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Cheesy Garlic Asparagus Stuffed Chicken in a lemon butter sauce is the most delicious way to get your veggies in.
Believe it or not, our Asparagus Stuffed Chicken recipe is loved by the whole family! Why? Garlic-smothered asparagus is stuffed inside juicy chicken breasts along with mozzarella cheese, then baked in lemon butter; ready in no time at all!
ASPARAGUS STUFFED CHICKEN RECIPE
Many people are quick to write-off asparagus as bland or boring, but we have made it our mission to prove just how much potential the vegetable has when paired with the right ingredients.
Garlic Browned Butter Asparagus and our Crispy Parmesan Asparagus with Garlic Butter have become two of the most popular vegetable dishes on our site and have become perfect examples of how full of flavour asparagus can be when done well!
Seasoned with garlic powder, onion powder, herbs, paprika, salt, and pepper, the flavours coming out of this asparagus stuffed chicken will change the way you think about asparagus!
The best part is, you will only need a handful of ingredients. If you’re sick of the same old, dried-out chicken breast recipes, add a mouth-watering twist to your weekly menu and stuff them with cheesy garlic roasted asparagus.
HOW TO PREPARE STUFFED CHICKEN
Place each chicken breast on a flat clean work surface. With your hand supporting a breast piece, CAREFULLY cut a slit or pocket starting from the top thick middle part of the breast to the other end. Use the sharp end of your knife to create the pocket, being careful not to cut all the way through as the cheese WILL spill out while cooking.
HOW TO COOK STUFFED CHICKEN BREAST
- PREHEAT OVEN at 400°F or 200°C.
- GRAB YOUR PANS! You can either use an oven-proof pan, OR a regular frying pan to sear them first, then a baking dish for the oven.
- SLICE a pocket into the side of your chicken breasts as above. Cut each breast lengthwise to create a pocket about 3/4 of the way through, being careful not to cut all the way in.
- SEASON the outside of your chicken and the inside of the pocket. You want to have flavour coming from both the inside and the outside of your chicken breasts.
- STUFF each chicken breast with 3-4 garlic-smothered asparagus spears and 2-3 mozzarella slices. You could also add in sun-dried tomato strips as shown in the image above OR diced bacon!
- SEAL with two or three toothpicks near the opening to keep the stuffing inside while cooking.
- SEAR in a frying pan or oven-proof skillet until beautifully golden brown.
- ADD in a bit of butter, garlic, and a squeeze of lemon juice. These ingredients make up a delicious sauce that mixes through some incredible-tasting pan juices.
BAKE COVERED OR UNCOVERED?
Stuffed chicken breast cooks faster and retains its juices more effectively when covered. You want to bake them covered first to ensure the chicken holds its moisture, guaranteeing juicy meat. Cooking chicken breasts uncovered the entire time will make for dry chicken breasts. NO GOOD!
Then, uncover and bake for the final 3-5 minutes to further brown the edges and dry out some of those pan juices.
HOW LONG TO BAKE STUFFED CHICKEN BREAST
Since you’re searing your stuffed chicken breasts first to lock in those juices, they only need about 15-20 minutes in the oven to finish them off. A good rule of thumb is to check if the juices run clear when pierced with a fork or knife, or if the internal temperature reaches 155˚F (70˚C) if using a meat thermometer.
CAN I FREEZE STUFFED CHICKEN BREAST?
Absolutely! Freeze any cooked stuffed chicken breasts for up to 3 months in an airtight container or freezer bags to prevent freezer burns.
HOW TO SEAL STUFFED CHICKEN BREAST
The best way to prevent your filling from spilling out all over your pan is to secure them with toothpicks. Use 2-3 toothpicks per stuffed chicken breast to seal the opening/edges. Just remember to remove them before serving!
SERVING SUGGESTION
Like our Spinach Artichoke Stuffed Chicken Breast, you can serve this stuffed chicken with an easy tomato salad, cauliflower rice, garlic mushrooms, creamy mashed potatoes or a buttery cauliflower mash if you’re watching your carb intake.
