Cream Cheese Stuffed Chicken Breast

by Kayla Berman on March 3, 2025 0 comments

Lean white meat gets a sumptuous upgrade in this easy one-pan Cream Cheese Stuffed Chicken Breast recipe. Mild, tangy, velvety cheese is mixed with a bevy of fresh herbs and garlic, tucked into a chicken breast, seared, and baked for a quick low-carb, high-protein meal the whole family will love!

I’ll always love boneless, skinless chicken breasts—they’re high in protein, low in fat & calories, and are affordable. While this lean cut of meat is often maligned for being “too dry,” it can easily be transformed into a rich, decadent meal with some dairy. Consider my creamy garlic parmesan chicken pasta, creamy herb chicken, & cheesy buffalo chicken rice casserole proof!

This herby cream cheese stuffed chicken breast recipe is just my newest addition to the weeknight arsenal, and I’m pretty sure you’re going to love it as much as I do. Imagine a perfectly cooked piece of chicken—juicy and tender with a gorgeous golden-brown sear on the outside.

Now, add some extra crave-worthiness with a generous dollop of soft, spreadable cheese loaded with bold garlic, bright parsley, citrusy thyme, piney thyme, and woodsy oregano. The dreamy filling tastes like my all-time favorite bagel shmear—but, instead of a carb bomb base for the cheesy goodness, protein-packed chicken takes center stage. Brilliant!

Want more easy, one-pan chicken recipes? Check out my sheet pan chicken fajitas, sheet pan Hawaiian chicken, and honey soy sheet pan chicken thighs next!

Why You’ll Love This Cream Cheese Stuffed Chicken Recipe

Flavorful Upgrade – If you’ve ever considered chicken breasts “boring,” this easy, cheesy recipe is here to change your mind.
Macro Managing – This mouth-wateringly delicious meal might taste like a cheat day treat, but it’s actually quite virtuous—less than 350 calories per serving!
Spectacularly Simple – You only need 10 basic ingredients and about 15 minutes of active work to make these chicken breasts stuffed with cream cheese, then the oven does the rest!

Nutritional Deep Dive

Next time you need a deeply satisfying main, this chicken stuffed with cream cheese should be at the top of your list. With just 333 calories and 2 measly grams of carbs per serving, it’s easy to work into just about any diet! An impressive 40 grams of protein per piece will ensure you stay nice and full, while a reasonable 18 grams of fat adds lusciousness that makes it impossible to resist.

But, while all these nutritional stats work for me and my lifestyle, I want to make sure that you get what you need from your plate! Here are just a few ways to adjust the numbers to suit your dietary goals:

For lower fat and lower calories, swap in slightly lighter Neufchatel cheese.
If you want to amp up the fiber, serve your chicken breasts with veggie sides or whole grains. My Costco quinoa salad and fall harvest quinoa salad recipes have both, and are great pairs for the herby cream cheese filling!
For even more protein, swap the cream cheese for blended soft silken tofu—this will also cut back on some of the fat and calories.

INGREDIENT SPOTLIGHT: Boneless, skinless chicken breasts show up in a gazillion different recipes, but have you ever thought about what you’re getting when you eat them? As it turns out, quite a lot! White meat chicken breast is 80% protein by calorie content—a number that only egg whites and some white fish can top. Chicken is also a good source of tryptophan, an amino acid that has been shown to increase serotonin (a “feel good” hormone), not to mention other vital nutrients like B vitamins, selenium, phosphorus and zinc.

Ingredients & Substitutions

As promised, you don’t need much to make this chicken breast stuffed with cream cheese recipe. Here’s what to grab:

Cream Cheese – Make sure to reach for block-style, full-fat cream cheese for the best results. (Low-fat and nonfat cream cheese are filled with all kinds of weird stabilizers and emulsifiers that regular cream cheese doesn’t have.)
Fresh Parsley, Thyme, Rosemary, & Oregano – This hard-hitting combo of fresh herbs adds a bright complexity that’ll keep you coming back for more. Only have dried herbs? Use about ⅓ as much as you would fresh.
Garlic – You know the drill—fresh is best, but minced jarred garlic or garlic paste will work. You can also swap in ¼ teaspoon of garlic powder per clove in a pinch.
Boneless Skinless Chicken Breasts – Look for whole boneless chicken breasts, not the thin kind that have been butchered into multiple pieces. You want to make sure there’s enough meat to create a pocket!
Paprika – Since we are using so many fresh herbs, there’s not much you need from the spice cabinet. I love using a bit of paprika for warmth and to coax a pretty golden-brown color from the meat. Feel free to use either spicy/hot paprika or smoked paprika instead of classic sweet paprika if you’d like a little extra oomph.
Kosher Salt, Black Pepper, & Olive Oil – Just the basics! P.S. There’s no need to grab your fancy bottle of EVOO—your normal cooking oil is perfect.

How To Make Oven Baked Cream Cheese Stuffed Chicken Breasts

This dinner comes together in just a few simple steps. Here’s how:

Step 1: Prep Filling. Preheat the oven to 400ºF. In a small bowl, combine the cream cheese, parsley, thyme, rosemary, oregano and minced garlic. Mix well.

ingredients for cream cheese chicken stuffing mixture in a bowl before mixing together.

garlic herb cream cheese mixture in a small clear mixing bowl.

Step 2: Slice & Fill. Lay the chicken breasts on a plate or cutting board and carefully cut in from one side (but don’t cut all the way through!), creating a butterfly cut. Open each chicken breast and spread one half with the cream cheese mixture. Fold the chicken breast closed.

Step 3: Season. Sprinkle both sides of the stuffed chicken breast with the salt, black pepper and paprika.

