Asparagus Stuffed Chicken Breast is a simple, beautiful, and flavorful dish. Better yet, it’s stuffed full of goat cheese and mozzarella too! This dinner can be made all in one pan, and it’s baked to juicy perfection.
What’s in Asparagus Stuffed Chicken?
Chicken breast is stuffed with stalks of asparagus, goat cheese, and mozzarella, then sear and baked to perfection. It’s so easy to make, so flavorful, and it looks impressive.
- Chicken Breasts: Large boneless, skinless chicken breasts work best for stuffing.
- Salt + Pepper: Enhance the natural flavor of the chicken.
- Garlic Powder: Adds an earthy flavor.
- Paprika: Adds a mild, sweet, and vegetal flavor.
- Goat Cheese: Tart, tangy, and creamy– the perfect cheese for stuffing!
- Asparagus: This earthy and slightly bitter vegetable is packed with vitamins and minerals.
- Mozzarella Cheese: This mild and creamy cheese helps seal in the asparagus. Opt for the fresh kind rather than block-style or shredded.
- Olive Oil: Helps the chicken sear without burning.
- Balsamic Vinegar: Adds a touch of tartness and acidity to balance the creaminess of the cheese.
Pro Tip: Fold up the mozzarella if it’s a larger piece. You don’t want it to touch the skillet while searing the chicken.
Variations on Chicken Stuffed with Asparagus
You can season the chicken with just about anything you like– onion powder, Italian seasoning, herbs de Provence, basil, rosemary, coriander… the possibilities are endless!
If you’re not a fan of goat cheese, try subbing in ricotta, blue cheese, crumbled feta, or even Boursin. You could also swap out the asparagus for broccolini or chopped broccoli.
We’re stuffing this chicken with both goat cheese and mozzarella. It melts the best and the flavor is perfect with the asparagus.
To prep this asparagus stuffed chicken, you’ll need to butterfly the chicken breasts first. Using a sturdy, sharp knife, cut into the side. You’ll be cutting it in half lengthwise, leaving a hinge on one side. Don’t cut all the way through!
Nope! The asparagus will cook up perfectly along with the chicken, so no need to cool it before stuffing the chicken.
Toothpicks, and lots of ’em! Using toothpicks will help hold the chicken together so you can get in that extra bit of stuffing, but make sure not to overdo it. Too much stuffing can also cause the chicken to leak.
How to Store and Reheat
Store leftover asparagus stuffed chicken breasts in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Reheat covered in a 350°F oven for 15-20 minutes, or until warmed through.
How to Freeze
Freeze stuffed chicken breasts in an airtight container or Ziplock bag for up to 3 months. Let thaw overnight in the refrigerator before reheating.
Serving Suggestions
This recipe could be a light meal on its own. Chicken breast is stuffed with asparagus and lots of cheese, so you’ve already got some veggies baked right in!
I recommend serving it with some chicken flavored rice or quinoa if you want to add some grains, or a side of greens with a tasty dressing.
Asparagus Stuffed Chicken Breast Recipe
Ingredients
- 4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon ground paprika
- 4 tablespoons goat cheese
- 16 spears asparagus firm ends cut off
- 4 slices fresh mozzarella cheese
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 425°F.
- Season each chicken breast with salt and pepper to taste and then garlic powder and paprika.4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, 1 teaspoon garlic powder, 1 teaspoon ground paprika
- Cut each chicken breast in half lengthwise. Be careful not to cut all the way through. You're just making a place to put the cheese and asparagus.
- Spread 1 tablespoon goat cheese into the inside of each chicken breast pocket.4 tablespoons goat cheese
- Top with 4 stalks asparagus (sprinkle lightly with salt and pepper), and then top with the mozzarella. You might need to fold the mozzarella to make sure not too much is sticking out (it will stick to the pan if so).16 spears asparagus, 4 slices fresh mozzarella cheese
- Secure each chicken breast closed with 3 toothpicks, taking care that they're as flat as possible so that the chicken will sear fully.
- Heat a large (oven safe) skillet over medium high heat. Add the olive oil and coat the pan. Watch for it to start to glisten. Once glistening, stir in the balsamic vinegar.1 tablespoon olive oil, 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
- Sear the chicken breasts 3-4 minutes per side, being careful to move them around in the oil so they don’t burn, stick. Flip carefully.
- Place the skillet in the preheated oven and bake for 15-20 minutes, or until the internal temp on the chicken reaches 165°F.
Notes
- Use a sharp pairing knife to cut a pocket in the chicken. Be sure not to cut all the way through.
- Don’t be shy with the cheese, but also don’t overstuff the cheese into the chicken breast pocket.
- Fold up the mozzarella if it’s a larger piece. You don’t want it to touch the skillet while searing the chicken.
- When seasoning the chicken, I usually use about one teaspoon of salt per pound of chicken.
- Use toothpicks to secure the stuffed chicken while cooking.
- To check the doneness of the chicken, use an instant-read meat thermometer. When it reaches 165°F degrees you’re good to plate up!
Cletus Sickler says
We are always ready to try a new chicken recipe and this one is great. We use either queso or ricotta cheese instead of goat cheese. No salt. And we wrap the stuffed chicken with two pieces of low sodium bacon.
Becky Hardin says
Sounds delicious!
Lori says
Not too wild about this, but to be fair I am not wild about white meat. It was still moist, but to me white meat is dry tasting compared to the dark meat. Perhaps I will try this with boneless, skinless thighs. Thank you for the recipe!
Becky Hardin says
You can absolutely make this recipe with thighs instead! I hope it’s more to your taste next time!!
Megan says
I am super excited to make this tonight, but I had to put out a comment even before the meal is on the table. Just the fact that not only do you have the ingredients listed that are needed, but when you were doing the step by step instructions, you have the ingredients with their measurements listed with those instructions. This is so incredibly freaking awesome! I wish all online chefs who are posting their amazing recipes would do this. When you’re in the middle of cooking things and reading instructions. Sometimes it can be a real pain in the ass to constantly scrolling back up to take a look at what the measurement is for the ingredient that they’re saying in that particular instructions. So I commend you for the way that you have presented this recipe and simply because of that I am 100% using this recipe tonight and I’m not even going to look for her
Becky Hardin says
Thanks so much for your kind words, Megan! It truly is a great recipe writing feature!