Chicken Stuffed with Spinach and Feta Recipe
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Give your weeknight dinner a face-lift by stuffing chicken with this Greek-inspired filling. For a simple variation, add pine nuts or currants to the spinach-feta mixture.
INGREDIENTS
- 1 tablespoon plus 2 teaspoons olive oil
- 1/2 medium red onion, small dice
- 3 cups spinach leaves, tough stems removed, washed thoroughly and dried (about 3 ounces)
- Dash nutmeg
- Kosher salt
- Freshly ground black pepper
- 2 (10-ounce) boneless, skinless chicken breasts
- 1/3 cup crumbled feta cheese (about 1 1/2 ounces)
INSTRUCTIONS
- Heat the oven to 350°F. Heat 2 teaspoons of the oil in a large frying pan over medium heat until shimmering. Add onion and sauté until soft, about 8 to 10 minutes. Add spinach and sauté until wilted and water evaporates, about 2 minutes. Add nutmeg and season with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Remove mixture from the pan and transfer to a bowl to cool. Wipe out the pan and set aside.
- Cut each chicken breast in half horizontally.
Using a mallet or the bottom of a pan, pound chicken pieces to an even thickness, about 1/4 inch thick. Season all over with salt and freshly ground black pepper. - Stir feta into cooled spinach mixture. Lay chicken breasts on a cutting board so the narrowest ends face you. Place 1/4 of the spinach mixture halfway up each chicken piece. Fold the bottom of the chicken up over the filling to enclose it, then roll into a tight cylinder. Use toothpicks or butcher’s twine to secure the rolls. Repeat with remaining chicken and filling.
- Return the frying pan to medium-high heat and add remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil. Once oil is shimmering, place chicken breasts in the pan and cook undisturbed until golden brown, about 4 to 6 minutes. Turn breasts over and transfer the pan to the oven. Bake until the filling is hot and the interior of the chicken rolls is white but still juicy, about 8 minutes.
Variations: Stir in 1/4 cup of either pine nuts, currants, or a combination when adding the feta to the spinach mixture.
Beverage pairing: Markus Huber Grüner Veltliner “Hugo,” Austria. A white with sharpness, a hint of bitterness, and some tang is called for, and this Grüner Veltliner fits the bill, echoing the spinach and feta while resonating with the chicken.
Love this recipe! I didn't stuff and roll as directed. Instead, I simply butterflied the chicken breasts, stuffed them, browned them and finished in the oven. I, too, was afraid that this method would fall apart in the pan the first time I tried to turn them, but it worked out perfectly and they looked great! I also used frozen spinach as a time saver, and I don't think anyone knew the difference. I will use more feta next time since we all love that tangy, sharp edge and balance the feta brings to the sweet spinach and delicate chicken.
A soft polenta on the plate like that screams out for a sauce. You could just use the pan drippings--add a tablespoon or so of unsalted butter, sprinkle over a little flour, and then add a pour of stock, wine or even water. Whisk and reduce for a bit, and then pour over. fayefood.com
seems like a nice dry riesling would be perfect with this, or a cool climate sauvignon blanc!
I have made this recipe several times all with different variations. I agree with W breading a skinless chicken breast is wise since you have removed the protective fat that not only adds flavor but prevents drying during the cooking process.
I would recommend minced onion (chopped fine) and Gruyère cheese if feta does not work for you. You also want to gently combine the filling, shape into a tiny tubular form and then place in chicken breast. This is the type of recipe you can let your imagination run with...
Trying to print out this recipe, I can only get the first page to work correctly, the second one comes out blank.( using Firefox & being logged in)
I just made this and i absolutely love it...Its not overpowering flavors just a perfect combo (i used the pine nuts too) , I did follow wozone with breading them first and just delicious and i am a beginner cook and a newlywed so thank you for making me look like a pro!!
Alissa
Felt like making a roasted chicken, so I used this stuffing for the inside as well as under the skin of a whole chiken, and I loved it! The meat had this greenish flavor of the spinach, tasted wonderful! Thanks for the inspiration!
I tried this recipe last night, and it was delicious! We served it over israeli cous-cous with diced zucchini. We squeezed fresh lemon over it at the end, which cut through some of the oil of the dish. Next time I'll try your wine pairing, since our Bordeaux Blanc ended up being too fruity. I'd like to drink something with a bit more mineral or acid next time...
I wanted to suggest in my very humble opinion that you consider after stuffing the chicken with the spinach and feta and browned the chicken in olive oil, I would then stick it into the frig for about an hour or two before you bake it. I have found that with any kind of stuffed chicken it's good to do that to seal in all the juices and keep the meat moist and tender.
george: you need to pound the chicken to about 1/4-inch thick and then, once you have the filling in there, you don't want to squish them around too much while you cook them. we tested this a few times and usually turned the rolled chicken using tongs and it came out great. let us know if the flattening was the issue or if we need to further investigate.
Tried the recipe yesterday and found it a bit difficult getting any sizeable amount of the feta-onion-spinich filling inside the chicken rolls . The filling squished out of the ends when I sealed it. .........What am I doing wrong ? Do I need to flatten the chicken more? I just had a pan to try and flatten it.
george
Good chicken recipe. Lots of taste.. However, We dip the rolls in breading mix before frying. Also make a lemon/white wine/mushroom sauce to pour over when served. Add a favorite rice dish and crunchy green vegetable. Crusty warm bread goes well for cleaning up the sauce.
W