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Table of Contents
This recipe starts with boneless chicken breasts, pounded thin and rolled around a savory filling made with wilted spinach, crumbled feta cheese, scallions, breadcrumbs, and herbs. The rolls are then baked in a simple homemade tomato sauce flavored with garlic, fresh dill, and oregano until the chicken is juicy and tender.
These stuffed chicken breasts are easy to prepare in advance, making this dish a great choice to serve for company. And, while the chicken breasts bake, you’ll have time to prepare side dishes. Orzo, rice, or roasted potatoes drizzled with lemon all make great accompaniments, and a Greek salad with Kalamata olives and a lemony vinaigrette is a nice way to round out the meal.
Key Ingredient and Substitutions
Here’s what you need to know about the key ingredients in this recipe. The complete list, including quantities, is in the printable recipe card below.
- CHICKEN: This dish is made with boneless, skinless chicken breasts. For best results, try to choose pieces that are approximately the same size and remove the tenderloins first if still attached.
- SPINACH: Sautéed fresh spinach is what we recommend for this recipe because if well drained, it’s less likely to give off liquid inside the chicken breasts as they bake. You could also use frozen chopped spinach that’s been defrosted and thoroughly squeezed out.
- FETA CHEESE: We recommend buying feta cheese in a block and crumbling it yourself. It’s creamier, less salty, and keeps longer than the pre-crumbled version in tubs.
- FRESH DILL: The unique, grassy flavor of fresh dill is really essential to this dish. You can use dried dill if necessary, but be mindful of the fact that dill loses its flavor very quickly when stored, so give what you have in the pantry a taste and replace it if needed.
Overview
How to Make Spinach and Feta Stuffed Chicken Breasts
Planning to make this recipe? Here’s a quick overview of how it’s done. Detailed, step-by-step instructions are in the printable recipe card below.
BEFORE YOU BEGIN: Preheat the oven and coat a 13 x 9-inch baking dish with nonstick spray.
MAKE THE FILLING: Heat some olive oil in a pan and sauté fresh spinach in batches, just long enough to wilt it. Drain it well and let cool. Meanwhile, combine crumbled feta cheese with eggs, breadcrumbs, scallions, fresh dill, oregano, and black pepper. Stir in the cooled spinach and refrigerate.
MAKE THE SAUCE: Using the same skillet, sauté onion and garlic in olive oil, then add crushed tomatoes, oregano, fresh dill, salt, and pepper. Simmer for 10 minutes before spreading about 1/3 of the sauce in the bottom of the baking dish.
PREP THE CHICKEN: Gently pound each piece to an even 1/4-inch thickness, cut them in half so they’re easier to roll.
STUFF AND BAKE THE CHICKEN: Working with one piece of chicken at a time, add some of the spinach and feta mixture, roll carefully, and arrange the rolls seam side down in the dish. Spoon the remaining tomato sauce over the chicken, cover with foil, and bake until everything is tender and cooked through.
More Greek-Style Recipes To Try
If you enjoy the flavors in this dish, we have some other Greek-inspired recipes you might like.
Seasoned with cumin and oregano, then simmered in a cinnamon-spiced tomato sauce and served over orzo, our Greek meatballs recipe is a nice change from the Italian version.
For another hearty one-dish meal, Greek stuffed peppers are filled with a mix of ground lamb, pearl couscous, feta cheese, and herbs, then topped with mozzarella and baked until bubbly.
On the lighter side, a satisfying Greek dinner salad combines classic salad ingredients with tender shrimp and Mediterranean favorites like Kalamata olives, feta, and a lemon-oregano dressing.
And last but far from least, egg and lemon soup (avogolemono) is the ultimate in Greek comfort food – creamy, citrusy, and thickened with eggs and rice. It’s perfect as a starter or for a light meal.
Spinach and Feta Stuffed Chicken Breasts
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 10 ounces fresh spinach, roughly chopped
- 8 ounces crumbled feta cheese
- 2 large eggs, lightly beaten
- 2 tablespoons dry breadcrumbs
- 2 scallions, finely chopped
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh dill
- 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
- Freshly ground black pepper
- 4 pieces boneless, skinless chicken breasts, (about 1-1/2 lbs)
For the tomato-dill sauce:
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1/3 cup chopped onion
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 28 ounces diced tomatoes, 1 can, undrained
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1 tablespoon chopped fresh dill
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375°F. Coat a 13 x 9-inch baking dish with nonstick spray.
- Heat the olive oil in a large frying pan over medium-high heat. Add the spinach, a handful at a time, cooking each addition until wilted before adding more. Transfer to a strainer and squeeze out as much liquid as possible and set aside to cool.
- Thoroughly combine the feta cheese, eggs, breadcrumbs, scallions, dill, oregano and a few grinds of black pepper in a mixing bowl and mix in the cooled spinach. Refrigerate while you prepare the sauce.
- Wipe out the pan you used for the spinach and heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the onion and cook until soft and translucent, 4 to 5 minutes. Add the garlic and cook until fragrant, 1 to 2 minutes more.
- Stir in the tomatoes, oregano and dill and season to taste with salt and pepper. Reduce the heat to medium-low, cover and cook for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Spread about 1/3 of the sauce in the bottom of the prepared baking dish and set aside.
- One at a time, place the chicken breasts between two sheets of plastic wrap and gently pound them to a thickness of no more than 1/4-inch. Cut each one in half to make 8 pieces total.
- Working with one piece at a time, lay the chicken on a board and spoon 1-1/2 to 2 tablespoons of the filling mixture onto the short side, about 3/4 inch from the end.
- Carefully roll the chicken around the filling and place the roll, seam side down in the baking dish. Repeat with the remaining chicken, then spoon the remaining tomato sauce over the rolls.
- Cover the dish with foil and bake for 35 to 45 minutes or until the chicken is cooked through and the filling reaches an internal temperature of 165°F. Let rest for at least 5 minutes before serving.
Notes
Make-Ahead Instructions:
This dish can be prepared in advance, refrigerated and baked just before serving. Follow the instructions above, but be certain that your sauce has cooled completely before rolling the chicken and assembling the casserole. Cover tightly and refrigerate for up to 8 hours. Remove the dish from the refrigerator for 45 minutes prior to baking.Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
