Next time you’re in need of an effortless meal that’s as perfect for weeknight dinners as it is for elegant gatherings, try my air fryer stuffed chicken breasts. This beautiful entrée is simply made with just 10 ingredients and about 15 minutes of active prep time, meaning it’s easy enough for even a busy weeknight.
Better yet, you can use this easy chicken recipe as a template for your own creativity—have fun experimenting with the filling by using different types of cheese, swapping in sun-dried tomatoes, or adding your own special seasonings. The options are nearly endless! For more quick air fryer chicken recipes, try my air fryer whole chicken, air fryer chicken parmesan, or air fryer chicken breast next!
Ingredients
Boneless skinless chicken breasts — purchase chicken breasts that are on the thicker side if possible. You’ll need the thicker pieces to cut a pocket that will hold the stuffing.
Basics — you’ll need a handful of pantry staples: olive oil or neutral cooking oil, garlic powder (or onion powder in a pinch), sweet or hot paprika, salt, and black pepper (preferably freshly ground).
Cream cheese — I recommend using block-style cream cheese rather than the whipped variety, which can become grainy during cooking.
Fresh spinach — fresh baby spinach will make the best texture for the filling, but you can use frozen chopped spinach in a pinch. Just be sure to thaw it and squeeze out the liquid first.
Parmesan cheese — if possible, grate your own cheese. It melts better and typically tastes better, too!
Diced tomato — I like using brightly acidic fresh tomatoes for this filling. If you don’t see any good slicers at the store (typical in the colder months), use quartered cherry tomatoes instead.
Garlic — fresh is usually best, but you can use ½ teaspoon of garlic powder if needed.
Air Fryer Stuffed Chicken Breasts
1. In a small bowl, stir together all of the filling ingredients until well combined.
2. Place each chicken breast on a cutting board. Using a sharp knife, cut a pocket into the fattest long side of each chicken breast.
3. Stuff each pocket with the cream cheese mixture.
4. Secure the opening with toothpicks.
5. Rub the outside of the chicken with oil and sprinkle salt, garlic powder, paprika, and pepper all over the chicken. Preheat the air fryer to 375°F.
6. Place the stuffed chicken breasts in the air fryer basket, making sure they are not touching each other. Cook for 15 to 17 minutes or until a meat thermometer inserted in the thickest portion of the chicken reaches 165°F. (The cooking time will depend on how thick your pieces are.) Let rest for 3 minutes, then remove the toothpicks before serving.
Choose Thicker Chicken Breasts
Look for nice and thick boneless chicken breasts—you want to make sure there’s enough meat to make a pocket for the creamy filling! Do not use pre-cut chicken cutlets or chicken tenders; they are much too thin.
Variations
This is where you can let your creativity shine! Here are a few ideas to get you started:
- Swap your cheese. Try using melty mozzarella cheese, smoked gouda, Swiss, or cheddar cheese in place of the nutty parmesan.
- Use different veggies. Sun-dried tomatoes add a delicious flavor and texture and are perfect for when decent fresh tomatoes are hard to come by. You can also swap in another type of tender green, like arugula, baby kale, or beet greens, depending on what you have on hand. Not a fan of tomatoes? Make my spinach artichoke dip for your filling instead.
- Different seasonings and fillings. I used a basic mixture of garlic powder for sweetness and paprika for color and warmth, but you’re welcome to experiment with other dried herbs and spices to fit your taste. My turkey seasoning blend or taco seasoning would both be delicious. You can vary the seasoning to suit any filling variations as well.
Serving Suggestions
I always try to get my boys to eat something green with every meal—my speedy air fryer green beans are always a hit! As a bonus, you don’t have to clean the air fryer basket between uses; just cook the green beans while the chicken breasts are resting. You also can’t go wrong with a side of classic mashed potatoes, mac & cheese, or rice pilaf.
How To Store
Store any leftover stuffed chicken breasts in an airtight container or zip-top container refrigerated for up to 5 days or frozen for up to 2 months.
To reheat, allow to defrost overnight in the fridge if frozen, then warm in your air fryer or oven set to 325ºF until heated through (about 12-15 minutes).
Pro Tips For Making This Recipe
- To make the chicken breasts easier to cut, freeze for about 10-15 minutes beforehand. The added chill will help firm them up, which helps me butcher meat more cleanly.
- Don’t slice all the way through! You want to make a pocket for the filling, not two cutlets.
- Stuff the chicken first before seasoning. This way, the seasonings wouldn’t rub off during the process of stuffing and securing with toothpicks.
- Resting any meat after cooking lets the juices settle. In this case, it also helps the filling to set up a bit so it doesn’t all ooze out when you remove the toothpicks.
Frequently Asked Questions
Absolutely! This is a great trick for meal prep. I like to freeze them before cooking (just make sure you’re not using chicken that has been previously frozen), then air fry directly from frozen, adding 5-10 minutes onto the cook time as needed.
Sure thing. Feel free to stuff the chicken, cover it well with plastic wrap, and refrigerate for up to 24 hours before cooking. Or, use the instructions above to freeze them for up to 2 months.
Yep! It’ll take a bit longer and require a higher temperature, though—cook at 400ºF for about 18 minutes. If you go this route, I recommend lining your sheet pan with parchment for easy cleanup.
If you love this recipe try these out!
If you’ve tried this Air Fryer Stuffed Chicken Breast recipe, then don’t forget to rate it and let me know how you got on in the comments below. I love hearing from you!
Air Fryer Stuffed Chicken Breasts Recipe
Equipment
- Air fryer
Ingredients
- 2 (8-ounce/225g) boneless skinless chicken breasts
- 1½ teaspoons olive oil
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon paprika
- ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
For the Filling:
- 2 ounces cream cheese softened (56g)
- ¾ cup fresh spinach finely chopped (24g)
- 3 tablespoons grated parmesan
- 2 tablespoons diced tomato
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
- ⅛ teaspoon salt
Instructions
For the Filling:
- In a small bowl, stir together all of the filling ingredients until well combined
For the Chicken:
- Place each chicken breast on a cutting board and cut a pocket into the fattest long side of each chicken breast. Stuff each pocket with the filling and secure the opening with toothpicks.
- Rub the outside of the chicken with oil and sprinkle salt, garlic powder, paprika, and pepper all over the chicken.
- Preheat the air fryer to 375°F.
- Place the stuffed chicken in the air fryer basket, making sure they are not touching each other. Cook for 15 to 17 minutes or until the internal temperature in the thickest portion of the chicken reaches 165°F. Let rest for 3 minutes, then remove the toothpicks before serving.
Notes
- To make the chicken breasts easier to cut, freeze for about 10-15 minutes beforehand. The added chill will help firm them up, which helps me butcher meat more cleanly.
- Don’t slice all the way through! You want to make a pocket for the filling, not two cutlets.
- Stuff the chicken first before seasoning. This way, the seasonings wouldn’t rub off during the process of stuffing and securing with toothpicks.
- Resting any meat after cooking lets the juices settle. In this case, it also helps the filling to set up a bit so it doesn’t all ooze out when you remove the toothpicks.
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