These Broccoli Stuffed Chicken Breasts with Pesto are going to become your next go to weeknight meal. Pair with mashed potatoes or pasta and you have yourself a 30 minute dinner that feels much fancier than the time it takes would let on. This chicken breast recipe is somewhat of a variation on Chicken Parmesan. There are a lot of the same components-- chicken cutlets, marinara sauce, and mozzarella. But added right into the dish is your veggie! It’s low carb without feeling like you’re missing out and it could easily be served with a side salad. If you have carb lovers in your house (like me and my husband) it would be great with mashed potatoes or pasta!
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Ingredients
- Thin cut boneless skinless chicken breasts. Using thin cut chicken breasts is the way to go when making chicken roll ups. Not only does the chicken roll easier and stay rolled up, but it also cooks faster. Whenever you are doing any sort of stuffed chicken breast, this is important. We want to make sure the middle is cooked through, without overcooking the outside and drying out the chicken.
- Pesto. I’m always looking for new recipes to use pesto. I don’t know about you but I often buy a jar for one recipe and then I don’t always use the whole thing! So I’m left with an open container and I don’t want that goodness to go to waste. Pesto is good on so many things. It can be used for something as simple as a sandwich spread or as a dip for crusty bread. Toss it with hot pasta and you’ve got yourself an easy lunch. You can make homemade pesto, as well.
- Marinara sauce. I love having jars of marinara on hand for nights when you need a quick meal. Use your favorite, my favorite is Rao's.
- Mozzarella cheese. The cheese on top adds a little pizzazz to this low fat, low carb dish. If I am really feeling fancy, I will use fresh mozzarella slices!
- Baby broccoli. I love using baby broccoli, or broccolini here because it's long and thin and is the perfect shape to be wrapped up by a thin chicken breast. Broccolini often has some extra leaves on the stalk itself that you may want to remove. Other than that, it is ready to go as is!
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 375.
- If you did not buy already thin cut chicken breasts, flatten your chicken breasts out. You can do this by using a mallet, or simply by pressing gently but firmly with your hand. Work slowly, so as to not tear the meat.
- In each chicken breast, put ¼ of the broccoli and pesto, and wrap the chicken around them, placing them seam side down in an oven safe skillet or baking dish.
- You can use a toothpick if you'd like to hold the chicken together, however mine stuck together just fine by putting the seam side on the bottom of the dish.
- Cover the 4 chicken breasts with marinara sauce, and top with cheese.
- Bake for 25-30 minutes, or until cooked through.
Do you have to steam the broccoli ahead of time?
I love how the baby broccoli stays firm because I don’t steam it ahead of time. By doing this you don’t dirty another dish and you make sure that you’re getting the full level of nutrients out of your vegetables by not overcooking them. If you’re not a fan of firmer vegetables, feel free to steam before you wrap— just a few minutes should do.
Variations
- Mix up the veggies: This would be perfect stuffed with zucchini, asparagus, green beans, or even standard broccoli. Simply cut the vegetables into long strips so that they cook evenly.
- Turn it into stuffed chicken parmesan. Bread the chicken cutlets first and turn this dish into a stuffed chicken parm.
- Omit the cheese: Make this dish dairy free by omitting the cheese or using your favorite cheese substitute.
What to serve stuffed Chicken with?
I love serving this with pasta and some extra marinara sauce. It would be equally delicious with mashed potatoes, on its own, or with a side salad.
Broccoli Stuffed Chicken with Pesto
Ingredients
- 4 thin cut chicken breasts
- ½ cup pesto
- 1 jar marinara sauce
- ½ cup shredded mozzarella cheese
- 1-2 bundles of baby broccoli
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 375.
- If you did not buy already thin cut chicken breasts, flatten your chicken breasts out. You can do this by using a mallet, or simply by pressing gently but firmly with your hand. Work slowly, so as to not tear the meat.
- In each chicken breast, put ¼ of the broccoli and pesto, and wrap the chicken around them, placing them seam side down in an oven safe skillet or baking dish.
- You can use a toothpick if you'd like to hold the chicken together, however mine stuck together just fine by putting the seam side on the bottom of the dish.
- Cover the 4 chicken breasts with marinara sauce, and top with cheese.
- Bake for 25-30 minutes, or until cooked through.
Anjali says
I couldn't believe how simple this recipe was! Just 5 ingredients and we had a delicious and healthy dinner ready in no time at all! Will definitely be making this again soon!
Helen says
This is exactly the sort of dish my family would love! So simple, but delicious and packed with nutrients.
Bintu | Recipes From A Pantry says
These stuffed chicken breasts sound absolutely amazing - so fulfilling and delicious!
Mahy says
Chicken and pesto - does it get any better? The flavor combo to fight for!
Claire says
Sounds amazing! Haven't tried this before and I would love to give this a try! Thank you for this.