You guys know we love stuffed chicken in our house right? I make it A LOT and am always trying out all kinds of variations. Spinach stuffed chicken is a great go-to any night of the week. And I love making chicken breasts stuffed with prosciutto, spinach and mozzarella for a fancier dinner like a date night in, or for company! Apple and brie stuffed chicken is perfect for some fall flavors and cheesy Mexican stuffed chicken breasts are a kid favorite. Today’s recipe for pizza stuffed chicken is another kid favorite at our house! And what’s not to love? Chicken breasts are butterflied then stuffed with marinara sauce, mozzarella cheese and pepperoni slices, topped off with some oregano and Parmesan cheese then baked until golden brown, hot and melty. Plus, it’s just 10 minutes to prep then it bakes in the oven. So it’s a hands-off meal and it makes such a fun family dinner! And those pizza flavors come through perfectly. Oh, and it smells divine too. So let’s get cooking! Now, I’ve got those notes and tips coming up below on how to make pizza stuffed chicken breasts. Just tryin’ to be helpful. If you want to jump on down to the recipe, simply scroll right on through the rest of the text. The recipe card is near the bottom of the page, above the comments section.
Ingredient Notes:
Chicken breasts: You need to butterfly the chicken to get it ready for stuffing. Check out that post for step-by-step photos and a tutorial if it’s your first time. Also, it helps to have decent sized chicken breasts, not the super thin ones or perfectly portioned ones, since you’ll have to slice them across in half to stuff them. Cheese: We go with the standard shredded mozzarella cheese, but you could substitute slices of fresh mozzarella or use an Italian blend cheese if you want to change it up. Pepperoni: Feel free to choose regular, low fat or turkey pepperoni for this. Or you could skip it if you’re not a pepperoni fan. Parmesan: The Parmesan cheese and oregano on top of the chicken breasts add great pizza-like flavor and a nice golden brown crust. I don’t recommend skipping those.
Also, I should mention that I don’t secure my chicken breasts with toothpicks or string before baking. I find that butterflying them and just folding them back over is sufficient. And I’m kinda lazy like that. If yours look like it might want to fall apart, feel free to add a few toothpicks. OK, let’s get ready to eat.
Serving Ideas:
You can serve this pizza stuffed chicken over flatbread that you can warm up in the oven with a little extra marinara and cheese. (When you take the chicken out of the oven, just slide the flatbread in, with the marinara and cheese on them, for a couple of minutes to warm them through.) You can also serve this chicken over pasta, like spaghetti, as shown here. Want to keep it low-carb? I think this chicken would be great served with and over some sautéed peppers and onions. Extra veggies, too! Or serve it on its own with a side salad and some crusty bread or rolls to go with it.
We generally go with a Caesar salad kit from the store for a simple veggie side with this to complete the meal. So many choices. So much pizza love. Last thing, if you have leftovers… Leftover pizza stuffed chicken will keep in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. I recommend slicing it before you reheat it — either in the microwave or stovetop — so it warms through more evenly and more quickly without drying out the chicken. There you have it. I hope you give this a try soon for a fun new way to enjoy pizza night! XO, Kathryn Note: This post was originally published in August 2015. It has been updated with new photos and additional text and information. The recipe is the same. Chicken breasts: You need to butterfly the chicken to get it ready for stuffing. Check out that post for step-by-step photos and a tutorial if it’s your first time. Also, it helps to have decent sized chicken breasts, not the super thin ones or perfectly portioned ones, since you’ll have to slice them across in half to stuff them. Also, I don’t secure my chicken breasts with toothpicks or string before baking. I find that butterflying them and just folding them back over is sufficient. Cheese: We go with the standard shredded mozzarella cheese, but you could substitute slices of fresh mozzarella or use an Italian blend cheese if you want to change it up. Pepperoni: Feel free to choose regular, low fat or turkey pepperoni for this. Or you could skip it if you’re not a pepperoni fan. Leftovers: Leftover pizza stuffed chicken will keep in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. I recommend slicing it before you reheat it — either in the microwave or stovetop — so it warms through more evenly and more quickly without drying out the chicken.
