Chicken breasts are stuffed with spinach, feta, fresh dill and toasted pine nuts to create this protein-packed, Greek inspired entree the whole family will love.
You will never believe who requested this recipe…. my husband!!!! Yes, my Mexican-food-hating, hold-the-tomatoes, picky eating husband asked me to create chicken breasts stuffed with spinach and feta. Can I get an amen?
While most stuffed chicken recipes contain bread crumbs or panko, these Greek Stuffed Chicken Breasts with Feta and Toasted Pine Nuts are naturally gluten free and low carb.
The tangy and addictive filling made with fresh dill, lemon and garlic is inspired by the Lebanese Spinach Pies of my childhood.
You could say these chicken breasts are a bikini-friendly version of those tasty pastries. Leftover spinach filling is a great omelet filling or pizza topping.
What are your favorite dishes from your childhood that you’ve made healthier as an adult? I’d love to hear more ideas.
Your fork is waiting.
Stuffed Chicken Breasts with Feta and Pine Nuts
Ingredients
- ¼ cup pine nuts (toasted)
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil (divided)
- 1 medium onion (diced)
- 1 ½ teaspoons salt (divided)
- ½ teaspoon pepper (divided)
- 2 cloves garlic (grated)
- 2 cups frozen chopped spinach (defrosted and drained)
- 1 zest and juice of lemon
- 4 ounces feta cheese crumbled
- 2 tablespoons fresh dill (minced)
- 4 boneless skinless chicken breasts ((about 6 oz each))
- 8 toothpicks
Instructions
- Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees and spray a 9 x 13 baking pan with nonstick spray; set aside.
- To toast pine nuts, spread in even layer on a cookie sheet/baking pan and bake for 5 minutes or until lightly browned; set aside.
- Heat 1 tablespoon of the olive oil in a medium sauté pan over medium-high heat. Add onions, 1/2 teaspoon of the salt, 1/4 teaspoon of the pepper and cook until softened – about 3-4 minutes. Stir in garlic and heat 30 seconds.
- Add drained spinach to the pan and cook until warmed through, about 3-4 minutes. Stir in lemon zest, lemon juice, feta, fresh dill and pine nuts. Check for seasoning and adjust accordingly. Remove pan from heat and set aside to cool slightly.
- Working one at a time, place chicken breasts on cutting board and cover with a piece of wax paper or place in between two pieces of plastic wrap. Using a meat tenderizer, pound chicken breasts thin, about 1/2 inch thick.
- Sprinkle both sides of pounded chicken breasts evenly with remaining salt and pepper.
- To stuff, scoop 3 tablespoons or so of reserved spinach and pine nut stuffing into the center of the chicken breast. Begin rolling the chicken breasts and use a couple tooth picks to secure. Place seam-side down in prepared baking pan and continue until all chicken breasts are stuffed.
- Drizzle the remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil evenly over the top of each stuffed chicken breast before placing in the oven.
- Bake 15-20 minutes or until chicken is cooked through.
Notes
Leftover stuffing is delicious on its own or served in an omelet.
YES! I love everything about this! Pinning. :)
Liz, lips smacking recipe, I love this Greek-inspired flavors and my boyfriends too :)
I hope you like it!!
What a fabulous chicken recipe!
Thanks Meredith!
Maybe his tastes are changing? Next thing you know – he will ask you for Fajitas ;)
This sounds and looks AMAZING!
ha!! I would love it if he asked for fajitas!!
This looks so good! I just printed out your recipe for Wheat Berry Chicken Salad and now will be printing this too. I absolutely LOVE the ingredients you put in to this and I can’t wait to try it!
Oh I hope you like that salad as much as I did!!
Ummmm yeah I need to make this STAT! ABSOLUTELY LOVE this flavor combo!! Yummmm!
Thank you so much Sophia!
Looks delicious, Liz!!! LOVE.
Thank you so much Robyn!!
Absolutely love what you stuffed these chicken breasts with, amazing flavors!!
Thank you so much Matt!
I haven’t really skinnied anything down, unless you count no longer eating prepackaged oatmeal that I added even MORE sugar to, or making less-cheesy pizza with more veggies on it :)
Hey that counts!!!
I do not see feta in the list of ingredients nor in the instructions. Please provide.
Sorry about that Jean! Recipe is now revised. :) It required 4 ounces of feta!
Thank you for this fun version of chicken stuffed – I haven’t add feta and toasted pine nuts in it before. I love your husbands idea ;-)
He has good ones from time to time. ;)
Really love the flavours in this – that filling pretty much has all of my favourites!
I loved the filling – I was eating it alone!
Wow, those look incredible! Love all of those flavors (and glad your hubs did too!). :)
Now if only I could get him to eat tacos….
I could not love this more, my friend. Pine nuts have been my go-to lately and I adore feta. Love, love love!
I buy pine nuts in bulk at Costco – I have been adding them to everything! Hey I bet they would taste good with popcorn….
Wow Liz, I love the flavors in this chicken. I haven’t done a stuffed chicken in so long because it always seems like too much effort, but I have to try this!
You know, it definitely takes a bit of time but it really is so worth it!
Yum! This looks amazing! My family will love this chicken recipe! Looks fancy and simple – my kind of recipe;)
Thank you so much Jenna!
I adore stuffed chicken breasts and anything with feta, spinach and pine nuts is automatically amazing.
I was eating the leftover stuffing with a spoon, not gonna lie. ;)
Looks delicious! Love the Greek-inspired flavors in here! :)
Thanks so much!
Liz, I love stuffed chicken breasts and especially these since they have Greek flavors. YUM! I’ve made both chicken parmesan and lasagna healthier….Chicken Parmesan is something I usually bake instead of pan frying and I usually try to make lasagna with zucchini noodles unless I’m going all out! :)
My husband asks for chicken parm all the time!! You’ve inspired me to make a healthier version!!