MORE ASPARAGUS RECIPES
Cream of Asparagus Soup
Cheesy Garlic Roasted Asparagus
Garlic Butter Prosciutto Wrapped Asparagus
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Cheesy Asparagus Stuffed Chicken Breast
Ingredients
CHICKEN:
- 2 pounds boneless skinless chicken breasts about 4 fillets
- 3/4 teaspoon dried oregano or your choice of herbs
- 3/4 teaspoon dried basil
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/2 teaspoon onion salt
- 1/2 teaspoon paprika
- 1 pinch salt to taste
- 1 pinch cracked pepper
- 2 tablespoons olive oil divided
STUFFING:
- 12-15 spears asparagus woody ends removed
- 1 teaspoon garlic minced
- 1/8 teaspoon red pepper optional
- 8 slices fresh mozzarella cheese or provolone
LEMON BUTTER SAUCE:
- 2-3 tablespoons lemon juice freshly squeezed
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 1 teaspoon garlic minced
Instructions
- PREHEAT OVEN TO 400°F (200°C).
FOR THE CHICKEN
- In a medium bowl, combine dried herbs, garlic powder, onion salt, paprika, a good pinch of salt, and cracked black pepper. Set aside.
- Place each chicken breast on a flat surface. With your hand supporting each piece, cut a slit or pocket about 3/4 quarter of the way through, being careful not to cut all the way through.
- Pat chicken dry with a paper towel. Season chicken all over and inside the pockets with the seasoning mix. Rub with 2 teaspoons of the olive oil to evenly coat.
FOR THE STUFFING
- In the same bowl the seasoning was in, toss asparagus with 2 teaspoons of the olive oil, minced garlic, and red pepper flakes if using.
- Stuff each chicken breast with 3-4 asparagus spears and 2 slices of mozzarella cheese.
- Seal chicken breasts with two or three toothpicks near the opening to seal.
SEAR
- Heat the remaining tablespoon of oil in an oven-proof skillet or nonstick pan over medium-high heat. Sear chicken until golden on each side, about 3-4 minutes per side.
- For the sauce, add lemon juice, butter, and minced garlic to the pan around the chicken.
BAKE
- Cover and bake for 12-15 minutes.
- Uncover and bake for an additional 5 minutes until chicken is cooked through (internal temperature reads 155˚F (70˚C) if using a meat thermometer.)
- SUGGESTION: Serve with lemon butter pan juices.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Made this last night using chicken thighs as we prefer them to breasts, OMG can you say FOODGASM!!! Wow it is so so very good. I also made the suggested sides of buttery mashed cauliflower and the garlic mushroom. We loved it all. These will definitely become a staple in our house.
I made this a couple of weeks ago for myself and 2 grown children, we’r all loved it and wanted more, so this time, i am making triple, and freezing some. Thank you for sharing this scrumptious recipe.
I never wrote reviews for these things, but my 6 year old son (as well as my husband) just asked for this two nights in a row. It’s*that* good! I added bacon bits to the stuffing, and we did half mushrooms, half asparagus (son wanted something other than asparagus). Also, I stink at stuffing chicken breast, so cooked veggies to the side, which worked fine. Lastly, because we love the sauce so much, we thickened it up at the very end with some cornstarch. This is simply divine! And so easy. Thank you!
The recipe mentions onion salt. Do you mean onion powder?
No, onion salt. It’s a thing.
Making this Friday night….can’t wait
Will let you know how it turns out@
YOU’RE MAKING ME HUNGRY EVERY TIME YOU POST THIS DELICIOUS FOOD:
THERE ARE SOME THINGS YOU POST I CAN DO WITHOUT, BUT THERE AREN’T MANY:
YOU’RE A WOMAN AFTER MY OWN HEART:
Those look incredible!
I absolutely love ALL of your chicken recipes, they’re so easy to make and never seem to disappoint! You’re a legend Karina. 🙂
My mouth is watering and I can taste this already… I can’t wait to try this seems so yummy😊
Thank you for another amazing recipe Karina, this looks amazing for dinner tonight! The family is definitely gonna love this one!! 👍🏻