This is a weeknight dinner if you plan ahead just a little. Keto spinach stuffed chicken breast bakes right over tomato sauce, with a creamy, cheesy spinach filling doing most of the flavor work.
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I use the same creamed spinach from my Steakhouse Creamed Spinach recipe here. Double that batch, eat some as a side one night, then use the rest to stuff chicken a couple nights later.
Check the chicken breast label before you buy. Skip anything injected with a saltwater solution; it waters down the sauce as it cooks.
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Chef Jenn’s Take on Spinach Stuffed Chicken Breast
Watch the ingredient label on chicken breast before buying it. It should list only chicken, nothing else. Some chicken breast is injected with a salt water solution to plump it up and increase the sell weight, and that liquid sheds out during cooking, watering down the sauce underneath.
Cut the pocket horizontally into each breast without slicing all the way through, then stuff with about a third of a cup of filling, more for larger breasts. Homemade tomato sauce is worth making instead of buying, it saves money and carbs, and matters more than usual here since the sauce’s carbs are not included in the calculated nutrition below.
If using bone-in chicken breast instead of boneless, it needs more time in the oven, so adjust accordingly and check with a thermometer rather than trusting the clock.
Chopped artichoke hearts are a good addition for more fiber, higher in carbs but nearly half fiber, so the tradeoff is often worth it. One family’s picky eater ate the spinach in this without complaint, which says something about how well it hides inside the chicken.
What You’ll Love About Spinach Stuffed Chicken Breast
- Doubling the creamed spinach batch sets up two easy dinners instead of one.
- The creamed spinach keeps the chicken moist and tender, not dry.
- A good way to sneak spinach past picky eaters, hidden right inside the chicken.
Ingredients
- Chicken breasts – Boneless, skinless. Check the label for one that lists only chicken, nothing else.
- Parmesan cheese – Grated, both in the filling and sprinkled on top.
- Butter – Dotted over the top before baking.
- Creamed spinach – Use the same filling from the Steakhouse Creamed Spinach recipe, made ahead if possible.
- Tomato sauce – Homemade saves money and carbs. Make sure it’s sugar-free.
How to Make Spinach Stuffed Chicken Breast
Scroll down for the full recipe card with exact measurements and printable instructions.
If you haven’t already, prepare the creamed spinach filling and let it cool. Lay each chicken breast flat and cut a horizontal pocket into the side, without cutting all the way through.
Stuff each breast with about 1/3 cup of the creamed spinach filling, more if the breasts are larger.
Spread the tomato sauce in the bottom of an oven-safe dish, and place the stuffed breasts on top. Dot the chicken with butter and sprinkle with Parmesan cheese.
Bake at 375°F, uncovered, for about 20 to 25 minutes, until the chicken reaches 165°F, adjusting the time for the size and starting temperature of the breasts.
Make It A Meal
Double the Steakhouse Creamed Spinach recipe so you have extra for both a side dish and this filling. For more chicken dinners in the rotation, Chicken Cacciatore or King Ranch Casserole are both worth keeping on hand.
Storage
Cook fully and chill overnight in the fridge, then package in a freezer-safe container or bag and freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the fridge, then reheat in the microwave or in an oven-safe dish at 350°F until warmed through.
Frequently Asked Questions
This recipe runs about 4 net carbs per chicken breast with 1/3 cup filling, not including the tomato sauce, since that varies too much by brand or recipe to calculate accurately. The number in the recipe card below will recalculate once this post is republished, so use it as an estimate until then.
Plain steamed vegetables, cauliflower rice, or zucchini noodles all work well and help soak up the sauce. For non-keto family members, regular pasta or a pasta alternative like konjac or palmini noodles both work too.
Yes, but it will need more time in the oven. Check with a thermometer rather than relying on the timer alone.
Yes, chopped artichoke hearts are a good addition if you want more fiber. They run a bit higher in carbs, but are nearly half fiber, so the tradeoff is often worth it.
Add Preferred SourceCreamy Spinach-Stuffed Chicken Breast
Ingredients
- 4 skinless boneless chicken breasts
- 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese
- 2 tablespoons butter
Steakhouse Creamed Spinach
- 1/2 pound baby spinach
- 1/2 cup heavy whipping cream
- 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/2 tablespoon dried onion flakes
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon pepper
Instructions
- To make the creamy spinach, wilt the washed and drained spinach in a large pan until wilted. Add the heavy cream, cheese, garlic powder, salt and pepper. Let it cool.
- Cut each chicken breast horizontally, cutting a pocket into the breast without going all the way through.
- Fill the pocket with about 1/3 cup of spinach filling. More if the breasts are larger.
- Place 2 cups of keto-friendly tomato sauce into the bottom of an oven-safe dish. Place the stuffed breasts on top.
- Dot the chicken breasts with the butter, and sprinkle with Parmesan cheese.
- Bake at 375-F uncovered, for about 20 minutes, or until the breasts reach 165-F internally. You may need to adjust the cooking time if the breasts are larger or colder when you started, so keep an eye on them.
- Serve and enjoy!
Notes
Recipe Card Tips
- Don’t cut all the way through the chicken when making the pocket. It needs to stay closed to hold the filling.
- Use a thermometer to check doneness, especially with bone-in chicken breast, which needs more time than boneless.
- Tomato sauce nutritional info is not included in this recipe because I have no idea what sauce you might be using. Make sure it is sugar-free, and if possible, make your own tomato sauce!
Nutrition
A Note on Nutritional Information
Nutritional information for this recipe is provided as a courtesy and is calculated based on available online ingredient information. It is only an approximate value. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site cannot be guaranteed. Erythritol carbs (sugar substitutes) are not included in the carbohydrate counts as they have been shown not to impact blood sugar, and they have zero calories and zero carbs. Net carbs are the total carbs minus fiber.
Like This? Also Try:
- Italian Chicken Stew
- Creamy Country Chicken
- King Ranch Chicken Casserole
- Stacey’s Keto Air Fryer Chicken Tenders
- Grilled Stuffed Chicken Breast
- This delish Keto Spinach Artichoke Casserole
- Also be sure to check out my cookbooks!
My husband and I had this recipe last night for dinner and we loved it. I always have fresh spinach in the fridge and we are always looking for new ways to eat chicken. This recipe was a winner.
So glad you enjoyed it!
This is so delicious! I am putting this on my monthly rotation! Even my picky son ate the spinach and loved it! Thanks!
One of our favorite ways to prepare chicken! The stuffing helps keep it so moist and tender! Love it!
Could these chicken breasts look any more moist and juicy? This is chicken dinner magic! Cannot wait to try!
This stuffed chicken was super easy to prepare and a hit in our house! Going to make this again!
It’s a regular dinner in my house, too!