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Home » Dinner » Chicken » Sun Dried Tomato Feta Stuffed Chicken

Sun Dried Tomato Feta Stuffed Chicken

Created: February 15, 2023 Updated: February 15, 2023 by Lyuba Brooke 16 Comments

64.9K shares
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Sun-Dried Tomato Feta Chicken is an amazingly flavorful chicken breast dinner! This pan-grilled chicken breasts feature aromatic pesto inside and out as well as a mouthwatering stuffing of sun-dried tomatoes, pesto, and feta cheese.

four pesto tomato stuffed chicken breasts on a platter.

Stuffed Chicken Recipe

I don’t know if anything goes together better than sun-dried tomatoes and feta cheese. They just compliment each other so well, especially when stuffed together in a chicken breast that’s rubbed with fresh, vibrant pesto. If you love classic Italian-inspired flavors, you’ll love how highlighted and prominent they are in this quick and easy weeknight dinner.

The first time I ever made this chicken dinner for myself, I honestly didn’t eat a bite of the side salad I plated it with until I was all done with the entrée. It was just too good – bite after bite, I couldn’t get enough! It’s so filling and flavorful, this stuffed chicken breast can fully satisfy all on its own.

Plus, there are plenty of sun-dried tomatoes in the center of it, which technically count as vegetables… right? (Don’t worry, I’ve included some of my favorite sides in this post so you can really round out your plate)!

I mentioned earlier that this dinner recipe is quick and easy, and those descriptors couldn’t be truer. The chicken breasts are sliced, stuffed, rubbed with pesto, and pan-grilled to juicy perfection in half an hour or less. On those crazy busy weeknights when you’re craving real flavor from a homemade meal without a ton of hassle, recipes like this one are great to depend on! My entire family loves this chicken dinner and I know it always leaves everyone full and satisfied.

Ingredients You’ll Need:

ingredients for sun dried tomato pesto chicken.

The ingredients needed for this stuffed chicken recipe are simple and inexpensive. You can easily grab it all at your local grocery store.

  • Boneless Chicken Breasts – Try to make sure that all of them are about the same size so they cook evenly.
  • Crumbled Feta Cheese
  • Sun-Dried Tomatoes in Oil – take tomatoes out of oil and shake off the access.
  • Fresh Italian Parsley – try to use fresh parsley, it lends the best aroma.
  • Pesto – For the absolute best flavor, I recommend using Homemade Pesto! Also, keep in mind that this pesto will be used both to rub the chicken and as part of the stuffing.
  • Seasonings – A simple sprinkle of salt and freshly cracked black pepper is all you need.
  • Olive Oil – This is only used for cooking. You can use avocado oil instead, if preferred.

Cooking Instructions

You’ll love how easy it is to make this unforgettably good stuffed chicken dinner! You only need about half an hour of your time and a handful of ingredients. Plus, the steps are wonderfully easy to follow.

sun fried tomato, feta, and pesto filling in a white bowl.
stuffing a raw chicken breast with tomato feta and pesto filling.
stuffed chicken breast closed with toothpicks on cutting board.
four pesto rubbed stuffed chicken breasts in a cutting board.

Prepare the chicken.

Lay the chicken flat on a cutting board. Slide a sharp knife at the top part of the breast, in the center, and cut a pocket in the middle without slicing all the way through. Remember, the goal here is to create a pocket, not to halve the chicken breast.

Make the stuffing and stuff the chicken.

Combine the sun-dried tomatoes, feta cheese, pesto, and parsley in a bowl.

Sprinkle the chicken with salt and pepper inside the pocket you made. Then, stuff each chicken breast with the feta mixture. Use a few toothpicks to secure the opening of the pocket.

Warning! If you skip the toothpick step, the cheesy stuffing will ooze out of the chicken and the entire thing will become a mess.

starting to cook pesto rubbed chicken breasts in a pan.
four stuffed chicken breasts cooking in a pan.

Rub and cook the chicken.

Rub the outside of each chicken breast with pesto.

Heat a skillet over medium heat and add oil. Place the breasts in the pan and let them sear on each side. Getting that golden brown sear is so important, because so much flavor comes from that!

