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Home » Dinner » Chicken » Parmesan and Herb Stuffed Chicken

Parmesan and Herb Stuffed Chicken

Created: October 3, 2022 Updated: October 3, 2022 by Lyuba Brooke 49 Comments *This post may contain affiliate links. Read More...

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Parmesan and Herb Stuffed Chicken is an easy, quick, and healthy weeknight dinner! Juicy chicken breasts stuffed with a combination of fresh herbs, garlic, parmesan cheese and olive oil then seared and baked in the oven.

sliced chicken breast and fork holding one.

Easy Healthy Chicken Breast Dinner

This is one of my favorite protein-packed entrees to make! Parmesan and Herb Stuffed Chicken is a reminder that eating healthier doesn’t mean you have to sacrifice flavor. This is a delightfully simple dish but it has SO much great flavor to it!

The parmesan and garlic all by themselves create a pretty mouthwatering flavor, but it’s the fresh herbs that really bring it together. Freshly minced parsley, dill weed, and basil create a bouquet of herbaceous taste and aroma that makes this chicken dinner a step above the rest!

There’s nothing better than when your food isn’t just delicious, but also aromatically pleasing as well. If you have an herb garden, this recipe is sure to be one of your favorites… And if not, store bought fresh herbs works just as well of course!

While you could just pop your stuffed chicken breasts into the oven and have them still turn out tasty, I highly recommend following my simple searing steps! When you sear the chicken on the outside, you create SO much more rich flavor. Totally worth the extra step.

ingredients for the parmesan and herb stuffed chicken.

Ingredients You’ll Need:

  • Chicken – You’ll need chicken breasts for this recipe and try to make sure they are the save size so it cooks evenly. Trim the fat off as needed.
  • Fresh Herbs – A medley of parsley, basil, and dill weed create the best flavor.
  • Garlic – for the best flavor and aroma, always use fresh garlic.
  • Parmesan Cheese – Make sure you’re only using freshly grated parmesan cheese, not pre-shredded. Pre-shredded cheeses have separating agents mixed in that prevents the cheese from clumping in the bag, which affects how the cheese melts and tastes. Many grocery store deli departments will have freshly grated parmesan cheese so you don’t have to do it yourself.
  • Salt
  • Black Pepper

How To Stuff Chicken

Make the filling.

First things first, you’ll need to make the filling!

In a small bowl, combine the fresh minced herbs, pressed garlic cloves, a pinch of salt and black pepper. Set a little bit of this aside to rub the chicken with later.

Mix in one cup of freshly grated parmesan cheese until it’s fully incorporated. Set aside.

parmesan cheese and herbs filling mixed in a bowl.
slicing a pocket in a chicken breast.

Slice the chicken.

Start off by laying the chicken breast flat on a cutting board. Carefully slide the knife at the top of the chicken breast downwards through the center, creating a pocket in the middle. It helps to hold the knife sideways with the blade facing away from you.

Be sure to NOT slice all the way through the bottom or sides of the chicken breast! If you don’t create a true pocket, the parmesan will ooze out of the chicken as it bakes in the oven.

The goal here is to create a pocket that you can stuff with the filling.

stuffing chicken breast with parmesan herb filling.
chicken breasts stuffed and the filing a secured with a toothpick.

Stuff the chicken with the filling.

Evenly divide the herb filling mixture between the sliced chicken breasts. Securely close the openings of the chicken pockets with a toothpick.

uncooked stuffed chicken breasts in the pan.
cooked stuffed chicken breast in the pan.

Bake the chicken.

Preheat the oven to 375°F.

While the oven is heating up, heat a skillet over medium high heat and add oil. Be sure to use a skillet that can go from the stove top to the oven.

Season each stuffed chicken breast with the herb mixture you reserved earlier. Add salt and pepper as desired.

Sear each chicken breast for about a minute on each side until golden. Transfer the skillet into the oven. Bake for about 15 minutes, until the internal temperature of the chicken reaches 165°F.

Garnish the cooked chicken with the remaining parmesan cheese before serving.

three parmesan and herb chicken breasts on the plate.

Serving Suggestions

Since this is such a simple entrée, you can really pair this stuffed chicken with whatever side dish you want!

Some of my favorite healthier side dishes include salads like Caesar Salad or Greek Salad,

Great vegetables side dishes would be Whole Roasted Cauliflower, Haricots Verts, Ratatouille, Italian Roasted Asparagus, and Mashed Cauliflower.

