feta and roasted red pepper stuffed chicken breasts

Dinner

Feta & Roasted Red Pepper Stuffed Chicken Breasts

Feta cheese, roasted peppers, spinach and more flavors common to regions around the Mediterranean inspired this quick and easy stuffed chicken breast recipe. Browning the chicken in a skillet before baking gives it a beautiful golden color, and finishing it in the oven ensures that this healthy baked chicken recipe cooks evenly throughout.

Ingredients

½ cup crumbled feta cheese
½ cup chopped roasted red bell peppers
½ cup chopped fresh spinach
¼ cup kalamata olives, pitted and quartered
1 tablespoon chopped fresh basil
1 tablespoon chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
2 cloves garlic, minced
4 (8 ounce) boneless, skinless chicken breasts
¼ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon ground pepper
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon lemon juice

Directions

Preheat oven to 400°F. Combine feta, roasted red peppers, spinach, olives, basil, parsley and garlic in a medium bowl.
Using a small knife, cut a horizontal slit through the thickest portion of each chicken breast to form a pocket. Stuff each breast pocket with about 1/3 cup of the feta mixture; secure the pockets using wooden picks. Sprinkle the chicken evenly with salt and pepper.
Heat oil in a large oven-safe skillet over medium-high heat. Arrange the stuffed breasts, top-sides down, in the pan; cook until golden, about 2 minutes. Carefully flip the chicken; transfer the pan to the oven. Bake until an instant-read thermometer inserted in the thickest portion of the chicken registers 165°F, 20 to 25 minutes. Drizzle the chicken evenly with lemon juice. Remove the wooden picks from the chicken before serving.