Name: Broccoli and Cheese Stuffed Chicken Breast
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 25 min
Total time: 40 min
Ingredients: 4 large boneless skinless chicken breasts, (about 2 to 2 ¼ pounds); ½ teaspoon salt; ½ teaspoon smoked paprika; ½ teaspoon garlic powder; ¼ teaspoon onion powder; ¼ teaspoon black pepper; 1 ½ cups small-diced broccoli florets, (approximately ½-inch pieces, blanched and patted dry); ¼ cup finely diced red bell pepper; 1 ⅓ cups shredded colby-jack cheese; 1 ½ tablespoons mayonnaise; 2 tablespoons olive oil

Single serving of cheesy stuffed chicken breast filled with broccoli and diced red bell pepper on a white plate.

Broccoli and Cheese Stuffed Chicken Breast combines juicy chicken with a creamy, cheesy broccoli filling, baked to perfection. A recipe crafted by real chefs and food testers to ensure it cooks to restaurant-quality in your home kitchen.

Jump to Recipe

Prep Time15

Cook Time25

Total Time40

Servings

Golden brown stuffed chicken breast filled with broccoli, carrots, and melted cheese.

Golden, juicy chicken breasts loaded with a creamy, cheesy broccoli filling—and zero fuss. This broccoli and cheese stuffed chicken breast is the kind of dinner that makes you feel like a kitchen rockstar without the effort. It’s the perfect weeknight dinner idea.

What Goes Into This Stuffed Chicken Breast

Broccoli and Cheese Stuffed Chicken Breast raw ingredients that are labeled

Ingredients you’ll need:

4 boneless skinless chicken breasts (about 2 to 2¼ pounds total)
½ tsp each: salt, smoked paprika, garlic powder
¼ tsp each: onion powder, black pepper
1½ cups broccoli florets, finely chopped and blanched
¼ cup finely diced red bell pepper
1⅓ cups shredded Colby Jack cheese
1½ tbsp mayonnaise
2 tbsp olive oil
Toothpicks, for sealing (optional but recommended)

Customizations

Use frozen broccoli? No problem—just thaw and squeeze out all excess moisture before mixing.

No Colby Jack? Mild cheddar or a cheddar-mozzarella blend works perfectly too.

How to Cut the Pockets

Use a sharp paring knife to slice a pocket lengthwise—not all the way through. Then gently open it up with your fingers.

Step-by-step photo showing how to cut pockets into raw chicken breasts using a paring knife, with instructional text overlay “Be careful not to cut too deep. Use your fingers to carefully open the pockets.”

🔥 Tip: If your chicken breasts are uneven in thickness, lightly pound them first. You’ll get a more even cook and better stuffing coverage.

Stuff & Seal The Chicken

Spoon the filling into each chicken breast pocket and secure with 2–3 toothpicks. This keeps everything neatly sealed while it cooks.

Close-up of raw chicken breasts stuffed with a broccoli and cheese mixture, secured with toothpicks, with text overlay instructing to scoop filling and secure with toothpicks.

If any filling falls out during searing, just tuck it back in before baking.

Sear, Bake, Rest

Sear both sides in hot oil, about 3–4 minutes each side.
Return all chicken to the skillet, cover with foil, and bake at 400°F for 18–20 minutes.
Let it rest five minutes—this is key! The cheese sets, and juices redistribute.

Overhead view of cooked broccoli and cheese stuffed chicken breasts in a cast iron skillet, resting after cooking, with a text overlay instructing to let the chicken rest for 5 minutes.

Optional but amazing: Add a thin slice of butter on top of each breast before baking. Then spoon the buttery pan juices over the top after resting for that glistening, photo-worthy finish.

What To Serve With Stuffed Chicken Breasts

Storage Instructions

Store leftovers in the fridge for up to two days in an airtight container. Reheat in a 325°F oven for 10–15 minutes—just until warmed through.

Golden brown stuffed chicken breasts filled with broccoli, carrots, and melted cheese on a dinner plate.

📌 Bookmark this recipe and try it next time you need a dinner that looks fancy but cooks easy. No cream sauces. No complicated prep. Just chicken, stuffed and seared to perfection. 📌

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