This yogurt-marinated stuffed chicken breast can quickly become a weeknight favorite and can be paired with so many dishes. It consists of chicken breast marinated in a yogurt and herb dressing, which is then stuffed with a spinach, garlic, onion, soft goat cheese, mozzarella, and sun-dried tomato mixture. The chicken is pan-seared for some color, and then finished in the oven, making it delightfully tender.

Serve it with parmesan and lemon roasted broccolini and oven-roasted potato bites, or go lighter with this easy couscous or this roasted veggie salad. You could also enjoy it with these air fryer carrot fries or these air fryer peppers.

overhead zoomed in view of three fully visible and one partially visible cooked stuffed chicken breast in a transparent baking tray on a wooden surface

Ingredients You Will Need

If you want to make this stuffed chicken breast, you will need the following ingredients (to make four large stuffed chicken breasts):

top down view of wooden board showing all ingredients needed for stuffed chicken with labels

For the marinated chicken:

Chicken Breast – 4 large chicken breasts (about 9-10 oz each)
Yogurt – 1/4 cup Greek yogurt or plain yogurt
Thyme – 1/2 tsp dried thyme
Garlic Powder – 1/2 tsp garlic powder
Salt – a pinch of kosher salt or flaky sea salt
Pepper – a pinch of ground black pepper
Oil – 1 tbsp oil (from the sundried tomatoes in oil or regular neutral oil like sunflower oil or light olive oil)

For the stuffing and cooking:

Goat Cheese – 4 oz soft goat cheese (not one with rind)
Mozzarella – 1 cup grated/shredded mozzarella (low-moisture)
Sun-Dried Tomatoes – 1/2 cup packed (about 8 large sun-dried tomatoes)
Garlic – 2 garlic cloves
Spinach – 3 oz (about 1 1/2 cup packed) spinach
Red Onion – 1 red onion
Oil – 2 tbsp oil (1 tbsp for cooking the onion and 1 tbsp for cooking the chicken)

Instructions with Photos

Marinating the chicken

Step 1. Cut a pocket in the chicken breast from the thicker side.

close up of pocket being cut in the chicken breast from the thicker side

view of chicken breast with a pocket just cut in it being closed with the knife still inside on a plastic cutting board

Step 2. Season with thyme, garlic powder, salt, and ground black pepper (both on the outside of the chicken breast and the inside of the pocket).

zoomed in view of chicken breast with pocket cut in it being seasoned with thyme, garlic powder, salt, and pepper

Step 3. Mix the yogurt and 1 tbsp of oil in a large bowl and add the seasoned chicken breasts. Coat the chicken breasts (including on the inside of the pocket) in the yogurt mixture. Cover it and set it aside to marinate for 30 minutes.

Note: You can also do this step ahead of time or the day before and let it marinate longer/overnight in the fridge.

overhead view of four chicken breasts after being seasoned marinating in yogurt, garlic, and oil mixture in a bowl on a wooden surface

Chicken Stuffing

Step 1. In a skillet over medium heat, add 1 tbsp of oil. When the oil is hot (after about 1 minute), add the thinly sliced red onion. Sauté, stirring often, for about 7-8 minutes until the onion has softened and just started to get some slightly charred bits.

close up of sliced onion being sauteed in a black pan being stirred with a wooden spoon

Step 2. Add the spinach and sauté until wilted (less than 1 minute). Add the minced garlic, mix it in, and cook for 10 seconds. Take off the heat immediately after.

spinach and sliced onion being sauteed in a pan

minced garlic being added to a pan with wilted sauteed spinach and sliced onion in it

Step 3. Add the spinach-onion mixture to the soft goat cheese and 3/4 cup of mozzarella (leaving 1/4 cup mozzarella aside for topping the chicken before baking it).

overhead view of sauteed spinach, onion, and garlic mixture mixed with goat cheese and mozzarella in a white bowl, forming the stuffing for the chicken breast

Assemble, sear, and bake.

Step 1. Preheat the oven to 375°F (190°C).

Step 2. Once the chicken has marinated (for 30 minutes at room temperature or longer/overnight in the fridge), fill the pocket with the mixture (one fourth of the mixture per chicken breast).

a white plate to the left with singular chicken breast having the cut section stuffed with the mixture, with the remaining mixture in a bowl to the right of the plate

close up view of a singular chicken breast after being closed once the stuffing had been placed in the cut

Step 3. To a skillet over medium-high heat, add 1 tbsp of oil. Once the oil is hot (after about 1 minute), add the stuffed chicken and sear for about 2 minutes on each side (just enough to get some color on it).

close up view of three stuffed chicken breast having just been turned in a cast iron skillet, showing the color on the chicken as it cooks

Step 4. Transfer it to a baking dish*, top with the remaining mozzarella, and bake in the preheated oven (middle shelf) until the chicken reaches 165°F/74°C (about 25 minutes, more or less depending on the size of the chicken breasts you have and the oven).

overhead view of four pan seared stuffed chicken breast with grated mozzarella on top in a round transaprent baking tray ready to be put in the oven to bake

Note: If your skillet is ovenproof and large enough to hold all four chicken breasts, you can just use that instead of transferring the chicken to a baking dish. It will cook slightly faster as well (about 5 minutes faster as the skillet will already be hot).

Step 5. Rest the chicken for at least 5 minutes before serving.

top down view of four baked chicken breast with a spinach, onion, cheese, and garlic stuffing in a transparent circular baking tray on a dark wooden surface resting, ready to be served

This is such a great and tasty dish to enjoy any time of the week all year round. If you made this and really enjoyed it, I would love to know your thoughts in a review below. Please also let me know what you paired it with in the comments.

More Serving Ideas

In addition to my suggestions at the top of the recipe, I have lots more sides you can pair this with. Some of my favorites include these lemon-garlic new potatoes with this zesty arugula tomato salad.

You could also have it with pasta, like this one pot lemon basil pasta, and a side of this homemade garlic bread for an Italian-inspired weeknight dinner.

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