Sun-Dried Tomato Goat Cheese Stuffed Chicken Breasts: A Flavorful & Healthy Dinner Recipe

Prepare to elevate your dinner menu with these incredibly flavorful sun-dried tomato goat cheese stuffed chicken breasts. This gourmet-inspired dish boasts a harmonious blend of tangy goat cheese, sweet sun-dried tomatoes, aromatic shallots, fresh basil, and a hint of thyme, all brought together with a luxurious balsamic glaze. It’s a culinary experience that’s both satisfying and surprisingly simple to prepare, perfect for a weeknight meal or an impressive dinner party.

This recipe transforms ordinary chicken breasts into an extraordinary dish. We begin by rehydrating sun-dried tomatoes, then finely chopping them before mixing them with sautéed shallots and garlic, rich balsamic vinegar, creamy goat cheese, and fresh basil. This vibrant mixture is carefully tucked into a pocket cut into each boneless, skinless chicken breast.

The chicken is then perfectly browned in a skillet to achieve a beautiful golden crust, locking in moisture and flavor, before finishing its cooking journey in the oven. The grand finale is a delectable balsamic thyme glaze, drizzled generously over each stuffed chicken breast, adding an extra layer of gourmet sophistication. This method ensures the chicken remains incredibly moist while absorbing all the wonderful flavors of the stuffing and glaze.

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To complete your meal, consider pairing this delightful main course with simple, fresh green beans or tender asparagus. For a more substantial side, a creamy parmesan orzo pasta would perfectly complement the rich flavors of the chicken, or even a light quinoa salad for a healthier option. The versatility of this dish makes it a fantastic addition to any meal plan.

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Essential Ingredients for Sun-Dried Tomato Goat Cheese Stuffed Chicken

Crafting this flavorful dish starts with selecting high-quality ingredients. Each component plays a crucial role in building the incredible taste profile:

• Sun-Dried Tomatoes (packed without oil): These intensely flavored tomatoes are dried in the sun, concentrating their natural sweetness and tang. Using the variety packed without oil is key to maintaining the specified nutritional values and prevents an oily texture in your stuffing. Look for them in the produce section or dried fruit aisle of your grocery store. Rehydrating them brings back a plump texture perfect for chopping and mixing.
• Olive Oil: A staple in Mediterranean cooking, olive oil provides a mild, fruity base for sautéing and browning. Divided usage ensures you have enough for both cooking the aromatics and searing the chicken to golden perfection.
• Shallots: Often described as a milder, sweeter cousin to the onion, shallots add a delicate allium flavor without overpowering the other ingredients. When minced and lightly browned, they contribute a subtle depth and aroma to the stuffing.
• Sugar: Just a touch of sugar helps to balance the tanginess of the balsamic vinegar and sun-dried tomatoes, enhancing the overall sweetness and complexity of the filling.
• Garlic Cloves: Freshly minced garlic is indispensable for its pungent, aromatic qualities. It infuses both the stuffing and the balsamic glaze with its classic, robust flavor. While pre-minced garlic can be used in a pinch, fresh garlic offers superior taste.
• Balsamic Vinegar: This dark, syrupy vinegar, made from grape must, brings a rich, sweet, and tangy complexity. It’s used in two ways: a small amount in the stuffing to heighten its flavor, and a larger portion in the glaze to create a beautiful, glossy finish for the chicken.
• Goat Cheese: A soft, creamy cheese with a distinct, often earthy tang. When crumbled, it melts into the stuffing, providing a delightful creamy texture and a bright, zesty counterpoint to the other ingredients. Its unique flavor is central to this dish.
• Fresh Basil: Vibrant and aromatic, fresh basil leaves add a burst of herbaceous freshness to the filling. Its sweet, peppery notes are a perfect match for tomatoes and goat cheese, elevating the Mediterranean profile.
• Salt: Essential for seasoning the chicken and enhancing all the flavors in the stuffing and glaze. Divided amounts ensure optimal seasoning at each stage of cooking.
• Boneless Skinless Chicken Breasts: Lean and versatile, these are the perfect canvas for stuffing. Choose breasts of similar size for even cooking. Ensure they are boneless and skinless for ease of preparation and a lighter dish.
• Black Pepper: A foundational seasoning that adds a subtle warmth and a gentle bite to the chicken and the overall flavor profile.
• Reduced Sodium Chicken Broth: Used in the balsamic glaze, this broth forms the savory base. Opting for reduced-sodium broth is important for managing overall sodium intake and for controlling the final seasoning of your dish. Using regular broth will alter the nutritional information.
• Dried Thyme: Earthy, minty, and slightly lemon-scented, dried thyme contributes a classic savory note to the balsamic glaze, complementing the chicken beautifully.
• Cornstarch: A crucial thickening agent for the balsamic glaze, ensuring it achieves a luscious, syrupy consistency that clings perfectly to the chicken.
• Water: Used to rehydrate the sun-dried tomatoes and to create a slurry with the cornstarch for the glaze.

