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    Home » Dinner

    Hasselback Chicken with Spinach + Goat Cheese

    Last Updated February 27, 2021. Originally Published February 20, 2016 By Susan 48 Comments

    Jump to Recipe Print Recipe

    Hasselback Chicken- Seriously! This is one of the easiest and quickest ways to make super delicious and flavorful chicken breasts. By making slits in the chicken breasts (Hasselback) and stuffing them with tasty things like spinach and goat cheese, you’ll get a hit of savory cheesy goodness in every bite!

    hasselback-spinach-goat-cheese-hasselback-chicken 5_

    Spinach + Creamy Goat Cheese Hasselback Chicken- I ♥ you! You are my new favorite way to cook chicken.

    Recently a video popped up on social media showing an easy hasselback chicken recipe and I thought..wowza! that looks amazing and so easy I HAVE to try it out! and guess what? wowza! it was so EASY and I loved that you get a bit of all the "good stuff" (spinach + goat cheese) in every bite.

    What is Hasselback ?

    If you havent heard of "Hasselback" before it's a technique originally developed at a restaurant in Sweden (called Restaurant Hasselbacken (or so the story goes) where they made small slits in a potato (kind of like an accordion) and stuffed them with bacon and cheese. The results, crispy potato outside, soft potato inside and goodness (bacon and cheese) in every bite. These days you'll see lots of things that have been cut "Hasselback" like apples, sweet potatoes and now chicken.

    How to Make Hasselback Chicken:

    Here's how easy Spinach + Creamy Goat Cheese Hasselback chicken really is:

    hasselbeck-chicken-spinach-cooking

    1.Start off by cooking the fresh spinach until it becomes slightly wilted (about 3-5 min) adding the goat cheese and a pinch of red pepper flakes if you want a bit of heat (totally optional) and cooking until the goat cheese melts (about 1 min)

    hasselbeck-chicken-spinach-goat-cheese 3

    2. Cut slits (about 1/2 inch apart) across the chicken breast, about 3/4 of the way through the breast(careful not to cut all the way through).

    spinach-goat-cheese-hasselbeck-chicken

    3.  Stuff each slit with the spinach and goat cheese mixture.

    spinach-goat-cheese-hasselbeck-chicken 2

    4. Season with salt, pepper and paprika.

    spinach-goat-cheese-hasselbeck-chicken 3

    5. Add a little mozzarella cheese (or cheddar) and pop them in the oven for about 25 minutes. That's it!

    I switched my oven from bake to broil for the last 10 min. of cooking so the cheese would get extra bubbly and browned.

    hasselback-spinach-goat-cheese-hasselback-chicken 2

    See...a bit of spinach and goat cheese in EVERY bite. My mind is going crazy with all the different things I can stuff into the next batch of Hasselback chicken! how about:

    Apple, ham and cheddar

    Bacon & Blue cheese

    Wild rice and mushrooms

    So many options! What will you stuff your chicken with? (because I know once you try this  you're going to be hooked too!)

    hasselback-spinach-goat-cheese-hasselback-chicken cut

    Roasted red pepper and Feta- UPDATE I made this version  and smothered it with Spinach and Mushrooms! Get the recipe here

    Spinach + Mushroom smothered Hasselback Chicken

    Looking for more easy chicken recipes? here's a few to try:

    1. Skinny Orange Sesame Chicken
    2. Sheet-pan Chicken Fajitas
    3. 5 ingredient Skillet Pesto Chicken
    4. 15 min. Honey Paprika Chicken
    5. Healthy Chicken Ramen Bowl
    Print Recipe Pin Recipe

    Hasselback Chicken with Spinach + Goat Cheese

    This is one of the easiest and quickest ways to make super delicious and flavorful chicken breasts. By making slits in the chicken breasts (Hasselback) and stuffing them with tasty things like spinach and goat cheese, you’ll get a hit of savory cheesy goodness in every bite!
    Prep Time10 mins
    Cook Time25 mins
    Total Time35 mins
    Course: Main
    Cuisine: American
    Servings: 4 servings
    Calories: 306kcal
    Author: Susan | SimpleHealthyKitchen.com