Cover the pan and lower the heat to medium-low. Let the chicken breasts cook until done, flipping halfway through.

Remove the lid during the last few minutes of cooking. The total cook time may take around 20-30 minutes, depending on how thick the meat is.

closeup of four pesto stuffed chicken breasts on a plate.

Can I Bake It Instead?

I’ve been asked this question a lot and the answer it YES. You can definitely bake it.

The reason I like to pan-cook is the beautiful outside sear that the chicken gets. It just ads so much flavor to the chicken, it’s totally worth it. But, if you want to pop it in the oven, you can do it and there are two ways.

Sear first: to help with some of the sear on the outside, you can use an oven-safe pan to start the dish on the stove. Preheat the pan first over medium to medium high heat and add the chicken. Sear the chicken for about a minute on one side, until you get a nice golden-brown outside. Flip the chicken and sear for a few seconds. After that, transfer the pan into the preheated oven. Bake at 375° for about 25-30 minutes, until internal temperature reaches 165°. (Note, that the time will be different for different size chicken breasts so check the internal temperature.)

Straight to the oven: You can also simple stuff the chicken, rub it with pesto and then place them into a greased baking dish or a skillet. Bake it at 375° for 30-35 minutes. Again, exact time will depend on the size of the chicken, so make sure it reaches 165° internal temperature.

closeup of stuffed chicken breasts on a white plate.

Servings Suggestions:

While this chicken is mighty tasty all by itself, it pairs wonderfully with all of these side dishes and so much more. Check out our side dish recipe collection to choose your own:

Creamy Parmesan Rice

Brussels Sprouts Roasted with Garlic Butter

Italian Roasted Asparagus

Oven Roasted Potatoes

Storing Recommendation:

You should store the stuffed chicken in an airtight food storage container in the refrigerator. Properly stored, it should be good for about 3-4 days.

If you choose to reheat it in the microwave, I recommend cutting in in half so it heats through better. For even better results, reheat it on your stove top over medium-low heat, covered with a lid until warmed all the way through.

cutting into a stuffed chicken breast and view inside.

Pin This Chicken For Later

Pin For Later
closeup of stuffed chicken with pesto, sun dried tomatoes and feta.

Sun Dried Tomato Feta Stuffed Chicken

Amazingly flavorful pan-grilled chicken that is stuffed with a mixture of sun-dried tomatoes and feta cheese and rubbed with fresh pesto.
4.29 from 14 votes
Print Pin SaveSaved! Rate
Course: dinner, Main Course
Cuisine: American
Prep Time: 15 minutes minutes
Cook Time: 25 minutes minutes
Total Time: 40 minutes minutes
Servings: 4
Calories: 580kcal
Author: Lyuba Brooke

Ingredients

  • 4 boneless skinless chicken breasts as even in size to each other as possible
  • 4 oz crumbled feta cheese
  • 4 oz sun dried tomatoes in oil oil strained, diced
  • 2 Tbsp fresh Italian parsley minced
  • 3 Tbsp pesto
  • Salt
  • fresh cracked pepper
  • 1/3 cup pesto to coat chicken
  • 2 Tbsp olive oil for cooking
US Customary – Metric

Instructions

Prepare 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 the chicken breasts.
  • In a small bowl, mix minced sun dried tomatoes, Feta cheese, pesto, and parsley. Mix well until evenly combined.

Stuff the Chicken:

  • Sprinkle some salt and pepper inside each chicken breast pocket.
  • Stuff each chicken breast with equal amount of tomato/feta mixture, making sure it is evenly distributed through the pocket. Lightly press each chicken breast. Use a couple of toothpicks to secure the opening of the pocket.
  • Rub outside of each chicken with some pesto.

Cooking the chicken:

  • Preheat a large cooking pan over medium heat and add olive oil. Place stuffed chicken breasts in the pan. Let it sear and flip.
  • Cover the pan with a lid and cook over medium-low heat until done, flipping the chicken half way though, making sure that both sides get nice and golden (lots of flavor comes from the chicken cooked to golden brown). Take the lid off during the last few minutes of cooking.
    This could take 20-30 minutes, depending on thickness of the chicken.