Step-by-Step Instructions for Stuffed Chicken Breasts

Follow these detailed steps to create your exquisite Sun-Dried Tomato Goat Cheese Stuffed Chicken Breasts:

• Prepare the Sun-Dried Tomatoes: Begin by preheating your oven to 350°F (177ºC). In a small saucepan, bring 1 cup of water to a boil. Add the sun-dried tomatoes to the boiling water, then immediately remove the pan from the heat and cover it. Let the tomatoes stand for at least 30 minutes, or until they are fully softened and plump. Once rehydrated, drain them thoroughly and finely chop them. This rehydration step is crucial for achieving the right texture in your stuffing.
• Create the Flavorful Stuffing: Heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add the minced shallots, sugar, and minced garlic to the skillet. Cook this mixture, stirring frequently, until the shallots are lightly browned and fragrant, typically about 3-5 minutes. Be careful not to burn the garlic. Spoon the cooked shallots and garlic into a small mixing bowl. To this bowl, add ½ tablespoon of balsamic vinegar, the finely chopped sun-dried tomatoes, crumbled goat cheese, fresh basil, and ¼ teaspoon of salt. Mix all these ingredients together until well combined. This is your delicious stuffing!
• Stuff the Chicken Breasts: Carefully cut a horizontal slit into the thickest side of each boneless, skinless chicken breast, creating a deep pocket for the stuffing. Be mindful not to cut all the way through to the other side. Take about 2 tablespoons of the goat cheese mixture and gently stuff it into each chicken pocket. Distribute the filling as evenly as possible. Once stuffed, lightly sprinkle the exterior of each chicken breast with the remaining ½ teaspoon of salt and black pepper.

  Pro Tip for Stuffing Chicken: To ensure a perfect pocket, place the chicken breast flat on a cutting board and hold it firmly with one hand. Using a sharp chef’s knife in your other hand, start cutting horizontally from the thickest side, guiding the knife slowly into the center of the breast. Avoid cutting through the opposite side or the top/bottom. You want a secure pouch to hold the filling. If your chicken breasts are very thick, you might get a deeper pocket; if they are thinner, be extra careful not to slice all the way through.

• Sear and Bake the Chicken: Heat the remaining 1 tablespoon of olive oil in the same large skillet (no need to clean it, the leftover bits add flavor!) over medium heat. Once hot, add the stuffed chicken breasts to the pan and cook for about 6 minutes on each side, until they are beautifully browned and have a nice sear. This step helps to lock in moisture and flavor. Carefully remove the browned chicken from the skillet and place them on a baking sheet. Transfer the baking sheet to the preheated oven and bake for an additional 10 minutes, flipping them once halfway through, or until the chicken reaches a minimum internal temperature of 165ºF (73.9°C) as measured with a meat thermometer.
• Prepare the Balsamic Thyme Glaze: While the chicken finishes baking, return to the same skillet used for browning. Add the reduced-sodium chicken broth, the remaining 2 tablespoons of balsamic vinegar, and dried thyme to the pan. Bring this mixture to a boil over medium-high heat, allowing it to reduce slightly. In a small separate bowl, dissolve the cornstarch in the 2 teaspoons of water, stirring with a fork until no lumps remain. Pour the cornstarch mixture into the boiling liquid in the skillet, stirring constantly. Continue to cook for about one minute, or until the sauce thickens into a glossy glaze.

  Serving: Once the chicken is cooked through and rested for a few minutes, serve immediately. Drizzle the warm, luscious balsamic thyme glaze generously over each stuffed chicken breast. Enjoy this gourmet meal!

