Stuffed Pesto Chicken Breast

This stuffed pesto chicken breast is a wonderful way to add lots of flavor to the chicken breast with minimum effort. Use pesto out of the jar or homemade and make this in less than 30 minutes.

Table of Content

• Why make this chicken
• Ingredients and substitutes
• Breaded & stuffed pesto chicken
• Tips for success
• Variations
• More chicken breast recipes
• Frequently asked questions
• You may also like
• Printable Recipe
• Join the conversation

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There is so much you can do with chicken breasts like making simple breaded chicken or schnitzel. And, yet the truth is chicken breast needs a little more than salt and pepper for flavor. One of my favorite things to do with full chicken breast is to stuff it. Simple things like spinach, pesto, cheese, or tapenade.

Why make this chicken

• This is one of the easiest recipes you can make for stuffed chicken.
• Most of the ingredients are simple and easy to find or simple pantry staples.
• The dish is the of both stuffed chicken and crispy chicken.
• The best part is the whole recipe comes to gether in less than 30 minutes.
• I am using homemade pesto sauce but feel free to use store-bought pesto as well.
• I like to coat the chicken with breadcrumbs similar to a breaded or schnitzel, but you can make a simple pan cooked version as we did in our cheese stuffed chicken breast.

Ingredients and substitutes

• Chicken - You want to use medium size chicken breast, so it cooks through. The one I have in this video is thicker, which takes longer to cook.
• Pesto - You can use store-bought pesto right out of the jar. But, I always have homemade pesto in my fridge or freezer because there is so much you can do with it: from simple sandwich spread to a little drizzle over buttered noodles.
• Coating - We coat the chicken in flour, egg, and breadcrumbs to give it a nice crisp golden coating. But, you can skip this coating and pan sear it just as we did in our previous recipe for cheese stuffed chicken breast.

Breaded & stuffed pesto chicken

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• Chicken - Pat dry the chicken breast and place it on a paper hand towel. Use a sharp knife to cut a pocket on the side of the chicken breast. Season with salt and pepper - set aside.
  Pro tip - The paper towel prevents the chicken from moving making it stable to cut.

• Stuff chicken - Use a spoon and fill the pocket you created with pesto. Coat the outside of the breast with any remaining pesto. Secure the pocket with toothpicks
  Pro tip - It is very important to make sure to remove these toothpicks before serving. I used two toothpicks per breast and removed them as soon as they were out of the pan.

• Coat the chicken - Prepare the coating ingredients.
  • Flour mixture - In a bowl or tray, add the flour, and season with salt and pepper.
  • Egg mixture - In another bowl or tray, beat the egg, and season with salt and pepper.
  • Breadcrumb mixture - In a third bowl or tray, add the breadcrumbs, season with salt and pepper.
    Coat the stuffed chicken in flour, followed by the egg, and finally the breadcrumbs.

• Cook the chicken - In a cast-iron pan or medium skillet add the oil and butter on medium-high heat.
  Gently place the chicken breast and cook for 2 minutes on each side. Lower the heat and cook for 3 to 4 minutes more turning them once in between.
• When done remove from heat onto a paper towel to absorb excess oil. Serve with roasted or mashed potatoes or side salad.

Tips for success

• Use room temperature chicken breast to cook. Frozen meat does not cook evenly.
• You want the pocket deep so you can stuff the chicken well. A shallow pocket will not have enough filling and cause it to flow outside when cooking. 
• Cook the chicken breast on medium-high when searing then lower to medium-low. This will ensure you have good color on the sear at the same time cook ensure the breast is cooked well inside. 
• The same recipe can be made in many variations by simply changing the type of cheese used! 
• This is the perfect dish for meal prep. Stuffed the chicken and leave in the fridge for up to 2 days before cooking. 
• Alternatively, you can sear the chicken on the stovetop and then finish it in the oven at 165C/325F for 20 to 25 minutes. 
• Leftover will keep in the fridge for 4 to 5 days. They can also be stored in freezer bags for up to a month. 

Variations

• Broccoli cheese - add steamed grated broccoli cheese filling. You can do the same with cauliflower too!
• Cream cheese mixture - You can also use a combination of grated or cream cheese. I love using crumbled goat cheese and I like to add some green leafy greens like spinach with cream cheese to help keep it from oozing out.
• Mozzarella filling - if you like a cheesy filling that's stringy? Add ½ cup mozzarella cheese.
• Pan gravy - if you love gravy, then there is so much flavor in the skillet. Remove the breast and add ½ cup heavy cream to the skillet. Stir with a whisk until thickened. Transfer to the gravy boat and serve with the stuffed chicken breast.

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More chicken breast recipes

• Pesto Stuffed Chicken Breast
• Cheesy Chicken Breast Pasta
• Crispy Pan-Fried Breaded Chicken Breast
• Chicken Schnitzel
• Parmesan Crusted Chicken
• See all chicken recipes

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Frequently asked questions

You may also like

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Printable Recipe