Cheese stuffed chicken breast with Hatch green chiles, sharp cheddar and cream cheese is so flavorful with such few ingredients! It's one of my favorite Chicken Dinners for Two!
Why this Recipe Works
When it comes to a weekly chicken dinner, nothing spices it up more than some roasted Hatch green chiles. And nothing cools down some green chiles better than Philadelphia Cream Cheese. The two combined make a wonderful and very exciting chicken dish. I used green chiles labeled 'spicy' because it makes these cheese stuffed chicken breasts taste like a big jalapeño popper, but if spicy food isn't your thing, use mild chiles. And pair this chicken breast with rice cooked with even more chiles and cilantro or a light salad.
And while you have the chiles in your pantry, you can also make green chile chicken stew or my turmeric macaroni and cheese with a ½ cup of green chiles stirred in.
Green Chiles Cheese Stuffed Chicken Breast Ingredients
- 2 large boneless, skinless chicken breasts
- half of an 8-ounce package of Philadelphia Cream Cheese, softened
- ½ cup diced fire-roasted green chiles (or 1 4.5-ounce can, drained)
- one-half cup grated sharp cheddar cheese
- salt
- freshly ground black pepper
- ground chipotle powder, optional
- 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
How to Make Green Chiles Cheese Stuffed Chicken Breast
- Prep - Preheat the oven to 425. If your skillet isn’t oven-safe, line a small baking dish with parchment paper. First, using a small sharp knife, cut a pocket in each chicken breast. Aim about one-third of the way from the top of the breast, and cut horizontally, being careful not to cut all the way through. Repeat with the other chicken breast.
- Combine - In a medium bowl, stir together the Philadelphia cream cheese, chiles, and cheddar. Stir very well to break up the cream cheese. Add a big pinch of salt and a few grinds of black pepper and stir again. Divide the cream cheese mixture in half, and stuff each into the pocket you cut in the chicken. You can use a toothpick to pin the chicken closed, but it doesn’t matter too much. Sprinkle the top of the chicken breasts with salt, pepper, and chipotle powder (if using).
- Cook - In a small non-stick skillet, melt the butter over medium-high heat. Place the chicken top-side down, and sear for 4-5 minutes, until a golden-brown crust forms. While it cooks, season the bottom of the chicken breasts in the pan with salt, pepper, and chipotle powder. Flip the chicken and cook on the other side for 4-5 minutes.
- Bake - Move the skillet to the oven (if your skillet isn’t oven-safe, gently move the chicken breasts to the oven dish). Bake for 10 minutes, and test the temperature with a meat thermometer in the thickest part of the chicken—it should register 165-degrees F. If not, return to the oven for 3-5 minutes more, and test again.
- Cool - Let the chicken cool in the skillet (or pan) for 5 minutes—this helps the filling somewhat solidify and makes it easier to serve. If the filling melted out of the chicken breast, push it back into place, and serve.
Tips
- First, be careful not to cut all the way through your chicken breast--just cut a slit or pocket for stuffing. Instead of aiming for the middle when slicing your chicken breast open, aim for cutting it about one-third of the way from the top. The lower two-thirds of the chicken will help hold the filling inside.
- I recommend cooking this baked stuffed chicken breast recipe in a non-stick, oven-safe skillet. If your skillet isn’t oven-safe, you can transfer the chicken to a baking dish that is lined with parchment paper after searing it on the stove.
- Some of the cheese mixture may leak out of the chicken while it bakes. Let it cool for a few minutes after it comes out of the oven, and then push it back in place. Because we first sear the chicken on the stove, then transfer it to the oven for a quick bake, it's less likely it will leak out.
How to Store
- Room Temperature - Serve the Green Chiles Cheese Stuffed Chicken Breast warm or at room temperature.
- Refrigerate - Any leftovers, store in an air-tight container in the refrigerator.
- Freeze - You can absolutely stuff these chicken breasts, wrap them carefully in plastic wrap, and freeze for future use. They take nearly 24 hours to defrost, so pull them out the night before you want to bake them. They might take a few extra minutes in the oven if the center is still frozen, so use a thermometer to ensure they reach 165-degrees Fahrenheit before serving.
