Goat Cheese and Bacon Stuffed Chicken

Chicken breasts stuffed with crispy bacon, creamy goat cheese, and fresh basil leaves. Baked in the oven, then topped with a balsamic glaze.

Course Main Course

Cuisine American

Prep Time 15

Cook Time 25

Total Time 40

Servings

Calories 572kcal

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.

Chicken breast sizes can vary quite a bit. If your chicken breasts are very large and thick, you can slice them in half lengthwise to create thinner pieces that are easier to stuff and fold over. Smaller chicken breasts can simply be pounded thinner with a meat mallet.
Don’t overstuff the chicken breasts or the filling may leak out while baking.
Toothpicks work great for keeping the chicken closed while it bakes. Just remember to remove them before serving.
Cook the bacon until crispy before stuffing the chicken so it doesn’t turn chewy inside the filling.
Goat cheese becomes much milder and creamier once baked, so even people who normally aren’t sure about goat cheese often enjoy this recipe.
Use an instant-read thermometer and cook the chicken to 165°F for juicy, perfectly cooked chicken breasts.