Originally published on January 21, 2017
I’m going to be honest with you. I’m not a huge fan of chicken breasts. I know, I know, the white meat is preferred by many, and KFC will even charge you extra if you ask for a bucket of “all-white” meat. But chicken can already be somewhat boring and when you stack up a bunch of unimpressive bland chicken breasts against some really great chicken thighs that are fatty and packed full of flavour, there’s really no comparison for me. That is, until you stuff them.
Stuffed chicken breasts really can turn something fairly mundane into something very exciting – and you can stuff them with anything you’d like. I’ve done avocado, mushrooms, spinach – even pistachios! This version combines sweet bell peppers with spinach and mozzarella, and dusts the top of the chicken breasts with homemade taco seasoning.
Delicious! And so easy too.
Ingredients:
- 4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
- 1/2 red bell pepper, diced
- 1/2 green bell pepper, diced
- 2 cups packed baby spinach
- 1/2 cup mozzarella cheese, shredded
- 2 tablespoons olive oil, divided
- 1 tablespoon chili powder
- 1 1/2 teaspoons cumin
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
- 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
- 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper, plus a pinch
- 1 teaspoon salt, plus a pinch
Directions:
1.) Preheat oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit. Pat chicken breasts dry with paper towel and set aside.
2.) Heat one tablespoon of olive oil in a skillet set over medium heat. When hot add red and green pepper. Cook for 3 minutes, just until soft, then add spinach. Add a pinch of salt and black pepper, stir, and cook just until the spinach is wilted. Set aside.
3.) In a small bowl combine the chili powder, cumin, paprika, garlic powder, crushed red pepper flakes, onion power, oregano, 1/2 teaspoon black pepper, and 1 teaspoon salt. Mix together well.
4.) This is when you need to cut into the chicken. Many people decide to cut into the thick side of the breast, because that’s where the most meat is. However, I have found that when doing this, it’s harder to control the knife and it’s very easy to slice through the breast without actually creating a pocket. Because of this, I like to start my cut on the thinner side of the chicken. Your knife won’t cut through because you’re actually going into thicker meat, not thinner. Use a good paring knife, and confidently slice a pocket into the chicken breast. Start at one end of the thinner side, push the knife in gently, and then work your knife around the inside of the chicken breast, towards the back and then to the other side of the chicken breast.
5.) Stuff chicken breasts with 1/4 of the mozzarella cheese each. Then add the bell pepper and spinach mixture. Once each chicken breast is stuffed, place on a baking sheet.
6.) Using the remaining one tablespoon of olive oil, brush each chicken breast with it. Then generously sprinkle on the taco seasoning.
7.) Place the chicken breasts into the preheated oven and cook for 30 minutes, until the tops are browned and the chicken is hot throughout.
8.) Remove from chicken and allow to rest for 5 minutes before slicing or serving.