Easy Stuffed Chicken Thighs Recipe
Just imagine it: stuffed chicken thighs, filled with spinach, sundried tomatoes, and goat cheese and baked to perfection. What's not to love?
Chicken thighs are probably the easiest and quickest cut of chicken to stuff, says food blogger & photographer Ksenia Prints of At the Immigrant's Table. Naturally flat and wide, they lend themselves to rolling around filling without much trouble at all. They also bake quickly and have plenty of flavor by themselves, making these a perfect weeknight meal full of flavor.
These stuffed chicken thighs are paired with a creamy, sweet, and savory filling of spinach, chopped sundried tomatoes, and goat cheese that's been flavored with Italian seasonings and garlic. It's a balanced and delicious main with plenty of flavor, all with very little effort. Pair these easy stuffed chicken thighs with roasted potatoes or rice for an easy dinner that comes together with little fuss.
Gather the ingredients for easy stuffed chicken thighs
As you would expect from what is billed as an easy recipe, the ingredient list for this recipe is fairly short. First, of course, you'll need some boneless and skinless chicken thighs.
For the stuffing, gather up some sundried tomatoes, fresh spinach (you can also use frozen spinach in its place), and plain, unseasoned goat cheese. If you only have seasoned goat cheese on hand, you may want to cut back on the seasonings you incorporate into the filling. If you use goat cheese with additional flavorings, taste the filling before you add the other seasonings.
For those seasonings, you'll need dried oregano, chili flakes, garlic, and olive oil. You can also use Italian seasoning if you have it on hand.
Prep the ingredients
To make these easy stuffed chicken thighs even easier and faster to make, prep your ingredients in advance and set up your workstation. This is a great chef's trick known as setting up your mise en place that will serve you equally well at home in the kitchen.
Next, preheat the oven to 450 degrees Fahrenheit. Then roughly chop the sun-dried tomatoes and slice the spinach into ribbons. If you have frozen chopped spinach on hand, there's no need to cut up the spinach.
Cover a baking sheet with aluminum foil and grab a cutting board on which you will stuff and roll your chicken. You'll also need a bowl and a tablespoon or spatula to mix the filling. From here on, it's smooth sailing — you'll be amazed at how easy it is to stuff and roll chicken thighs!
Prepare the goat cheese, sundried tomatoes and spinach filling
To make the filling for our chicken thighs, in a medium-sized bowl, mix together the sun-dried tomatoes, spinach, and goat cheese. Add 1 tablespoon of dried oregano, chili flakes, and minced garlic to the bowl. You can also use 1 tablespoon of Italian seasoning instead.
Stir the filling well to combine and set it aside. This is a good opportunity to taste the filling and correct its seasonings. You may want to add salt or pepper to the mix, depending on your preferences. If your goat cheese has been opened for a bit and is a bit dry, you can also add a couple of drops of olive oil to moisten the filling.
Stuff chicken thighs with filling
Season the chicken thighs on both sides with salt, pepper, and the remaining 1 tablespoon of dried oregano. Lay the chicken flat on a cutting board, smooth side down. Dollop a tablespoon of the sun-dried tomato, spinach, and goat cheese filling mixture in the middle of each chicken thigh.
Roll the thighs from left to right over the filling. If your chicken thighs are very small and you are having difficulty keeping them rolled, you can close each bundle with a toothpick. Simply pinch the two sides together as much as possible around the filling and spear a toothpick through the meat to keep the chicken from opening. Inserting the toothpick vertically along the seam is better than inserting it horizontally, as it will keep the seam closed more securely.
Bake the stuffed chicken thighs
Drizzle oil on your foil-lined baking sheet to keep the chicken thighs from sticking to the surface. Place the stuffed chicken thighs on the sheet, seam-side down. Brush the tops of the chicken with oil and sprinkle with additional oregano.
Bake the stuffed chicken thighs at 450 F oven until chicken is cooked through, about 15 mins. Cooked chicken should reach a temperature of 165 F, which you can check with an instant-read meat thermometer.
Switch the oven to broil and broil stuffed chicken for an additional 5 minutes. This will give the chicken thighs a crispy, browned top that looks attractive and taste great, too.
Serve the stuffed chicken thighs fresh out of the oven
Serve these easy stuffed chicken thighs immediately out of the oven, sprinkled with additional oregano and chili flakes.
When it comes to sides, pair the stuffed chicken with potatoes or rice for a full meal. For a lighter option, pair them with sweet potatoes, roasted broccoli, steamed vegetables, or a generous salad made with fresh greens.
These goat cheese, sundried tomatoes and spinach-stuffed chicken thighs will keep in an airtight container in the fridge for 5 days. They can be reheated in the microwave, but be sure to avoid the oven, as that method will dry them out too much.
- 1 ½ pounds boneless skinless chicken thighs
- 1 cup sundried tomatoes
- 4 cups fresh spinach
- ½ cup goat cheese
- 2 tablespoons dried oregano, divided
- 1 teaspoon chili flakes
- 2 teaspoons garlic
- 4 tablespoons olive oil
- Preheat the oven to 450 F.
- Roughly chop the sundried tomatoes. Slice the spinach into ribbons. Cover a baking sheet with aluminum foil.
- In a medium-sized bowl, mix together the sundried tomatoes, spinach, and goat cheese. Add 1 tablespoon of dried oregano, chili flakes, and minced garlic. Stir well to combine and set aside.
- Season the chicken thighs with salt, pepper, and the remaining 1 tablespoon of dried oregano.
- Lay the chicken flat on a cutting board, smooth side down. Dollop a tablespoon of the filling mixture in the middle of each chicken thigh. Roll the thighs from left to right over the filling.
- Place the stuffed chicken thighs seam-side down on a foil-lined baking sheet. Brush the tops of the chicken with oil and sprinkle with additional oregano.
- Bake at 450 F until chicken is cooked through, about 15 minutes. Switch oven to broil and cook for an additional 5 minutes.
- Serve the stuffed chicken thighs immediately, sprinkled with additional oregano and chili flakes.
| Calories per Serving | 288 |
| Total Fat | 17.2 g |
| Saturated Fat | 4.7 g |
| Trans Fat | 0.0 g |
| Cholesterol | 113.5 mg |
| Total Carbohydrates | 6.8 g |
| Dietary Fiber | 2.0 g |
| Total Sugars | 3.5 g |
| Sodium | 215.2 mg |
| Protein | 27.1 g |
