Stuffed chicken breast brings the restaurant home. We walk you through how to make this dish for dinner.
Techniques for Stuffed Chicken
Pounding the chicken until thin ensures it cooks evenly. To do this, you can use a meat mallet or rolling pin. First, you’ll place the chicken breast on a large sheet of plastic wrap and then cover it with another large sheet. Once you’ve pounded it thin, you’ll refrigerate it while making the filling.
Make the Filling
The filling is simple, requiring very little preparation. You’ll caramelize sliced onions in butter until softened and deep golden brown. At this point, garlic gets added.
In a separate bowl, you’ll beat cream cheese with a hand mixer until light and fluffy before adding in the onion mixture, gorgonzola, walnuts, figs, and sherry; season with salt.
You can use either Sun-Maid or Orchard Choice California Mission Figs or Golden Figs in the filling—both bring a different flavor to the stuffing.
How to Stuff the Chicken
Stuffed chicken breast is easy, once you’ve got the chicken pounded and the filling made. At this point, sprinkle salt and pepper onto the chicken breasts. Then, fill, roll, and wrap the chicken in plastic wrap, chilling until the filling is firm. This helps it keeps its shape.
Once you’re ready to cook, you’ll turn on your oven to preheat as you prepare a dredging station. Add flour to a pie plate or shallow baking dish. Beat eggs with oil and water in another shallow dish. In a third plate, add breadcrumbs.
Now you’re ready to roll the stuffed chicken breasts. First, dredge in flour. Then, roll the chicken in egg using tongs to help you get them coated. Finally, transfer the chicken to the bread crumbs, rolling and coating, pressing the bread crumbs in so they adhere. With each step, you’ll want to shake off the excess before going onto the next step.
Placing the chicken breasts on a large wire rack set over jelly-roll pan ensures the chicken will cook up crunchy on the outside, while inside, they’ll be juicy.
A Prep Ahead Dinner
If you want, you can fill and roll the chicken breasts in advance and then refrigerate for up to 24 hours. Or, make them for dinner tonight.
Ultimate Stuffed Chicken Breasts
Ingredients
Stuffed Chicken Breasts
- 4 boneless skinless chicken breasts (5 to 6 ounces each), tenderloins removed and reserved for another use
- Salt and ground black pepper
- 1 recipe filling Gargonzola Cheese Filling with Walnuts and Figs – see below
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 4 large eggs
- 1 tablespoon plus 3/4 cup vegetable oil
- 1 1/2 cups fresh bread crumbs
Gorgonzola Cheese Filling with Walnuts and Figs
- 1 tablespoon butter
- 1 small onion minced
- 1 small garlic clove minced
- 2 ounces cream cheese softened
- 1 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme leaves
- 2 ounces gorgonzola cheese crumbled (about 1/2 cup)
- 1/4 cup chopped toasted walnuts
- 3 medium Orchard Choice or Sun-Maid California Figs chopped (about 2 tablespoons)
- 1 tablespoon dry sherry
- Salt and ground black pepper
Instructions
Prep the Chicken
- Place each chicken breast on large sheet of plastic wrap, cover with second sheet, and pound with meat pounder or rolling pin until 1/4-inch thick throughout. Each pounded breast should measure roughly 6 inches wide and 8 1/2 inches long. Cover and refrigerate while preparing filling.
Make the Filling
- Heat butter in medium skillet over low heat until melted; add onion and sauté, stirring occasionally, until deep golden brown, 15 to 20 minutes. Stir in garlic and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds longer; set aside. In medium bowl using hand mixer, beat cream cheese on medium speed until light and fluffy, about 1 minute. Stir in onion mixture, gorgonzola, walnuts, figs, and sherry; season with salt and pepper and set aside.
Assemble + Cook
- Place breasts skinned side down on work surface; season with salt and pepper. Fill, roll, and wrap each breast. Refrigerate until filling is firm, at least 45 minutes.
- Adjust oven rack to lower-middle position; heat oven to 400 degrees. Spread flour in pie plate or shallow baking dish. Beat eggs with 1 tablespoon vegetable oil and 1 tablespoon water in second pie plate or shallow baking dish. Spread bread crumbs in third pie plate or shallow baking dish. Unwrap chicken breasts and roll in flour; shake off excess. Using tongs, roll breasts in egg mixture; let excess drip off. Transfer to bread crumbs; shake pan to roll breasts in crumbs, then press with fingers to help crumbs adhere. Place breaded chicken breasts on large wire rack set over jelly-roll pan.
- Heat remaining 3/4 cup oil in medium skillet over medium-high heat until shimmering, but not smoking, about 4 minutes; add chicken, seam side down, and cook until medium golden brown, about 2 minutes. Turn each roll and cook until medium golden brown on all sides, 2 to 3 minutes longer. Return chicken rolls, seam side down, to wire rack set over jelly-roll pan; bake until deep golden brown and instant-read thermometer inserted into center of each roll registers 155 degrees, about 15 minutes. Let stand 5 minutes before slicing each roll crosswise diagonally into 5 medallions; arrange on individual dinner plates and serve.
Notes
The following recipe is reprinted with permission of Cook’s Illustrated.Recipe source: America’s Test Kitchen. Valley Fig is a proud sponsor of the America’s Test Kitchen.