Nutrition

Calories: 580kcal | Carbohydrates: 10g | Protein: 55g | Fat: 35g | Saturated Fat: 9g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 11g | Trans Fat: 0.03g | Cholesterol: 173mg | Sodium: 961mg | Potassium: 1312mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 1364IU | Vitamin C: 34mg | Calcium: 219mg | Iron: 2mg
Tried this recipe?Mention @willcookforsmiles and tag #willcookforsmiles
collage of two closeup images of sliced and stuffed chicken.

Originally published on Will Cook For Smiles on January 15, 2015.

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...

64.9K shares

Filed Under: 30 Minute Meals, Chicken, Dinner

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. MelD says

    April 5, 2020 at 1:13 am

    5 stars
    Just made this tonight and it was amazing!!! I did cook it in a cast iron pan and finished it in the oven. Hubs said it definitely needs to be made again…. very soon!!

    Reply
    • LyubaB says

      April 6, 2020 at 3:40 pm

      I am so glad you both liked it! Thank you for letting me know! 🙂

      Reply
  2. LyubaB says

    January 17, 2020 at 4:40 pm

    So glad you liked it! 🙂

    Reply
  3. Maddy says

    January 15, 2020 at 6:32 pm

    4 stars
    So very good! I didn’t have pesto so I just rubbed the chicken with minced garlic and lemon. After they were finished I used a little water to deglaze the pan and make a reduction for sauce!! So good, I’ll definitely come back to this recipe!

    Reply
  4. Ariel says

    August 17, 2019 at 2:58 pm

    Is this considered a healthy dish or just a comforting dish? Asking for my dieting LOL

    Reply
    • LyubaB says

      August 19, 2019 at 9:39 pm

      I would say comfort but if you pair with some healthy veggies it will even it out! 😉

      Reply
  5. Terri says

    March 15, 2018 at 10:38 pm

    5 stars
    I made this tonight for dinner and if was fantastic! Made just as instructed and cooked in the stove. Will definitely be adding to my cookbook binder for future dinners. Thanks!

    Reply
  6. Erin says

    February 10, 2017 at 8:43 pm

    This looks awesome. I would like to make it for my parents for Valentine’s Day. Any suggestions on what sides you were serve with it?

    Reply
    • lyuba says

      February 13, 2017 at 10:30 am

      Hi Erin!
      You can always go with the comforting mashed potatoes. For green, you can do with green beans or asparagus. Chicken has a lot of good flavor so you don’t want to overpower it with a side, that’s why simple roasted veggies and mashed potatoes will go well.
      I hope you enjoy it!

      Reply
  7. Jen says

    August 23, 2016 at 2:52 pm

    The finished photo looks like there is a sauce on top. I know you put pesto on before browning but I imagine most comes off in the cooking process.

    Reply
    • lyuba says

      August 23, 2016 at 9:18 pm

      Hi Jen!
      There is actually no sauce on top, just the juices from chicken as it cooks and pesto. 🙂

      Reply
  8. Kathleen says

    July 3, 2016 at 5:50 pm

    Made this tonight. Came out great. Cooked it covered for 10 mins. It gave off a lot of liquid so I drained it oFF and then browed all around. Stayed very moist. Great recipe. Thank you so much. FOLLOWING!

    Reply
  9. Jena says

    November 23, 2015 at 5:07 am

    Have you actually tried baking it instead? I know you listed directions above, but I was wondering if it’s been tested.
    Thanks!

    Reply
  10. Jennifer says

    March 18, 2015 at 7:20 pm

    This looks amazing. I was wondering can you bake it? If so what temp and how long?

    Reply
    • lyuba says

      March 24, 2015 at 9:16 pm

      Hi Jennifer!
      You can definitely try baking it. Do 350 and time will depend on size of the breasts you use. Bake them in something like a casserole dish and start with 15 minutes, flip, do another 10 minutes and then cut into the thickest part to make sure it’s cooked through. If not, give it 5 additional minutes at a time.

      Reply
  11. Kate @ Diethood says

    January 4, 2015 at 10:21 am

    Good Lawwwwd, that sounds dang amazing!! Thank YOU for the link love! XO By the way, we live by the same rule, “no-eating until photos taken”. 😀

    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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