    Ingredients

    • 3 cups fresh spinach
    • ½ cup crumbled goat cheese or feta
    • ½ tsp crushed red pepper flakes optional
    • 4 chicken breasts boneless and skinless (aprrox. 1.5 lbs.)
    • Salt and pepper to taste
    • 2 tsp paprika
    • ⅓ cup shredded Mozzarella cheese or cheddar

    Instructions

    • Preheat oven to350 F. Prepare a baking sheet by lining with foil, set aside.
    • In a large skillet add a splash of olive oil,cook spinach over medium until slightly wilted (approx. 3-5 min). Add crumbled goat cheese and continue to cook until cheese is melted (about 1 min).Stir in red pepper flakes (if using) Set aside.
    • Place chicken breasts on prepared baking sheet. Using a sharp knife cut slits across the chicken breast about ¾ of the way through chicken breast (careful not to cut all the way through) about ½-3/4 inch apart (approx. 6-8 slits per chicken breast). Stuff each slit with spinach/goat cheese mixture.
    • Generously salt and pepper top of chicken breast and season with paprika. Sprinkle ¼ of the mozzarella cheese among each chicken breast.
    • Place chicken breasts in the oven and bake for 20-25 min. If desired switch oven from bake to broil for the last 10 min. of cooking (for more bubbly and browned cheese)

    Nutrition

    Serving: 1serving | Calories: 306kcal | Carbohydrates: 1.7g | Protein: 43.2g | Fat: 13.2g | Saturated Fat: 7.3g | Cholesterol: 113.2mg | Sodium: 297mg | Fiber: 0.5g | Sugar: 0.6g
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    About Susan

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Natalie Rentfrow

      July 15, 2022 at 11:02 am

      Can this recipe be made in an instant pot instead of the oven?

      Reply
    2. Kelsey

      April 29, 2020 at 2:32 pm

      My fiancé and I love this dish! We use garlic and herb goat cheese instead of regular and we love it! I’m making it tonight with roasted sweet potatoes and a fresh salad! Thank you for this recipe!

      Reply
    3. m robb

      November 28, 2019 at 7:04 pm

      Made this chicken for Thanksgiving and it is still getting rave reviews. I added Pecorino / Romano cheese and minced garlic to the goat cheese mix. Huge hit and will make it again.

      Thanks Susan

      Reply
      • Susan

        December 09, 2019 at 8:11 pm

        I'm so glad it was a hit! and I love the idea of Pecorino/Romano and minced garlic! thanks for trying and thanks for the feedback!

        Reply
    4. Hattie

      April 08, 2019 at 12:48 pm

      What did you do for side items? Pasta? Veggies?

      Reply
      • Susan

        April 16, 2019 at 10:10 am

        Hi Hattie...my personal fav sides to serve with this Hasselback chicken are a big green salad and some crusty french bread, but I think you could serve with lots of different things like, baby red potatoes, rice pilaf, spinach salad, sliced fresh tomatoes, green beans, you could even add some or your favorite veggies to the sheet pan while cooking and have a complete dinner (zucchini, broccoli, red peppers, sweet potatoes,cauliflower...whatever you like that takes approx. 20-25 minutes to roast would work) Hope that helps 🙂

        Reply
      • Cindy

        November 18, 2019 at 5:27 pm

        I added mushrooms to spinach w feta and goat cheese mix. Topped w slices of bacon before mozzarella. Roasted Brussels sprouts. Baby carrots mushrooms. Onions and bacon ahead to go with it. Delish !

        Reply
        • Susan

          December 09, 2019 at 8:08 pm

          Oh that sound delicious! Thanks for the feedback!

          Reply
    5. Stacey Cataldo

      January 16, 2019 at 6:10 pm

      Love this dish! My 2nd time making it, this time I added sun dried tomato spread. So good!

      Reply
      • Susan

        January 17, 2019 at 7:26 am

        Thanks Stacey! love the idea of sun dried tomato spread!

        Reply
    6. Amy L Vigorito

      January 11, 2019 at 1:35 pm

      How many grams of sugar is in the recipe? I'm building it in Weight Watchers to see how many points

      Reply
      • Susan

        January 17, 2019 at 7:48 am

        Hi Amy...I updated the recipe card to include the grams of sugar. Super low for this recipe at 0.6g/serving.

