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Bacon Wrapped Pesto Stuffed Chicken Breast
There is nothing better than a quick and easy meal! This bacon wrapped, pesto stuffed chicken breast is perfect for a simple week day meal but fancy enough to serve to your dinner guests on the weekend! Honestly, it’s the perfect dinner when you are in a pinch and need something filling and full of flavour. Full of delicious pesto and creamy goat cheese, than wrapped in a scrumptious thick and juicy piece of bacon, you truly can’t beat it! Make sure you also try out this amazing smoked chicken recipe too!
What to Stuff a Chicken Breasts With
There are truly no rules when it comes to making a delicious stuffed chicken breast but there are a few ingredients that tend to be perfect no matter how you cook the dish in the end. Let’s go over a few of them.
- Cheese – It’s no secret that pretty much ANY type of cheese stuffed inside a chicken breast is going to be delish! Why not try a few less common ones like goat cheese, gruyere cheese or even brie cheese for something a bit different!
- Pesto – Pesto comes in so many different varieties and it pretty much guaranteed that all of them will taste amazing in a stuffed chicken breast! Spinach pesto or a sun-dried tomato pesto are great alternatives to the traditional basil pesto.
- Mushrooms – Mixing mushrooms in with cheese is a fool proof way to change up the flavour of a stuffed chicken breast.
- Vegetables – From spinach to asparagus, peppers to broccoli, you can add almost any veggie to your stuffing for a delicious flavour boost.
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Learn to Butterfly and Stuff a Chicken Breast
Using a sharp knife, cut a pocket in the chicken breasts. The key to butterflying a breast is to not cut it all the way through but rather to make a slit. Once you have properly butterflied the chicken, stuff it with the cheeses or filling of your choice. You will want to fill the breast completely but still be able to fold the top half of the breast back overtop of the stuffing. Now simply sear the chicken on each side, in a skillet, grill on the BBQ/smoker or bake in the oven.
How to Make Bacon Wrapped, Pesto Stuffed Chicken Breast
For this recipe, we are going to bake, grill or smoke the chicken. This dish recipe also be done quickly in an air fryer or on a skillet if you are short on time.
Ingredients
- 6 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves – pounded flat. You can also brie these ahead if you have the time.
- 1 pinch salt and ground black pepper to taste
- 6 tablespoons prepared basil pesto
- 1 package of Goat cheese or Boursin cheese
- 6 slices bacon
Directions
Preheat oven or smoker to 375 C
Find the natural slit in the chicken breast or slice open if necessary.
Add pesto sauce and goat cheese inside the chicken breast.
Sprinkle the top of the chicken breast with salt and black pepper and roll the chicken breast in a slice of bacon, securing the roll with toothpick if necessary.
Lay the rolled chicken breast into a 9×9-inch baking dish. Repeat with remaining chicken breasts.
Bake for approx 30 minutes in the preheated oven until the chicken is no longer pink inside and the bacon is crispy.
Serve and enjoy!
When Is Stuffed Chicken Cooked
The best way to tell if the chicken breast is fully cooked is to insert a digital instant read meat thermometer into the breast at its thickest area. If the meat reads a temperature of 165 F, then it is fully cooked.
A good meat thermometer goes a long way when grilling! Try this one for a great price.
What to Serve With Stuffed Chicken Breast
Not sure what to serve your stuffed chicken with? Try this delicious watermelon basil salad or this easy green bean and goat cheese salad!
I hope you enjoy this tasty Bacon Wrapped Pesto stuffed chicken breast recipe! It is so easy to make, the flavour is amazing and it will leave your friends and family thinking you are a gourmet chef! Like always, I love to hear from you so if you try this recipe, please leave me a comment and let me know how this recipe turned out for you! You can always find me over on Instagram or YouTube as well.
Looking for another summer inspired recipe? Check out this delicious Buffalo Bison Burger recipe too.
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Pesto Stuffed Chicken Breast
Ingredients
- 6 skinless boneless chicken breast halves – pounded flat. You can also brine these ahead if you have the time.
- 1 pinch salt and ground black pepper to taste
- 6 tablespoons prepared basil pesto
- 1 package of Goat cheese or Boursin cheese
- 6 slices bacon
Instructions
- Preheat oven or smoker to 375 C
- Find the natural slit in the chicken breast or slice it open if necessary.
- Add pesto sauce and goat cheese to the chicken breast.
- Sprinkle the top of the chicken breast with salt and black pepper and roll the chicken breast in a slice of bacon, securing the roll with a toothpick if necessary.
- Lay the rolled chicken breast into a 9×9-inch baking dish. Repeat with remaining chicken breasts.
- Bake for approx 30 minutes in the preheated oven until the chicken is no longer pink inside and the bacon is crispy.
- Serve and enjoy!
