Easy baked pesto mozzarella stuffed chicken. These delicious oven baked mozzarella stuffed chicken breasts make family dinner worth looking forward to!
Folks you're going to love these easy baked pesto mozzarella stuffed chicken breasts.
I mean what's not to love about tasty oven baked chicken breasts stuffed with homemade pesto, sliced tomatoes and melted mozzarella slices?
When you're busy and just need a quick wholesome tasty family weeknight dinner on the dinner table quickly then dishes like this and my similar oven baked chicken and brown rice casserole are real time savers.
I've made this easy recipe with my trusted homemade pesto recipe.
You could use a shop bought pesto from a jar instead though if you want to save time.
Just be aware that if you do that then the nutritional label will not be correct because it assumes you're making this recipe with homemade pesto.
This oven baked stuffed chicken dinner is just the easiest perfect recipe to suit all hungry mouths.
There's an easy step-by-step guide for how to make this easy recipe below.
Plus some ideas for what to serve this delicious dinner with.
Easy chicken recipes help to save time and also help to make sure you get all of your daily value of essential protein to keep your body healthy and fueled.
Jump to:
Ingredients
For The Homemade Pesto
- Fresh Basil Leaves
- Toasted Pine Nuts
- Cloves Garlic
- Lemon Juice
- Extra Virgin Olive Oil
- Grated Parmesan Cheese
- Freshly Grated Salt And Black Pepper
For The Baked Stuffed Chicken
- Boneless Skinless Chicken Breasts
- Pesto
- Mozzarella Cheese Slices
- Slices Of Tomato
- Freshly Grated Salt And Black Pepper
See recipe card for quantities.
Instructions
Detailed instructions are in the recipe card below. But here is a quick step by step guide of how to make these pesto mozzarella stuffed chicken breasts:
How To Make Home Made Pesto
Step 1
- Blitz basil leaves, pine nuts and garlic in a food processor.
Step 2
- Remove the blended ingredients into a seperate small bowl and mix with the lemon juice, oil and parmesan cheese. Season to taste.
How To Make Baked Pesto Mozzarella Stuffed Chicken Breasts
Step 3
- Preheat oven to 200C (fan) and grease a baking dish with some cooking spray or vegetable oil.
- Slit the chicken breasts and open them up on a cutting board.
Step 4
- Spread one half of chicken breast with pesto. Then top with mozzarella and slices of tomato. Do the same with the remaining chicken breasts.
Step 5
- Fold other side of chicken over on top and fasten with a toothpick in each end to hold it together.
Step 6
- Place each chicken breast in the greased baking dish. Season.
Step 7
- Bake chicken until cooked through. Allow to sit for a few minutes before plating up and serving.
Substitutions
- Pesto - Instead of homemade pesto you could use shop bought pesto.
- Mozzarella Cheese Slices - fresh mozzarella cheese is best but you can use grated / shredded mozzarella instead.
- Slices Of Tomato - you could remove the slices of tomato if you wanted to. But they really do make this authentic and juicy recipe.
Equipment
For This Easy Baked Pesto Mozzarella Stuffed Chicken Recipe You May Need….
The following links and any links in the recipe card below are affiliate links.
This means that if you click on it and then buy that product, I’ll get a small commission (at no extra cost to you of course).
If you do click through, then thanks for being a part of Neil’s Healthy Meals!
This is the large oven-proof baking dish I use.
It's a great low cost but good quality baking and roasting dish.
It's perfect for lasagne, side dishes and desserts. It's dishwasher, freezer and oven safe too.
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FAQ's
How Long Should A Stuffed Chicken Breast Bake?
It should bake for 25-30 minutes until the chicken is fully cooked through. Although this could vary depending on the thickness of your chicken breasts.
Should I Bake The Chicken Covered Or Uncovered?
In this recipe it's fine to bake it uncovered as we want the chicken to crisp and brown a little.
Can I Freeze Stuffed Chicken?
Yes. Allow the chicken to cool completely first then portion into individual containers. Simply reheat in the microwave or in your oven.
What To Serve With Mozzarella Stuffed Chicken?