        Reply
    7. Sandy Eimen

      March 29, 2018 at 11:43 am

      I made this dish last night almost according to the directions. I did add about a tablespoon of minced garlic to the spinach as it was cooking. I also added a little Parmesan on top of the mozzarella and did the broiler a few minutes at the end, like suggested. It was OVER THE TOP DELICIOUS! We will have this again and again, plan to serve it to some guests arriving in a few weeks. Thanks for posting this wonderful recipe.

      Reply
    8. Maryann

      March 20, 2018 at 7:38 pm

      Can I cook this on a stone tray without the foil? And can I make this up in the morning and bake it later for supper. Look delicious! I am making this for a dinner get together with friends.!

      Reply
    9. Matt

      March 01, 2018 at 4:08 pm

      The serving says 1/4. Does that mean 1/4 chicken breast or 1 full chicken.

      Reply
      • Susan

        March 01, 2018 at 6:31 pm

        Hi Matt- The serving size 1/4 of the recipe which = 1 chicken breast ( including the spinach/goat cheese ). I updated the recipe to make that more clear. Thanks! Hope you enjoy! I just did a new Hasselback Chicken recipe this last weekend with roasted red peppers and feta smothered with spinach and mushrooms...posting soon 🙂

        Reply
    10. Caroline

      February 12, 2018 at 7:21 pm

      Just made this tonight! It was so delicious. Definitely going on the rotation

      Reply
      • Susan

        February 13, 2018 at 7:38 pm

        Oh yeah! Thanks Caroline! I'm so happy to hear you enjoyed it!

        Reply
    11. B Jones

      September 22, 2017 at 9:49 pm

      Found it on Pinterest and made this for dinner tonight and it was delicious and easy to put together. My husband loved it as well. I served it with a pasta salad from Pinterest Multicolored Mediterranean Pasta Salad. Thanks for sharing. This will be in the regular rotation for sure.

      Reply
      • Susan

        September 23, 2017 at 11:44 am

        Thanks! So happy to hear!

        Reply
    12. Gail

      October 27, 2016 at 1:14 pm

      Do you think this could be frozen before baking. Since there is only two of us, I could prepare two meals while I had all the ingredients.
      It sounds really good and can't wait to try it.

      Reply
      • Susan

        November 02, 2016 at 7:20 pm

        Hi Gail...no problem freezing! hope you enjoy!

        Reply
    13. Sarita

      October 09, 2016 at 7:52 pm

      Can I use frozen spinach if that's what I have at home currently?

      Reply
      • Susan

        October 09, 2016 at 9:10 pm

        Sarita..yes! you can use frozen spinach. Just make sure to thaw and drain any excess water prior to mixing with the goat cheese (or feta) .

        Reply
    14. Vanessa

      September 29, 2016 at 10:00 am

      Hello, I'm not really a fan of goat cheese,is there any other cheese or ingredient I can mix the spinach with or would the spinach alone work? Thank you!!!

      Reply
      • Susan

        October 01, 2016 at 8:23 am

        Hi Vanessa..absolutely! You can pretty much sub any kind of cheese you like for the goat cheese. Shredded, crumbled or even a small slice of your favorite cheese would work. Mozzarella, Parmasean, Feta, Cheddar etc. Hope you enjoy!

        Reply
    15. Denise

      September 09, 2016 at 4:03 pm

      5 stars
      This was very easy and delicious! My 5oz tub of baby spinach was only enough to stuff 3 breasts (I used feta with my spinach). My remaining 3 breasts I stuffed with crumbled bacon and Parmesan cheese. Both were wonderful! Next time I want to try Swiss with ham chunks - yum!! Thanks for an easy, quick and delicious meal!!

      Reply
      • Susan

        October 01, 2016 at 8:38 am

        Great ideas Denise!

        Reply
    16. LAN

      August 23, 2016 at 1:48 pm

      Would you recommend wrapping in bacon or proscuitto before baking?

      Reply
      • Susan

        August 27, 2016 at 8:37 am

        LAN...hmmm...I'm not sure I would wrap it in bacon or proscuitto, but you could absolutely stuff either in the slits with the goat cheese/spinach mixture. If using bacon I would cook it first and cut into small pieces and add to the goat cheese/spinach mixture prior to stuffing. Since the proscuitto is already cured you wouldn't need to cook first, just add to the cheese/spinach mixture. If you're looking for recipes that do wrap chicken breasts in proscuitto here's one to try Lemon Chicken Saltimbocca

        Reply
    17. Sean O'Neill

      July 23, 2016 at 12:01 pm

      5 stars
      To add to my latest comment , as a side dish I severed Watermelon and Spinich with Feta cheese drizzled with Balsamic Glaze. Really went down great.

