This Mozzarella Stuffed Chicken Breast is the best comforting meal for a family dinner! Pan seared Parmesan Panko crusted chicken breast, stuffed with melted gooey mozzarella cheese, and then baked to perfection in marinara sauce is the perfect easy recipe with lots of flavor!
If you love a classic chicken parm, you should try this recipe! This Mozzarella Stuffed Chicken Breast is very similar to my Classic Chicken Parmesan Recipe. But instead of pounding the meat, I stuffed it with fresh mozzarella, coated in Parmesan Panko crust, pan seared until crispy outside and finally, baked until perfection in my Marinara Sauce from Scratch.
This recipe will be perfect for a Sunday family dinner and you can easily make a double batch for a bigger gathering.
Ingredients and Substitution
Chicken. Use skinless boneless chicken breasts.
Mozzarella cheese. To get the best results, get good quality fresh mozzarella cheese. You can also substitute it with ricotta, fontina, or provolone cheese.
Panko crumbs. You can use original or seasoned panko crumbs. If you don’t have them, you can use any bread crumbs you have on hands.
Parmesan cheese. This extra ingredient really elevated the flavors and helps to achieve a perfectly golden crispy crust.
Marinara sauce. I like to use my homemade marinara sauce from scratch in this recipe. You can also buy a good quality premade sauce, like Cucina Antica brand (not sponsored).
How to make it
Preheat the oven to 400°F.
Prepare 3 separate dishes. 1st one with 1 cup all-purpose flour. 2nd with 2 whisked eggs. In the 3rd one, mix 1 cup panko bread crumbs, ¼ cup grated Parmesan cheese, and the seasoning (½ tsp onion powder, ½ tsp garlic powder, ½ tsp dried oregano, ½ tsp dried thyme). Season each bowl with salt and pepper and set aside.
Using a pairing knife, cut deep pockets inside chicken breasts. Stuff the pockets with mozzarella cheese slices, then press the edges to seal the pockets. Season the stuffed chicken with salt and pepper on both sides.
Dredge each stuffed chicken breast in flour, then beaten eggs, then breadcrumb mixture.
Preheat a large skillet over a medium heat with 3 tbsp olive oil.
When the oil is hot, sear the stuffed chicken cutlets of both sides for about 4-5 minutes per side or until the sides are golden/brown color. At this point we don’t need to cook the meat through as it will be finished off in the oven.
While it’s cooking, pour 2 cups Marinara sauce in a baking pan. When the stuffed cutlets are seared, transfer them to the baking pan with Marinara sauce. Bake at 400°F for about 20-25 minutes or until the chicken is cooked through and the internal temperature of the meat is 165°F.
Tips for best results
Seasoning. The chicken has many coatings and it’s important to season with salt and pepper every layer (meat, flour, whisked eggs, and bread crumbs).
Pan searing. When you pan sear the meat, you don’t need to cook it through, as we are going to finish it in the oven. Just sear until the you can golden crust.
Storage and Freezing
How to store. You can keep it in an air-tight container and refrigerate for up to 5 days.
How to reheat. Reheat it in the oven at 350°F for about 10 minutes.
How to freeze. You can freeze it in an air-tight container for up to 2 months. To thaw, just leave in the fridge overnight, then reheat according to the instructions above.
Frequently Asked Questions
You can check the internal temperature of the meat with a meat thermometer. It should reach at least 165°F, though I like it to be at least 175°F, just to be safe.
I usually just press on the edges to seal them. If you want, you can pin them with toothpick, but it’s not really necessary.
You can serve this meal with pretty much any side dish you like. Here are a few of my favorites:
Vegetables: Mediterranean Roasted Vegetables, Green Beans Almondine, Roasted Broccoli with Parmesan.
Salad: Mediterranean Farro Salad, Potato Salad with Bacon and Egg.
Potatoes: Instant Pot Mashed Potatoes, Gruyere Potatoes au Gratin, Loaded Mashed Potatoes.
More Dinner Ideas:
- Cast Iron Chicken Thighs
- Pork Milanese
- Pink Sauce Pasta
- Creamy Tuscan Chicken Pasta
- Baked Cheese Tortellini
- Oven Baked BBQ Chicken Thighs
- Instant Pot Lamb Shanks
- Hawaiian Chicken Recipe
- Oven Baked Chicken Cutlets
- Creamy Vegetable Pasta
- Pea and Asparagus Risotto
- Dutch Oven Whole Chicken
- Pork Medallions with Apples
Mozzarella Stuffed Chicken Breast
Ingredients
- 4 boneless skinless chicken breasts
- 8 oz fresh mozzarella cheese sliced
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 2 large eggs room temperature
- 1 cup panko breadcrumbs
- ¼ cup Parmesan cheese grated
- ½ teaspoon dried onion powder
- ½ teaspoon dried garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon dried oregano
- ½ teaspoon dried thyme
- salt, pepper to taste
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 cups marinara sauce
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400°F.
- Prepare 3 separate dishes. 1st one with 1 cup all-purpose flour. 2nd with 2 whisked eggs. In the 3rd one, mix 1 cup panko bread crumbs, ¼ cup grated Parmesan cheese, and the seasoning (½ tsp onion powder, ½ tsp garlic powder, ½ tsp dried oregano, ½ tsp dried thyme). Season each bowl with salt and pepper and set aside.
- Using a pairing knife, cut deep pockets inside chicken breasts. Stuff the pockets with mozzarella cheese slices, then press the edges to seal the pockets. Season the stuffed chicken with salt and pepper on both sides.
- Dredge each stuffed chicken breast in flour, then beaten eggs, then breadcrumb mixture.
- Preheat a large skillet over a medium heat with 3 tbsp olive oil.
- When the oil is hot, sear the stuffed chicken cutlets of both sides for about 4-5 minutes per side or until the sides are golden/brown color. At this point we don’t need to cook the meat through as it will be finished off in the oven.
- While it’s cooking, pour 2 cups Marinara sauce in a baking pan. When the stuffed cutlets are seared, transfer them to the baking pan with Marinara sauce. Bake at 400°F for about 20-25 minutes or until the chicken is cooked through and the internal temperature of the meat is 165°F.
Notes
- Seasoning. The chicken has many coatings and it’s important to season with salt and pepper every layer (meat, flour, whisked eggs, and bread crumbs).
- Pan searing. When you pan sear the meat, you don’t need to cook it through, as we are going to finish it in the oven. Just sear until the you can golden crust.
- How to store. You can keep it in an air-tight container and refrigerate for up to 5 days.
- How to reheat. Reheat it in the oven at 350°F for about 10 minutes.
- How to freeze. You can freeze it in an air-tight container for up to 2 months. To thaw, just leave in the fridge overnight, then reheat according to the instructions above.
When you say “fresh mozzarella “, do you mean the kind that comes in liquid?
Hi Christine! Yes, mozzarella that comes with liquid will work the best in this recipe. Although, you can also substitute it with a shredded one.
This mozzarella stuffed chicken breast was a big hit at my house. This is super easy to make and so good. This will be on a regular rotation . Thanks for a great recipe.
Thank you so much, Debbie!
I made this for dinner tonight and we were so excited to see the cheese oozing out of the chicken! It was delicious and I’ll be making this again. Thank you!
Thank you so much, Jamie!