Craving something a little more hearty and comforting to pair with this stuffed chicken? You’ll love my some of my easy recipes like Mashed Potatoes, Roasted Potatoes, Rice Pilaf, and Creamy Asparagus.

closeup of stuffed chicken breasts with parmesan.

Parmesan and Herb Stuffed Chicken

Easy and light chicken dinner idea. Stuffed chicken breasts made with a mixture of herbs, fresh grated Parmesan cheese, garlic, and olive oil.
3.85 from 64 votes
Print SaveSaved! Rate
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: American
Prep Time: 15 minutes minutes
Cook Time: 15 minutes minutes
Total Time: 30 minutes minutes
Servings: 4
Calories: 362kcal
Author: Lyuba Brooke

Ingredients

  • 1.75-2 lbs boneless skinless chicken breasts (4 chicken breasts)
  • 2 tbsp minced fresh parsley
  • 2 tbsp minced fresh basil
  • 1 tbsp minced fresh dill weed
  • 3 large garlic cloves
  • 1 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
  • 1/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese for topping
  • salt
  • fresh cracked black pepper
US Customary – Metric

Instructions

  • In a small mixing bowl, combine minced herbs, pressed garlic cloves and some salt and pepper. Mix well. Set aside a little bit of herb mixture for rubbing the chicken.
  • Add 1 cup of Parmesan cheese and mix well. Set aside.

To Stuff The Chicken:

  • Lay chicken breast flat on the cutting board. Carefully, slide the knife (hold it sideways with blade facing away from you) at the top (wider part) of the chicken breast, in the center, and cut a pocket in the middle. DO NOT slice all the way through the bottom or the sides of the chicken breast.
    Your ultimate goal is to create a pocket inside the breast with opening at the top. Repeat with all breasts.
  • Divide the filling mixture evenly and pack the chicken breasts with the parmesan herb mixture inside. Close the opening of the chicken pocket with a toothpick.

Cooking:

  • Preheat the oven to 375°.
    Preheat a skillet over medium-high heat and add some oil. (Make sure to use a pan that can go from stove-top to oven.
  • Season the outside of each chicken breast with some salt and pepper and spread the remaining herb mixture over the stuffed chicken breasts. Sear the chicken on each side for about a minute, until golden, and then transfer it into the oven. Bake for about 15 minutes, or until the internal temperature reaches 165°.
  • Top off with remaining Parmesan cheese and serve.
  • Pro Tip: you will have tasty juices leftover in the pan after baking the chicken, use those juices and top off your chicken when serving and add some over the potatoes and veggies too.

Nutrition

Calories: 362kcal | Carbohydrates: 5g | Protein: 52g | Fat: 14g | Saturated Fat: 6g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 4g | Trans Fat: 0.03g | Cholesterol: 154mg | Sodium: 779mg | Potassium: 816mg | Fiber: 0.1g | Sugar: 0.1g | Vitamin A: 559IU | Vitamin C: 6mg | Calcium: 295mg | Iron: 1mg
Tried this recipe?Mention @willcookforsmiles and tag #willcookforsmiles
collage of closeup images of stuffed chicken and sliced chicken.

LYUBA

ABOUT LYUBA

I’m Lyuba Brooke, mother of 2, the cook, recipe developer, photographer, and author behind willcookforsmiles.com. I share many classic and original recipes, cooking tips, and tutorials. My passion is sharing delicious meals for everyone to try. Read more...

44.6K shares

Filed Under: 30 Minute Meals, Chicken, Dinner, Gluten Free, Healthy Dishes

All images and text ©Lyubov Brooke for ©Will Cook For Smiles. Please do not use my images without prior permission. If using my posts in collections and features, please link back to this post for the recipe. Disclaimer: Nutrition information shown is not guaranteed to be 100% accurate as most ingredients and brands have variations.

Comments

  1. Megan Skahan says

    December 1, 2020 at 8:48 pm

    Can I bake these instead? If so, what temp do you recommend and for how long?

    Reply
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Well, hey there!

I’m Lyuba Brooke, mother of 2, the cook, recipe developer, photographer, and author behind willcookforsmiles.com. I share many classic and original recipes, cooking tips, and tutorials. My passion is sharing delicious meals for everyone to try. Read More.

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