You’ll love this easy, one pan recipe for Broccoli Cheddar Stuffed Chicken. It’s lightly seared on the outside, stuffed with broccoli and cheddar cheese, and finished in the oven. The best part? It’s ready in 30 minutes or less.
Broccoli Cheddar Stuffed Chicken will quickly become a regular in your dinner rotation. This stuffed chicken can’t be easier because it’s made in a single pan and ready in 30 minutes or less.
Boneless, skinless chicken breasts are lightly seasoned and seared on the outside. They’re stuffed with gooey cheddar cheese and broccoli, then finished in the oven.
I make my stuffed chicken in a cast iron skillet. If you don’t have one, I’d suggest investing in one. They’re basically indestructible, they last forever, and they’re easy to clean.
My favorite part about using cast iron is that you can seamlessly move from the stove top to the oven without moving your food to another pan. However, if you don’t yet have a cast iron pan, don’t despair.
Simply transfer your chicken into an oven-safe baking dish before placing in the oven.
This is one of my favorite preparations for chicken breasts. The thing about chicken breasts is that they are generally too thick to cook through on the stove top alone.
By searing your chicken on the stove top, you get a nice golden crust on the outside. Then, finishing in the oven will cook your chicken through to the middle.
I use this time to clean up the kitchen and prepare a side dish to serve with my chicken. My Quick Parmesan Asparagus with Lemon Butter or Creamy Mashed Potatoes would make a great addition to this meal.
Broccoli and Cheddar Stuffed Chicken
Ingredients
- 4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/8 teaspoon pepper
- 1/4 teaspoon paprika
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 cup broccoli florets, chopped into small pieces
- 3/4 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese
- 2 tablespoons mayonnaise
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
- Butterfly your chicken breasts - hold your hand on top of the chicken breast and slice into the side of the chicken breast, cutting from one side to the other, leaving the opposite side intact. Your goal is to create a pocket for your filling. If needed, pound chicken breasts to create even thickness. entire breast (closed) should be about 1 inch in thickness.
- Season chicken breasts inside and out with salt, pepper, paprika, and garlic powder.
- In a bowl, combine chopped broccoli florets, cheddar cheese, and mayonnaise. Stuff broccoli mixture into chicken, using a toothpick to hold closed if needed.
- Add olive oil to skillet and heat over medium heat. Sear chicken breasts on each side for 2-3 minutes per side, until browned.
- Move skillet to oven to finish cooking for 12-15 minutes, or until juices run clear.
- Remove from oven and allow to rest for 2-3 minutes before serving.
Is the broccoli fresh or frozen?
I used fresh broccoli 😊
Do you use cooked broccoli to stuff in chicken, or uncooked?
I used fresh, uncooked broccoli.
Can u substitute mayo for something else?
Hi Danielle! The mayo adds a bit of creaminess to the filling, so I’d suggest maybe cream cheese or sour cream (but I haven’t tried these yet myself). You can also omit it entirely and the recipe will turn out fine 🙂
I used avacado oil mayo, or you could use olive oil mayo. Great taste and better for you.
Great idea, thanks for sharing!
No comment, just wanted to be on your email list.
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I want to make this , do you sear the chicken already stuffed? Or do you stuff it before putting in oven?
Hi Rosanne! I stuff the chicken breasts, then sear, then move straight into the oven.
What can you use if you dont have a cast iron skillet?
You can use any skillet you have on hand! If it’s not oven safe, transfer the chicken to an oven safe dish before baking.
Can you use frozen broccoli ?
I don’t think frozen broccoli would have time to cook through inside the chicken. I’d suggest thawing beforehand. The microwaveable steamed bags of broccoli may be a good choice!
Hey so I have shredded mosserela cheese do you think the taste will be some what amusing…I’m 14 and is learning to cook!!
Hi Jeramiah I think mozzarella cheese would also work! Let us know how it turns out 😀
I’m going to try with a veggie cream cheese. I’ll let you know how it turns out!