cup)
½ medium onion finely diced (about one cup)
6 oz seasoned dried bread cubes about four cups
1 cup low sodium chicken broth

Chicken

4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts about 3 pounds
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 tablespoon Italian seasoning
1 teaspoon paprika
½ teaspoon kosher salt
½ teaspoon black pepper

Instructions

Stuffing

In a large saucepan over medium heat, melt the butter.
Add the onions and celery. Cook until the vegetables are softened, about 5 minutes.
Stir in the seasoned bread cubes.
Remove from heat and stir in the chicken broth. Set aside.

Chicken

Cut the chicken breasts to make a pocket for the stuffing. To do this, place the chicken breast on a cutting board, and place your hand on top of the chicken breast to keep it still. Using a sharp knife, make a horizontal slice through the thickest part of the chicken breast, about three quarters of the way through. Be careful not to cut all the way through. Open the slice to "butterfly" the chicken breast.
Rub the chicken on both sides with olive oil. In a small bowl, stir together the Italian seasoning, paprika, salt, and pepper. Season the chicken breasts on both sides.
Divide the stuffing mixture evenly between the chicken pieces.
Carefully fold the chicken back up, rolling it over the filling, and secure each stuffed breast with two toothpicks.

Air Fry

Lightly spray the air fryer basket with cooking spray.
Place chicken pieces in the air fryer, leaving space around each one.
Cook at 400°F for 20 minutes, or until the chicken reaches an internal temperature of 165°F.
Transfer to a platter and allow chicken to rest 5 minutes before slicing.

Oven

Preheat oven to 400°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
Place the stuffed chicken breasts on the baking sheet, leaving space around them.
Bake for 25-30 minutes, or until the chicken reaches an internal temperature of 165°F.
Transfer the chicken to a platter and let it rest 5 minutes before slicing.

Notes

Bread cubes. It's easy to make your own seasoned bread cubes. Here's how I do it: use a serrated knife to cut a stack of bread slices horizontally and then vertically into one-inch cubes. You'll need 6-10 slices to get 4 cups of cubes. Toss the cubes with a tablespoon of olive oil and a tablespoon of poultry seasoning until coated. Spread the cubes on a parchment lined baking sheet. Bake for 15 minutes at 350 degrees F.
Stuffing. If you prefer you can use store-bought stovetop stuffing mix. Just follow the package directions. You can also use leftover stuffing from another meal.
Gluten-Free. This recipe is gluten-free because I used gluten-free bread to make the stuffing. Wheat bread works too, if gluten isn't a concern.
Additions. You can get creative and add dried cranberries, diced apples, dried apricots, chopped walnuts, cooked sausage, or chopped cooked bacon to the stuffing. Or, try my cornbread sausage stuffing or blueberry sourdough stuffing recipes.
Other meat. Instead of chicken, feel free to use boneless, skinless turkey breast fillets for this recipe. I also use this stuffing for boneless pork chops, too.
Double the recipe. You can double or even triple this recipe if you're feeding lots of people. Just adjust the "servings" button on the recipe card below for quantities.
Internal temperature. The safest way to ensure that the chicken is perfectly cooked is to use an instant read thermometer. It should be inserted in the thickest part of each chicken piece. Chicken is cooked when the internal temperature is 165 degrees F.
Make ahead. Stuffed chicken breasts with stuffing can be prepped ahead and stored in an airtight container in the fridge for a day until you're ready to cook them.
Storage. Store completely cooled leftover stuffed chicken in an airtight container in the fridge for up to three days.
Reheat. Reheat leftover chicken in the microwave on high for thirty second intervals. Or place them in a pan, cover with foil and reheat in the oven at 350 degrees F for 10-15 minutes.
Freeze. After baking and completely cooling, you can freeze the stuffed chicken breasts, packaged in freezer safe container or re-sealable bag for up to three months. Thaw them overnight in the fridge and reheat as above.

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