This straightforward stuffed hen breasts recipe includes a zesty filling of recent grated zucchini, ripe Roma tomatoes, and two creamy cheeses, baked to perfection! It’s packed filled with Mediterranean-inspired flavors and so easy to make.
I like this spin on traditional baked hen breasts. For one more enjoyable variation, attempt my bruschetta hen filled with juicy balsamic tomatoes.
Perhaps it’s as a result of I grew up consuming hen Kiev, however I can’t resist a stuffed hen recipe! In the present day’s stuffed hen breasts recipe is an homage to some of my favourite summer time substances. The filling on this recipe is a scrumptious mixture of freshly grated zucchini, two forms of cheese, and Italian seasoning, layered with candy, juicy Roma tomatoes and basil.
Issues to Know About This Stuffed Hen Breasts Recipe
- It’s (actually) bursting with summer time flavors. I’m at all times discovering a method to work summer time zucchini right into a meal. I like the tender zucchini paired with the candy shallots, juicy tomatoes, and sharp, tangy cream cheese on this stuffed hen recipe.
- Make it any day of the week. These stuffed hen breasts are straightforward to make on weeknights and “fancy” sufficient to impress associates at dinner events. It’s a win-win.
- Simple to customise. Plus, you’ll be able to customise the substances nevertheless you’d like. Swap the cheese, commerce grated zucchini with one other veggie like mushrooms or asparagus, or make spinach stuffed hen breasts as an alternative.
Substances You’ll Want
Right here’s a fast have a look at what you’ll have to make these Mediterranean-style stuffed hen breasts. Scroll all the way down to the recipe card for the printable recipe, adopted by a step-by-step overview.
- Hen Breasts – You’ll want boneless, skinless hen breasts since we’ll be pounding them skinny. Bigger hen breasts are simpler to fill than smaller ones.
- Seasoning – You may actually use any hen seasoning you’d like, right here. I exploit garlic powder, salt, and pepper, since I like to offer the veggies and flavors within the filling an opportunity to shine. You could possibly additionally use my without end go-to hen seasoning mix.
For the Tacky Filling
- Olive Oil – I exploit further virgin olive oil for sautéeing as a result of I like the refined, herby taste. You may substitute one other oil, like avocado oil, or use butter in case you’d want.
- Onion and Garlic – Shallot or one other gentle onion and recent garlic, chopped and minced. If wanted, substitute ¼ teaspoon of garlic powder per recent clove.
- Zucchini – I like utilizing backyard zucchini once I can get my arms on it. When on the lookout for a ripe zucchini, select one which’s agency and vibrant inexperienced, with none blemishes.
- Cream Cheese and Parmesan – Soften the cream cheese and finely grate the parmesan earlier than you begin. I like to recommend utilizing a block of cream cheese relatively than the whipped or spreadable tub form.
- Italian Seasoning – Along with salt and pepper, to spice up the flavors. Be at liberty to swap dried seasoning for recent Italian herbs, like chopped oregano, basil, and thyme. I at all times have recent herbs round for a garnish, anyway!
- Contemporary Basil – So scrumptious. You need to use parsley, too, or one other herb you favor.
- Tomatoes – I go for Roma tomatoes as they’re not overly watery. Any salad tomato works effectively right here (cherry, grape, and many others.). Slice the tomatoes thinly to layer in with the remainder of the hen filling.
The right way to Pound Hen Skinny
Earlier than we are able to stuff our hen breasts, we’ll pound them skinny utilizing the identical methodology as hen paillard or hen picatta. It entails flattening the hen breast so it’s tender, and on this case, makes it a lot simpler to wrap across the filling.
- First, place the hen breasts between two sheets of plastic wrap or parchment paper on a sturdy floor, like a reducing board.
- Then, pound the hen to a fair, ¼-inch thickness utilizing a meat mallet or rolling pin.
Can I Use Hen Thighs?
Actually! You may make this recipe with boneless hen thighs as an alternative. Understand that hen thighs will be extra delicate than hen breasts, although, so take a bit extra care when pounding them to a fair thickness. You might also want to extend the cooking time, since thigh meat takes longer to cook dinner.
Useful Recipe Suggestions
- Don’t overfill. As scrumptious because the tacky zucchini filling is, take care to not overstuff the hen. It’ll be more durable to fold, and the surplus filling will leak out whereas the hen bakes.
- Use toothpicks. Safe the stuffed hen breasts utilizing toothpicks to maintain the filling intact. Take away the picks or warn your visitors about them when serving.
- Relaxation the hen. Enable your stuffed hen breasts to relaxation for at the least 5 minutes earlier than you serve. This enables the juices to redistribute all through the hen and makes it tender.
What to Serve With Stuffed Hen Breasts
I serve these juicy tacky stuffed hen breasts with a cherry walnut salad on the facet and a tasty starter, like grissini breadsticks dipped in garlic butter. Stuffed hen can also be nice as a comfy dinner with mashed potatoes or white rice and a veggie facet, like broccoli. A basket of dinner rolls doesn’t harm, both, for mopping up any tacky filling that escapes! Pair your hen with a chilly glass of Pinot Grigio or a dry rosé.
Steadily Requested Questions
Sure. Squeezing the surplus water out of the grated zucchini is vital to avoiding a watery filling. Don’t skip this step!