More Easy Chicken Recipes
Engagement Chicken Pasta
Lemon Chicken Piccata for Two
Raspberry Chipotle Chicken Breasts for Two
Chicken Cacciatore Recipe for Two
Looking for even more chicken recipes? Check out all of my Chicken Recipes for Two.
Green Chile Cheese Stuffed Chicken Breast
Cheese stuffed chicken breast with cheddar, green chiles, and cream cheese. Serves two.
Ingredients
- 2 large boneless, skinless chicken breasts
- ½ of an 8-ounce package of cream cheese, softened
- ½ cup diced fire-roasted green chiles (or 1 4.5-ounce can, drained)
- ½ cup grated sharp cheddar cheese
- salt
- freshly ground black pepper
- ground chipotle powder, optional
- 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 425. If your skillet isn’t oven-safe, line a small baking dish with parchment paper.
- First, using a small sharp knife, cut a pocket in each chicken breast. Aim about one-third of the way from the top of the breast, and cut horizontally, being careful not to cut all the way through. Repeat with the other chicken breast.
- In a medium bowl, stir together the Philadelphia cream cheese, chiles, and cheddar. Stir very well to break up the cream cheese. Add a big pinch of salt and a few grinds of black pepper and stir again.
- Divide the cream cheese mixture in half, and stuff each into the pocket you cut in the chicken. You can use a toothpick to pin the chicken closed, but it doesn’t matter too much.
- Sprinkle the top of the chicken breasts with salt, pepper and chipotle powder (if using).
- In a small non-stick skillet, melt the butter over medium-high heat.
- Place the chicken top-side down, and sear for 4-5 minutes, until a golden-brown crust forms. While it cooks, season the bottom of the chicken breasts in the pan with salt, pepper and chipotle powder.
- Flip the chicken and cook on the other side for 4-5 minutes.
- Move the skillet to the oven (if your skillet isn’t oven-safe, gently move the chicken breasts to the oven dish). Bake for 10 minutes, and test the temperature in the thickest part of the chicken—it should register 165-degrees F. If not, return to the oven for 3-5 minutes more, and test again.
- Let the chicken cool in the skillet (or pan) for 5 minutes—this helps the filling somewhat solidify and makes it easier to serve. If the filling melted out of the chicken breast, push it back into place, and serve.
Nutrition Information:
Yield:
2Serving Size:
1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 890Total Fat: 68gSaturated Fat: 39gTrans Fat: 1gUnsaturated Fat: 22gCholesterol: 288mgSodium: 1103mgCarbohydrates: 10gFiber: 1gSugar: 6gProtein: 59g
sharon lee says
This is by far our favorite chicken breast recipe. I add a little sautéed onion and cook it in an air fryer. So moist and tasty :-)
Nancy says
I have an air fryer but have not used it much. Can someone describe for me how to cook this in an air fryer?
angel says
how long and at what temp did you cook it in the air fryer?
Ann Hudson says
Good Lord! These were wondrous! I've had good success with all your recipes. But hands down, this was so good!
Jessica says
I’m excited to try This recipe tonight. Going to let the chicken marinate for a few hours until it cools down. I have Philadelphia chive and onion cream cheese so I’m hoping it goes a well with the other ingredients.
Linda says
Wondering how to do this in the air fryer
Rick says
I will be making this tonight as I am meal prepping for the week. One question I have is, where in the world are you getting 10 grams of carbs per serving? Chicken 0 grams, cream cheese is 1 gram per ounce, 1 gram in two tbsp. of green chili and 1 gram in a quarter cup of shredded cheddar.
Christina Lane says
That's an excellent question, Rick. My nutrition calculator is just an estimate. It has flaws, so anytime you see something that doesn't seem right, plug each ingredient individually into your own nutrition calculator to double-check.
Mary says
Where do the Carbohydrates come in?
Amount Per Serving: CALORIES: 890 TOTAL FAT: 68g SATURATED FAT: 39g TRANS FAT: 1g UNSATURATED FAT: 22g CHOLESTEROL: 288mg SODIUM: 1103mg CARBOHYDRATES: 10g FIBER: 1g SUGAR: 6g PROTEIN: 59g
Diana says
Tried it - husband LOVED IT! I tweaked a little, used the Kraft JALAPEÑO cream cheese in place of regular cream cheese. Added more spice!!!