Step 4: Pan Sear Chicken. Heat the oil over medium high heat in an oven safe skillet. Note: if you don’t have an oven safe skillet you can transfer the chicken to a baking dish for the second half of cooking. Once the oil is hot, add the stuffed chicken to the pan and sear on both sides until golden, about 2-3 minutes per side.

butterflied raw chicken breast on a white plate.

butterflied chicken breast with herb cream cheese spread across the left side.

Step 5: Bake Chicken. Once the stuffed chicken has been browned on both sides, place the pan directly in the preheated oven and bake for 30 minutes or until the chicken is cooked through to an internal temperature of 165F. Rest for about 5-10 minutes for the juices to redistribute, then enjoy!

Optional Variations

As much as I love this stuffed chicken breast with cream cheese recipe, there are lots of ways for you to make it your own. Here are just a few ideas to get you started:

Dairy-Free – Swap in your favorite plant-based cream cheese to get all the creamy goodness without the milk!
Mix It Up – Feel free to flavor the cream cheese filling and the exterior of your chicken with your choice of herbs, seasonings, and mix-ins including:
- Herbs & Spices: Dry ranch seasoning, Italian seasoning, Greek seasoning, etc.
- Fresh Ingredients: Minced shallots, chives, dill, tarragon, pesto, etc.
- More Cheese: Blue cheese crumbles, shredded mozzarella, havarti, etc.
- Added Texture: Crumbled bacon, chopped sun-dried tomatoes, toasted pine nuts, diced peppers, etc.
Wrap It Up – Want another layer of amazing flavor? Wrap the cream cheese stuffed chicken breasts in strips of bacon before cooking.

Expert Tips

Freezer Trick – To make it easier to butcher your chicken breasts, pop them in the freezer for about 10-20 minutes. This will help firm them up, which in turn makes them easier to handle.
Secure the Goods – Consider using toothpicks or a touch of uncolored cooking twine (lest we repeat Bridget Jones’ mistakes) to hold your cream cheese-stuffed chicken breasts shut during cooking.
Pan Smarts – Use a heavy-bottomed, oven-safe pan or skillet so you don’t have to dirty a casserole dish. Cast iron works, too! And, if you don’t have an oven-safe pan and need to use a separate dish, line said dish with some parchment paper or foil to make it easier and quicker to clean up.
Be Precise – Invest in both an oven thermometer and an instant-read meat thermometer so you don’t accidentally over- or under-cook your chicken.
Double Up – Since the oven is already going to be on, consider getting as much bang for your buck as possible and choose a side dish that can be cooked alongside the stuffed cream cheese chicken pan—these cheesy panko roasted cauliflower and carrots fit the bill!
Let It Rest – Generally speaking, let any cooked meat rest for a few minutes before serving. This allows the proteins to relax and the juices to redistribute, plus lets the cheese filling cool a bit and solidify so it doesn’t burn the roof of your mouth.

Serving Suggestions

This cheesy oven-baked stuffed chicken recipe plays well with many different side dishes, so you can have fun plating it. Here are a few ideas to get you started:

Pasta Night – Add some carb-y goodness with cheesy pastina, creamy cottage cheese alfredo, or hidden veggie pasta sauce. You’re welcome to use chickpea pasta for added protein, or swap in low-carb heart of palm pasta or zoodles if needed!
Spectacular Spuds – A mountain of truffle mashed potatoes will make this chicken dinner feel like it came from a 5-star restaurant. Garlic parmesan roasted potatoes or air fryer baked sweet potatoes are also excellent.
Low-Carb Sides – If you’re following a keto diet, stick to lower carb veggie sides like my smashed broccoli parmesan or crack green beans.
Bready or Not – Offer a sliced garlic bread baguette or cheesy crescent roll garlic knots on the side to sop up any juices or cheese filling. Need to stay low-carb? Try this viral cottage cheese flatbread for a bread-like experience with far fewer carbs.

Storage and Reheating Instructions

Raw cream cheese stuffed chicken breasts can be refrigerated in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days or frozen for up to 3 months before cooking.
Any leftover stuffed chicken can be transferred to an airtight container and refrigerated for up to 3-5 days. You can also freeze leftovers for up to 3 months.
For freezing either raw or cooked stuffed chicken breasts, I recommend wrapping them individually in plastic wrap and transferring them to a freezer bag with as much air pressed out as possible (without squishing the filling out) to prevent freezer burn.
To serve, allow any frozen chicken breasts to thaw overnight in the fridge. For raw breasts, cook the defrosted pieces as directed in the recipe card. To reheat cooked chicken breasts, place them in an oven-safe dish in a 350ºF oven for about 20-30 minutes, or until the center reaches an internal temp of 165ºF.

FAQs

How long to cook cheese stuffed chicken breast?

The cooking time will depend on the temperature of your oven, the type of pan you use, and the size of your chicken breasts. For me, this took about 5 total minutes of pan-frying/searing time on the stove and an additional 30 minutes in the oven. The important thing to note is that all poultry needs to reach 165ºF for food safety. If you pull it out of the oven with 2-3 degrees left to climb, just cover it lightly with foil—the carryover cooking should get you the rest of the way there.

Can you bake chicken with cream cheese?

Yes! After searing the cream cheese-stuffed chicken breasts (which helps develop flavor), you pop them in the oven to bake and finish cooking.

What can I use to stuff chicken breasts?

I’m a big fan of cheese, so that’s usually where my mind gravitates. Here, we use softened cream cheese mixed with fresh herbs and garlic. And, while I haven’t tried it, I bet my cream cheese salsa dip, cheesy bacon corn dip, or healthy spinach artichoke dip would all work, too!

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