Minimize the brick of cream cheese into cubes, then cowl it with plastic wrap and depart it at room temperature (it’ll soften faster in smaller items).
Positive! Stuff the hen breasts and hold them coated within the fridge as much as 24 hours earlier than you cook dinner them. I don’t advocate freezing the unbaked stuffed hen because the zucchini and tomatoes shall be watery when thawed.
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- Field Grater – Nice for shredding zucchini and parmesan.
- Meat Mallet – For pounding the hen to a fair thickness.
- Cheese Material – Use it to wring out all that further moisture from the zucchini.
- Baking Sheet – Supreme for roasting the stuffed hen evenly.
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Prep. Preheat the oven to 400°F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
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Pound the hen. Place a hen breast between two items of plastic wrap on a reducing board and pound with a rolling pin to even thickness (about ¼ inch). Repeat with the remaining breasts.
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Season the hen. Season the hen items on each side with salt, pepper, and garlic powder. Put aside.
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Saute the aromatics. Warmth the olive oil over medium-high warmth in a skillet. Add the shallot and saute till translucent. Add the garlic and saute till aromatic. Flip off the warmth and put aside.
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Grate the zucchini. Grate the zucchini after which squeeze as a lot water out of it as doable. You need to use your arms or a cheesecloth.
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Put all of it collectively. Mix the sauteed aromatics, zucchini, cream cheese, parmesan, salt, pepper, and Italian seasoning in a mixing bowl. Whisk till mixed.
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Stuff the hen breasts. Unfold about 2 tablespoons of the filling on half of every hen breast. High with basil and tomato slices. You’ll need ~2 slices of tomato per hen piece. Fold the opposite facet of every hen breast over the filling and safe with toothpicks.
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Bake. Prepare the stuffed hen breasts on the ready baking sheet and bake for 25 minutes or till the hen reaches an inner temperature of 165°F.
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Relaxation. Enable the hen breasts to relaxation for five minutes or so earlier than serving.
Energy: 178kcal | Carbohydrates: 7g | Protein: 5g | Fats: 15g | Saturated Fats: 7g | Polyunsaturated Fats: 1g | Monounsaturated Fats: 6g | Ldl cholesterol: 33mg | Sodium: 1504mg | Potassium: 264mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 3g | Vitamin A: 774IU | Vitamin C: 12mg | Calcium: 132mg | Iron: 1mg
Dietary data is an estimate and supplied as courtesy. Values might range in accordance with the substances and instruments used. Please use your most popular dietary calculator for extra detailed data.
The right way to Stuff Hen Breasts
Stuffing hen is an effective way to show your humble hen breasts into one thing particular on a weeknight or date evening. It’s additionally SO straightforward! Listed here are the steps:
- Put together the hen. Whereas the oven preheats to 400ºF, pound the hen breasts to a fair ¼-inch thickness. Season the hen on each side with salt, pepper, and on this case, garlic powder.
- Sauté the aromatics. In the meantime, warmth the oil in a skillet. Sauté the shallot over medium warmth so it softens, then stir within the garlic.
- Subsequent, grate and squeeze the zucchini. Grate the recent zucchini utilizing a field grater or comparable. Afterward, use a cheesecloth or paper towels to empty the zucchini and squeeze out as a lot liquid as doable.
- Put all of it collectively. Add the drained zucchini to a bowl alongside together with your sautéed onion and garlic, cream cheese, parmesan, and seasonings. Stir that collectively till it’s effectively mixed. You’re virtually able to stuff your hen!
- Stuff the hen breasts. Now, unfold about 2 spoonfuls of filling over one half of the pounded hen breast. Prepare two tomato slices and some basil leaves on high. Then, fold the opposite half of the hen over the filling. Safe the stuffed hen with toothpicks.
- Bake. Place the stuffed hen breasts on a lined baking sheet and bake at 400ºF for 25 minutes. Examine that the hen reaches an inner temperature of 165ºF on an instant-read thermometer, indicating it’s carried out. Relaxation the hen for five minutes after baking, then dig in!
Extra Methods to Stuff Hen
- Spinach. Substitute the zucchini on this recipe with recent child spinach leaves. Or, use a mix of the 2.
- Mushrooms. Attempt a variation with diced sautéed white mushrooms or garlic mushrooms.
- Cheese. As an alternative of cream cheese and parmesan, stuff the hen with ricotta, feta, goat cheese, or cottage cheese.
- Pesto. Stir basil or spinach pesto into the filling or unfold it over the hen. Attempt zhoug (spicy cilantro sauce) for one thing slightly completely different.
- Extra add-ins. Attempt including cooked crumbled bacon, chopped artichoke hearts, or swap the recent tomatoes for sun-dried tomatoes as an alternative.
Storage and Reheating
- Refrigerate. Retailer any leftover stuffed hen breasts hermetic within the fridge for as much as 2 days.
- Reheat. You may reheat the hen in a 350ºF oven (or use the air fryer if in case you have one). I generally discover that hen will get a bit dried out within the microwave, although it does work in a pinch.
- Freeze. Wrap the cooled hen breasts in plastic wrap or retailer them hermetic and freeze for as much as 2 months.
