I’m so excited to share one of my favorite stuffed chicken breast recipes with you because it just oozes with flavor! This broccoli stuffed chicken is filled with a deliciously creamy broccoli cheese mixture, seared in a skillet, and then baked to juicy perfection. With over 500 five-star reviews, my recipe for broccoli and cheese stuffed chicken breast is a fan favorite, and I hope you love it, too!
Broccoli Stuffed Chicken Recipe
Chicken stuffed with broccoli, cream cheese, and cheddar is my secret to sneaking some veggies onto my kids’ plates–they never complain about the “green stuff” because they’re focused on the cheese. With such a simple ingredients list and such easy steps, it’s no wonder so many of you seem to love this stuffed chicken breast recipe too!
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How to Store and Reheat
Store leftover broccoli stuffed chicken in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Reheat chicken in a 350°F oven for 15-20 minutes, or until warmed through.
How to Freeze
Freeze broccoli and cheese stuffed chicken breasts tightly wrapped in 2 layers of plastic wrap and 1 layer of aluminum foil for up to 3 months. Let thaw overnight in the refrigerator before reheating.
Notes and Tips
- Chop your broccoli florets nice and small so they fit inside the chicken.
- Pick large chicken breasts for best results.
- For stuffing, cut into the side of each chicken breast with a paring knife. Remember, we are creating a pocket, not cutting it in half!
- You can prepare the stuffing ahead of time, but I recommend keeping the filling mixture separate from the chicken until you’re ready to stuff it. Store the filling in an airtight container in the refrigerator and assemble the stuffed chicken breast just before cooking.
- Be careful not to overstuff the chicken.
- If you don’t have an oven-safe skillet, you can sear the chicken in a skillet first, then transfer to another oven-safe dish.
- 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!
- If your chicken is starting to brown too quickly in the oven, loosely cover the pan with foil to prevent burning.
Top Reader Review
“Literally melts in your mouth! It was the perfect flavor–the cream cheese just adds so much to it. It’s great, I’ll be using this recipe a lot!” – Valerie
Broccoli and Cheese Stuffed Chicken Breast Recipe
Ingredients
For the Chicken:
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
- ½ teaspoon onion powder
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ¼ teaspoon ground paprika
- 4 tablespoons olive oil divided
- 4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
For the Filling:
- 2 cups chopped broccoli smaller pieces
- ½ cup shredded cheddar cheese
- 6 ounces cream cheese room temperature (¾ brick)
- 1 clove garlic minced
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375°F.
- Combine salt, pepper, onion powder, garlic powder, and paprika in a small dish. Drizzle the olive oil over the chicken breasts. Rub the seasoning mixture on the chicken and coat evenly.1 teaspoon kosher salt, ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper, ½ teaspoon onion powder, ½ teaspoon garlic powder, ¼ teaspoon ground paprika, 4 tablespoons olive oil, 4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
- Combine all filling ingredients in a bowl. Set aside.2 cups chopped broccoli, ½ cup shredded cheddar cheese, 6 ounces cream cheese, 1 clove garlic, Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
- Cut out a wide pocket in each chicken breast, being careful not to cut all the way through.
- Stuff each chicken breast with the filling.
- Heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a large oven-safe skillet over medium-high heat. Once heated, sear the stuffed chicken breasts on each side, but don’t cook through. You may need to do this in two batches depending on the size of your chicken breasts. Place all 4 breasts in the skillet and transfer the skillet to the oven.
- Bake for 25-35 minutes until the chicken breasts are cooked through.
Notes
How to Make Broccoli and Cheese Stuffed Chicken Breast Step by Step
Season the Chicken: Preheat the oven to 375°F. In a small bowl, combine 1 teaspoon of kosher salt, ¼ teaspoon of ground black pepper, ½ teaspoon of onion powder, ½ teaspoon of garlic powder, and ¼ teaspoon of ground paprika. Drizzle the 4 chicken breasts with 4 tablespoons of olive oil, then rub the seasoning mixture evenly all over the breasts.
Make the Filling: In a bowl, combine 2 cups of chopped broccoli, ½ cup of shredded cheddar cheese, 6 ounces of softened cream cheese, 1 clove of minced garlic clove, and salt and pepper to taste.
Cut the Pockets: Use a paring knife to cut a wide pocket into the side of each chicken breast. Be sure not to cut all the way through.
Stuff the Chicken: Stuff each chicken breast with an even amount of broccoli and cheese filling. They should be pretty full, but don’t overstuff, or the filling won’t cook all the way through.
Sear the Chicken: Heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil in an oven-safe skillet over medium-high heat. Sear the stuffed chicken breasts on each side to brown (2-3 minutes per side), but do not cook all the way through. If using a smaller skillet, sear 2 at a time.
Bake the Chicken: Place all chicken in the skillet, move to the oven, and bake broccoli and cheese stuffed chicken breasts at 375°F for 25-35 minutes, or until the chicken and filling are cooked through.
Deserves five stars because it’s perfect
Thanks so much for your kind words, Valerie!
I made this last night and OH MY! this was a huge hit! I will do this again and again!!
I’m so glad you enjoyed it, Lori!
I have made this a few times..always a hit!!
I’m so glad you love this recipe, Lisa! Thanks so much for stopping by!
Hi! Excited to try this recipe. I don’t have fresh broccoli on hand..can I use frozen broccoli? if so, should I use it frozen or cook it? Thank you!
Hi Caitlin, thaw and drain frozen broccoli before using it!
Do you cook the broccoli first? Looking to do it with an air fryer and chicken thighs since that is my husband’s preference. Looks incredible! Thanks!
No need to cook the broccoli first; just be sure to chop it small!
super dry, which makes sense and really not good. broccoli not cooked through either. I tried two breast in air fryer, two in oven and the oven ones were better.
So sorry to hear you didn’t enjoy this recipe! We definitely prefer the oven version for the juiciest chicken breasts, but you may want to cover yours with foil once they go in to help with moisture retention.
This recipe came out exactly how it was supposed to. I have tried it before with spinach and I must say I prefer the broccoli. This was delicious, I did not pan sear it. I put it on broil for 2 to 3 minutes when it was closer to being done and it came out moist and full of flavor. Thanks for the simple recipe!
Made this tonight – it was very good – I had frozen broccoli – next time will use fresh – also – had purchased thinly sliced chicken breast- so put the filling between two pieces- that worked okay, actually – Will try some of the variations next time