High Protein Thanksgiving Stuffed Chicken Breast with Cranberry and Spinach
Juicy chicken breasts stuffed with creamy goat cheese, spinach and dried cranberries. 42g protein — 50 minutes, serves 4.
Equipment
- A large ovenproof skillet
- A mixing bowl
- A sharp knife
- An instant-read meat thermometer
Ingredients
- 4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (about 170g each)
- 120 g goat cheese softened
- 2 cups fresh spinach chopped
- 1/3 cup dried cranberries chopped
- 2 garlic cloves minced
- 1 tsp lemon zest
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1 tsp dried thyme
- 1/2 tsp paprika
- Salt and black pepper to taste
- Toothpicks or kitchen twine to secure
Instructions
- Heat the oven to 190°C (375°F). Warm half the olive oil in a small pan over medium heat, add the garlic and spinach, and cook for 2 minutes until wilted. Tip into a bowl and leave to cool for 5 minutes.
- Stir the goat cheese, dried cranberries and lemon zest into the spinach until evenly mixed. Season with a little salt and pepper.
- Butterfly each chicken breast: slice horizontally almost all the way through, then open it flat like a book. Season both sides with salt, pepper, thyme and paprika.
- Spoon a quarter of the filling onto one half of each breast, fold the other half over, and secure the edges with toothpicks or kitchen twine. Do not overstuff — a little filling escaping is fine, a burst breast is not.
- Heat the remaining olive oil in a large ovenproof skillet over medium-high heat. Sear the stuffed breasts for 3 minutes per side, until golden.
- Transfer the skillet to the oven and bake for 20–25 minutes, until an instant-read thermometer reads 74°C (165°F) in the thickest part.
- Rest the chicken for 5 minutes, pull out the toothpicks, and slice on the diagonal so the filling shows.
Notes
Do not overstuff the breasts. Rest 5 minutes before slicing so the filling sets. Keeps 3 days refrigerated.