- Rice or pasta. Keep it simple and serve with a little wholegrain rice or wholewheat pasta.
- Green vegetables. I serve my baked stuffed chicken with steamed broccoli but you could easily serve it with roasted brussels sprouts and green beans or fresh spinach.
- A simple green side salad of lettuce, spring onions and cucumber.
- A vegetable salad like roast potato and green bean salad.
- A side of healthier coleslaw.
- For a more substantial meal add a little macaroni and cheese.
More Baked Chicken Recipes For You To Try
📋 Easy Baked Pesto Mozzarella Stuffed Chicken Recipe
The following links and any links in the recipe card below are affiliate links.
This means that if you click on it and then buy that product I’ll get a small commission (at no extra cost to you of course).
If you do click through then thanks for being a part of Neil’s Healthy Meals!
Equipment
Ingredients
For the Homemade Pesto: -
- 40 g fresh basil leaves
- 45 g lightly toasted pine nuts
- 2 cloves garlic roughly chopped
- 1 teaspoon lemon juice
- 100 ml extra virgin olive oil
- 25 g grated parmesan cheese
- Freshly ground salt and pepper
For the Baked Stuffed Chicken: -
- 4 chicken breasts. About 1 Kg.
- 4 tablespoon pesto*
- 170 g Mozzarella cheese ball cut into 8 slices
- 8 slices tomato
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper
Instructions
For The Homemade Pesto: -
- If you have a food processor, blitz the basil leaves, then add the pine nuts and garlic and blitz again.
- If you do not have a food processor, use a pestle and mortar, or sturdy bowl and the end of a rolling pin to bash the basil leaves into a pulp first, then add the pine nuts and garlic and bash them all together into a pulp.
- Remove the ingredients into a separate bowl, add the lemon juice, oil, and the Parmesan cheese, mix all together. Season to taste
For The Baked Stuffed Chicken: -
- Preheat oven to 200C (Fan) and lightly grease a baking dish.
- Slit the chicken breasts with a sharp knife horizontally (but not all the way through) and open them up.
- Spread each open chicken breast with 1 tablespoon pesto. Then place 2 slices of Mozzarella and 2 slices of tomato on one side of chicken.
- Fold other side of chicken over on top and place a toothpick in each end to hold it together.
- Place each chicken breast in the greased baking dish. Season with the salt and pepper.
- Bake for about 25 minutes until chicken is cooked through. Allow to sit for a few minutes before serving.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition Label
Nutritional information provided below is calculated using paid for online tools and the exact ingredients and quantities used above.
Rate The Recipe
If you’ve made this easy baked pesto mozarella stuffed chicken breast recipe, or any other recipes on Neil's Healthy Meals, then please let me know.
I’d love to hear what you think of my recipe in the comments below and please do rate my recipe 5* if you like it! 🙂
David @ Spiced
Oh the flavors in this recipe are right up my alley, Neil! I love chicken. I love pesto. I love mozzarella. And I love easy meals. Sounds like the perfect combination to me. I can't wait to try this recipe out!!
Neil
Thanks David! Yes this is a lovely combination of flavours. Plus when it's baked in the oven all the cheese and juices melt to create an amazing cheesy sauce to pour over the top of the chicken. Enjoy!
Carlo DeSando, III
Neil, I love the simplicity of this recipe. Looks great! Have a great week
Neil
Thanks Charles! I appreciate that. You have a great week too. ๐
Chef Mimi
This is wonderful! Flavorful, and best of all, cheesy!
Neil
Ha ha! Exactly Mimi. And cheesy = the ultimate comfort food! Thanks for your comment. ๐
Ben | Havocinthekitchen
Chicken, mozzarella, pesto, and tomatoes - what not to like about this? Easy, juicy, and packed with flavour! And you can also add few sun-dried tomatoes (or use tomato pesto instead of classic) for a fun twist!
Neil
Thanks Ben. It's been quite a popular recipe so far. And yes you could easily add sun-dried tomatoes instead of normal tomatoes. I'll try that next time I make this. Thanks!