Baked Spinach Ricotta Chicken (Printable)

Tender chicken breasts filled with creamy spinach and ricotta, baked to golden perfection. An easy weeknight dinner ready in 50 minutes.

# What You'll Need:

→ Chicken

01 - 4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
02 - 1 tablespoon olive oil
03 - 1 teaspoon salt
04 - ½ teaspoon black pepper

→ Filling

05 - 1 cup ricotta cheese
06 - 1 cup fresh spinach, finely chopped (or thawed and squeezed-dry frozen spinach)
07 - 2 cloves garlic, minced
08 - ¼ cup grated Parmesan cheese
09 - ½ teaspoon dried Italian herbs (or oregano/basil)
10 - ¼ teaspoon nutmeg (optional)
11 - 1 egg yolk
12 - Salt and pepper, to taste

→ Topping

13 - ½ cup shredded mozzarella cheese
14 - 2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese

# How to Make It:

01 - Preheat oven to 400°F. Lightly grease a baking dish with olive oil.
02 - Pat chicken breasts dry with paper towels. Using a sharp knife, cut a horizontal pocket into the center of each breast, taking care not to cut completely through the meat.
03 - Combine ricotta, spinach, garlic, Parmesan, Italian herbs, nutmeg if using, egg yolk, salt, and pepper in a mixing bowl. Mix until fully incorporated and smooth.
04 - Fill each chicken breast pocket with an equal portion of the ricotta-spinach mixture. Secure openings with toothpicks if necessary to prevent filling from escaping during baking.
05 - Rub olive oil evenly over each chicken breast. Season both sides generously with salt and pepper.
06 - Place stuffed chicken breasts in the prepared baking dish. Top each breast with shredded mozzarella and additional Parmesan cheese.
07 - Bake for 25-30 minutes until chicken is completely cooked through, reaching an internal temperature of 165°F, and cheese topping is golden brown and bubbly.
08 - Remove from oven and let chicken rest for 5 minutes before serving. Remove toothpicks, slice crosswise to reveal filling, and serve immediately.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • The ricotta filling stays creamy and doesn't dry out like some stuffings I've tried
  • Everything happens in one pan so cleanup is practically nonexistent
  • You can prep it ahead and bake whenever you're ready to eat
02 -
  • Cutting the pocket requires a sharp knife and steady hands so take your time
  • Overfilling the chicken causes the stuffing to spill out so pack it loosely
  • The cheese browns quickly so check at 20 minutes and tent with foil if needed
03 -
  • Brining the chicken for 30 minutes in lightly salted water makes it noticeably juicier
  • A meat thermometer takes all the guesswork out of doneness

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