Ingredient Substitutions to Fit Your Needs

While the original recipe offers a perfect blend of flavors, you can easily make adjustments based on dietary needs or available ingredients:

• Sun-Dried Tomatoes: If you only have the oil-packed variety, you can use them. Just be sure to drain them thoroughly before chopping to avoid excess oil in your stuffing. Keep in mind that using oil-packed tomatoes will slightly alter the nutritional value and potentially the fat content of the dish.
• Olive Oil: Any mild-flavored cooking oil, such as vegetable oil, canola oil, or avocado oil, can be used as a substitute for olive oil in both the searing and sautéing steps. The flavor profile will be slightly different, but the cooking process will remain the same.
• Shallots: Finely minced red onion or white onion can be used in place of shallots. Red onion will offer a slightly sharper, more pungent flavor, while white onion is a bit milder. Adjust the amount to your preference, perhaps starting with a smaller quantity if using red onion.
• Sugar: For an alternative natural sweetener, you can use an equal amount of honey or maple syrup. These will introduce a slightly different nuanced sweetness compared to granulated sugar.
• Chicken: While boneless, skinless chicken breasts are ideal for stuffing, you can use boneless, skinless chicken thighs for this recipe. However, be aware that chicken thighs are smaller and can be more challenging to stuff. Additionally, their higher fat content will alter the nutritional value and may require an adjustment in cooking time to ensure they are fully cooked.
• Reduced-Sodium Chicken Broth: If reduced-sodium chicken broth is unavailable, an equal amount of regular chicken broth, vegetable broth, or even homemade chicken stock can be used. Just remember that the sodium content of the dish will change, so you may want to adjust the added salt accordingly.
• Goat Cheese: If goat cheese isn’t to your liking or available, cream cheese or even a soft feta cheese (crumbled) could offer a similar creamy and tangy element, though the flavor profile would shift.
• Fresh Basil: If fresh basil is hard to find, you can use dried Italian herb blend (like oregano and basil) but in much smaller quantities (about 1/3 of the fresh amount) as dried herbs are more concentrated.

Recommended Kitchen Equipment

Having the right tools on hand will make preparing this delicious stuffed chicken recipe even smoother:

• Small Saucepan: Perfect for rehydrating the sun-dried tomatoes efficiently. This isn’t necessary if you choose to use sun-dried tomatoes packed in oil.
• Large Skillet (Nonstick Recommended): Essential for cooking the shallots and garlic for the stuffing, as well as browning the chicken to a beautiful golden crisp. A nonstick surface prevents sticking and makes cleanup easier.
• Mixing Bowls: A small mixing bowl is needed to combine the goat cheese and sun-dried tomato stuffing ingredients. Having a couple of different sizes can be handy.
• Cutting Board: A stable and clean surface is vital for preparing your ingredients, especially for cutting the slits into the chicken breasts for stuffing.
• Chef’s Knife: A sharp chef’s knife is indispensable for finely chopping the sun-dried tomatoes, mincing shallots and garlic, and most importantly, for precisely cutting the pockets into the chicken breasts.
• Baking Sheet: Used for transferring the seared chicken breasts to the oven to finish cooking, ensuring even baking.
• Meat Thermometer: While not explicitly listed, a meat thermometer is highly recommended for accurately checking the internal temperature of the chicken (165ºF / 73.9°C) to ensure it is safely cooked and perfectly juicy.

Storing and Reheating Leftovers

This stuffed chicken recipe makes fantastic leftovers! To ensure they remain delicious and safe to eat, follow these storage and reheating tips:

• Refrigerator Storage: Allow any leftover chicken breasts to cool completely to room temperature before storing. Once cooled, transfer them to an airtight container or a sealable plastic bag. Store them in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. Proper cooling and sealing are crucial to prevent bacterial growth and maintain freshness.
• Freezer Storage: If you’ve made a larger batch or want to prepare meals in advance, these stuffed chicken breasts freeze well. Once completely cooled, wrap each chicken breast individually in plastic wrap, then place them in a freezer-safe airtight container or heavy-duty freezer bag. They can be stored in the freezer for up to 2-3 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator before reheating.
• Reheating Instructions:
  • Oven: For best results, especially to retain moisture and a slight crispness, reheat in a preheated oven at 300°F (150°C). Place the chicken breasts in an oven-safe dish, cover loosely with foil to prevent drying, and bake for 15-20 minutes, or until heated through.
  • Microwave: While quicker, the microwave can sometimes dry out chicken. Place a single serving on a microwave-safe plate, cover with a damp paper towel, and heat in 30-second intervals until warmed through.
  • Skillet: You can also gently reheat in a covered skillet over low heat with a tablespoon of water or broth to create steam, helping to keep the chicken moist.

  Always ensure leftovers are reheated to an internal temperature of 165°F (73.9°C).

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