      Reply
      • Susan

        July 27, 2016 at 7:13 am

        @Sean...great ideas! Italian spices would be great on the chicken and yum! watermelon/spinach/feta salad!

        Reply
    18. Sean O'Neill

      July 23, 2016 at 11:47 am

      5 stars
      Ok thanks

      Reply
    19. Sean O'Neill

      July 23, 2016 at 11:43 am

      Great recipe, one change I did was I seasoned the sliced chicken with Italian species first for a few hours. Thanks

      Reply
    20. Jean McInyre

      July 07, 2016 at 6:45 am

      I will be making this for my family on Fri. night I am happy I saw where I could use Feta as a is what I have.
      we will be having Baked Potatoes, oven baked Asparagus and Broccoli Salad I am sure everyone will love it 🙂
      Thank You

      Reply
      • Susan

        July 08, 2016 at 9:33 pm

        @Jean..oh your menu sounds delicious! hope dinner was a success!

        Reply
    21. Raychel

      July 05, 2016 at 7:33 am

      5 stars
      Looks so good! Do you think I could make it with feta instead of goat?

      Reply
      • Susan

        July 05, 2016 at 9:40 am

        Thanks Raychel...yes absolutely! feta would work instead of goat cheese. Hope you enjoy!

        Reply
    22. Brittany English

      May 10, 2016 at 11:40 am

      Trying this today any suggestions on what to serve it with

      Reply
      • Susan

        May 11, 2016 at 1:59 pm

        Hi Brittany...the beauty of this chicken dish is it's super versatile! You can serve it with many things. A few to try:
        1. Roasted potatoes/sweet potatoes with dash of paprika (or cayenne)
        2. Steamed asparagus (or broccoli) and brown rice.
        3. Big green salad and crusty artisan bread
        4. Sliced heirloom tomatoes with a drizzle of olive oil and salt/pepper (for the low cal side dish)
        5. Roasted in season veggies ( I like to cut up whatever is in season and roast with olive oil and sea salt). Right now zucchini/yellow squash and red bell peppers would be nice.
        Hope you enjoy!!

        Reply
    23. Rebecca

      April 26, 2016 at 6:08 pm

      I enjoyed this recipe it was quick and delicious. I used cayenne pepper rather than paprika and I liked the heat. The cheese balance the heat. Thanks yummly

      Reply
      • Susan

        April 27, 2016 at 10:07 pm

        Hi Rebecca...sounds like a great option! Thanks so much for taking the time to comment. I'm glad you enjoyed!

        Reply
    24. Nanette

      March 31, 2016 at 3:54 pm

      This looks so yummy, it's definitely on my menu for tonight.

      Reply
    25. Samantha Jo Teague

      March 17, 2016 at 7:37 am

      Oh, yummo! I'm definitely putting this on the menu for my clients. They're gonna love it!

      Reply
    26. Tarni

      March 14, 2016 at 12:00 am

      You mention prepared baking tray - do you prefer foil or baking/parchment paper?
      Does the chicken not dry out?

      Reply
      • Susan

        March 16, 2016 at 8:32 am

        Hi Tarni...I prefer foil for this dish but that's just a personal preference. Either would work just fine. The chicken is covered with a layer of cheese and has the spinach/goat cheese mixture stuffed into the slits which helps the chicken stay nice and juicy . No dry chicken! Hope you give it a try. Hasselback has turned into my favorite way to make easy, flavorful chicken.

        Reply
    27. Sarah

      February 20, 2016 at 2:54 pm

      This looks delicious and I'd love to make it but I can't find the actual recipe? Is it missing on the post or am I missing something? Help!

      Reply
      • Susan

        February 20, 2016 at 3:48 pm

        Hi Sarah..wow..Thanks for the heads-up! I have no idea what happened.. recipe gremlins? it was there when I edited the post...just added it again! Thanks for letting me know

        Reply

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