Chicken breasts stuffed with crispy bacon, creamy goat cheese, and fresh basil leaves. Baked in the oven, then topped with an easy balsamic glaze. An easy healthy chicken dinner recipe that takes only 15 minutes to prepare.
Welcome to My Kitchen Serenity! Thanks for visiting! Looking for an easy, baked chicken recipe? Let's talk about this Keto Stuffed Chicken Breast recipe! At 3 net carbs per serving, what are you waiting for 🙂
Why This Recipe Works
Stuffing a chicken breast sounds a little intimidating, but it's really very easy. Basically, you'll cover the chicken breast will plastic wrap, then pound it so it'll be flatter and thinner. Use a mallet or even a can.
This is an easy, baked chicken dinner that you can prepare any night of the week. It's simple, yet seems elegant. Crispy bacon and creamy goat cheese baked inside a boneless skinless chicken breast. Simply delicious!
Looking for more keto chicken recipes? Take a look at my Cast Iron Skillet Chicken Thighs. These thighs are so juicy and are flavored with a little dill pickle juice!
Why You'll Love It
The balsamic vinegar glaze gives this chicken its amazing flavor! Balsamic vinegar originated in Italy. It's made from "grape must" and is a very concentrated and intensely flavored vinegar. Grape must is freshly crushed grape juice with all the skins, seeds, and stems.
Goat cheese is a tangy, soft cheese made from....you guessed it...goat's milk! I love goat cheese because it's way creamier than cream cheese and a bit tangier.
Ingredients
These Keto Stuffed Chicken Breasts only require 6 ingredients!
boneless, skinless chicken breasts - we'll pound 4 chicken breasts flat, then "stuff" them. Because the size of chicken breasts varies, you may be able to use 2 large/thick chicken breasts and cut them in half lengthwise (butterfly) to get four thin breasts.
bacon - for easy, evenly cooked bacon, bake it in the oven. You could also use the pre-cooked bacon.
balsamic vinegar - reducing the vinegar for the glaze really packs in the flavor!
goat cheese - goat cheese is super creamy and tangy! But it can be pricy, so you can opt for cream cheese instead.
fresh basil leaves - if you're not a fan of basil, you can sub baby spinach.
olive oil or coconut oil - for browning the stuffed chicken breast.
Easy Additions
These additions will affect the nutritional data - please keep in mind:
- Sliced sun dried tomatoes (add a few slices per chicken breast in Step 2)
- Baby spinach (add a few leaves per chicken breast in Step 2)
Instructions
Only 4 simple steps are needed for these Keto Stuffed Chicken Breasts!
(1) Pound the chicken to ½-inch thickness (or butterfly). Lightly sprinkle with salt and pepper. Add bacon, goat cheese, and chopped basil leaves on one side of each chicken breast.
(2) Fold the other half of the chicken breast over, then secure with a toothpick if desired.
(3) In a large oven-safe skillet add the olive oil and sear each side of the chicken breast. Place the skillet in the oven and bake for about 25-30 minutes.
(4) Make the balsamic glaze. To serve, place the chicken on a plate and drizzle glaze on top. Serve with your choice of side dish. Steamed broccoli or a spinach salad goes well with this, and you can drizzle some of the glaze over that, too.
Frequently Asked Questions
Lay the chicken breast on a flat surface. With a sharp knife, cut through the thickest part of the meat but don't cut all the way through. You should be able to flip the top portion over and have one larger piece of chicken. If you're a visual learner, like me, I found a great tutorial video from Taste of Home How to Butterfly a Chicken Breast.
All kinds! You can serve this with my Roasted Brussels Sprouts or my Broccoli Slaw. Both are fantastic; one requires oven time and the other requires no cooking whatsoever. Or choose a simple green salad or spinach salad.
Oh yes, this is such a common question because there's a fine line between juicy chicken and dry chicken! One technique holds true though: Searing chicken (or any meat) at a high temperature for just a few minutes actually helps to lock in the juices. After searing, just follow the rest of the recipe steps.
Expert Tips
Because the size of chicken breasts will vary, you may be able to cut 2 large/thick chicken breasts in half lengthwise to get the breasts thin enough to stuff/fold over. Or you can pound out 4 smaller breasts.
Storing Leftovers
Store any leftovers in airtight containers in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. I prefer to use BPA-free glass containers with locking lids. Check out this 18-piece set of glass food storage containers with locking lids from Bayco, available now on Amazon.
More Keto Main Dish Recipes
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Recipe
Keto Stuffed Chicken Breast
Equipment
- Sharp kitchen knife
- measuring cup
- measuring spoon
- oven-safe skillet
- small sauce pan
Ingredients
- 4 large, boneless skinless chicken breasts
- salt and pepper (a light sprinkling of each)
- 6 strips of bacon, cooked & crumbled
- 4 ounces goat cheese, divided into 4 equal portions
- 6 fresh basil leaves, chopped, divided into 4 equal portions
- 2 tablespoons olive oil, or coconut oil
- 1 cup balsamic vinegar
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375F. Pound the chicken to ½-inch thickness. Sprinkle both sides with salt and pepper.
- Add ¼ of the bacon, ¼ of the goat cheese, and ¼ of the chopped basil leaves on one side of the chicken breast. Fold the other half of the chicken breast over, then secure with a toothpick if desired. Repeat with the remaining breasts.
- In a large oven-safe skillet add the olive oil. Heat to medium-high, then sear each side of the chicken breast. Place the skillet in the oven and bake for about 25-30 minutes or until the chicken reaches 165F. Remove the skillet from the oven, and set aside to cool.
- For the glaze, place the balsamic vinegar in a small saucepan over medium-high heat. Simmer the vinegar, stirring occasionally, until it's reduced by ⅓ and starts to form a syrup-like consistency.
- To serve, place the chicken on a plate and drizzle glaze on top. Serve with your choice of side dish -- a green salad or steamed broccoli goes well with this, and you can drizzle some of the glaze over the side too.
Notes
Nutrition
This recipe was originally published in 2019 and was updated in 2022 with new photos.
Nutritional information is provided as a courtesy to my readers. I'm not a nutritionist and I don't guarantee the accuracy of this data. The data may differ according to the brands I used versus the brands you use. To calculate the data yourself using your brands, try using an online nutrition calculator or app.
Jane M.
Great recipe but what is the oven temperature for the 25-30 minutes baking portion?
MyKitchenSerenity
Hi Jane! The oven should be preheated to 375F. I have fixed the recipe. Thank you for asking! I hope you enjoy this recipe.
Jane M.
Thank you for your prompt response. Much to my adult son's displeasure, I cook too much chicken :D. This should make him happy. I know I will be (not just baked chicken again!). Will be going to the supermarket soon to get the ingredients.
MyKitchenSerenity
LOL. Let me know what he thinks! Goat cheese is very creamy...I love it. I hope you enjoy this recipe as much as we do! Let me know...
Jane M.
P.S. I've never had goat cheese before. You're broadening my horizons and I welcome it.
MyKitchenSerenity
Thanks for featuring my recipe on this week’s Meal Plan Monday!