If you're looking for an indulgent but easy weeknight dinner, I think you'll love this cottage cheese stuffed chicken recipe! With fresh high protein cheese and fragrant herbs, it's a simple 'few ingredient' meal idea with lots of flavor and all simple recipe steps.
Much like my ricotta stuffed chicken and air fryer mozzarella stuffed chicken breast, this recipe makes the most of gooey fresh cheese and herbs. We use fresh cheese as it's typically understood to be more suitable for those on a low histamine diet than aged cheese (see the SIGHI list), but is delicious for all!
Stuffed chicken recipes always feel a little fancier than plain chicken breast and are so easy to make for a weeknight dinner or for entertaining. So grab your fresh cheese and herbs, and let's cook up this cottage cheese stuffed chicken breast for dinner tonight!
Have a peek at my mascarpone pesto pasta for another fresh cheese recipe, made without parmesan!
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⭐ Why this recipe is so good
Few ingredient dinner idea. We use chicken breasts, cottage cheese and fresh herbs as easy to find affordable ingredients.
Higher protein. Both chicken breast and cottage cheese are high protein foods (Healthline).
🌿 Ingredients
All the ingredients and their quantities are set out in the recipe card below.
Some notes on a few of them:
- Chicken breast - we use boneless skinless chicken breasts, and cut a pocket into them to stuff with the cottage cheese filling.
- Cottage cheese - a higher protein ingredient, I use as it is, but you can whip the cottage cheese first if you wish.
- Fresh herbs - I suggest to use rosemary, thyme and parsley for their fragrant flavor and to use fresh herbs rather than dried (if using dried, reduce the quantity to a third).
🔪 Step by step instructions
Making this cottage cheese and chicken recipe is super simple, requires easy to find ingredients and all you need is a skillet and rimmed baking sheet.
All the instructions are set out in the recipe card below, but these step by step photos should help guide you.
Step 1: Make cottage cheese filling
Spoon cottage cheese, fresh herbs, salt and optional black pepper in a bowl. Stir through to combine the herbs into the cheese (image 1).
Step 2: Make a pocket in the chicken
Use a sharp knife to slice a pocket into the chicken breast. Cut towards the thicker part of the chicken breast, and go slowly so you don't cut all the way through (image 2).
Step 3: Season the chicken
Season the chicken breasts, both sides, with dried thyme, salt and black pepper (optional) (image 3).
Step 4: Stuff the chicken
Spoon the cottage cheese into the chicken breasts (image 4). Optional: you can use pre-soaked toothpicks to hold the chicken breasts together.
Step 5: Sear the chicken breasts
Heat olive oil in your skillet pan, and once the oil is shimmering use tongs or a spatula to place the chicken breasts (image 5). Sear and cook for 4-5 minutes each side, so they are nicely browned. I suggest to use a spatula to flip. Don't worry if a little of the cheese comes out!
Step 5: Bake the chicken breasts
If your skillet isn't oven-safe, transfer the chicken breasts to a lined rimmed baking sheet. Bake for 20-25 minutes, using a meat thermometer to check for an internal temperature of 165F at their deepest part for safe cooking (image 6). Allow to rest for 5 minutes, then serve!
💭 Recipe tips and notes
- Use a sharp knife to cut the pocket. Cut about three-quarters of the way through into the chicken breast. Go slowly to make sure not to slice all the way through!
- Use kitchen tongs or spatulas to flip the chicken. Some of the cheese may ooze out, but that's OK!
- Soak your toothpicks. If you choose to use wooden toothpicks to secure the chicken, soak them in water for 15 minutes beforehand.
- Use a baking sheet with a rim. The chicken and cottage cheese will release some fat, so use a rimmed baking sheet for easier clean up.
- Check the temperature. Be sure to use a meat thermometer and check for an internal temperature of 165F at the deepest point for safe cooking.
📋 Frequently asked questions
Use a sharp knife and cut lengthways into the chicken breast, so you are cutting into the thinner side towards the thicker part. Make sure to cut slowly so you don't cut all the way through.
I don't suggest to freeze this recipe as the texture of cottage cheese tends to change once cooked and frozen.
Cottage cheese is rated on the 'well tolerated' section of the SIGHI elimination diet for histamine intolerance, but does not appear on the SIGHI list for mast cell activation. It should only be consumed if known to tolerate well.
🍽 More chicken recipes
Find so many chicken recipes using fresh cheese here, including my mascarpone chicken pasta and chicken ricotta pasta, as well these recent recipes:
I'm always in the kitchen, so come join me on Instagram, Facebook and Pinterest to be the first to hear of new recipes! And I love to hear from you - so please do leave a star rating ⭐⭐⭐ and comment if you've tried the recipe!
📖 Recipe
Cottage Cheese Stuffed Chicken
Equipment
Ingredients
- 2 boneless skinless chicken breasts
- ½ cup cottage cheese
- 1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves finely diced
- 1 teaspoon fresh rosemary leaves finely diced
- 1 teaspoon parsley leaves finely diced
- ½ teaspoon dried thyme
- ⅛ teaspoon salt
- pinch black pepper optional
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 390F / 200C and if you do not have an oven-safe skillet, line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Spoon the cottage cheese into a bowl, and stir in the diced fresh rosemary, thyme and parsley, salt and (optional) black pepper. Stir the cottage cheese and herbs to combine.
- Slice a pocket into the chicken breasts so they are cut through about ¾ of the way, but not all the way through. Season each side of the chicken with salt, (optional) black pepper and dried thyme.
- Spoon the cottage cheese mixture evenly between the chicken breasts into the pocket. I don't tend to do so, but you can use tooth picks to secure the stuffed chicken breasts if you like (make sure they are oven-safe).
- Drizzle olive oil in your skillet and place the chicken breasts once the oil is hot and shimmering. Sear and cook the stuffed chicken for 3-4 minutes each side, so they are light golden brown.
- If you have an oven-safe skillet, transfer to the oven. Or, alternatively, transfer the chicken breasts to a lined baking sheet. Cook for 20 minutes, or until the center of the chicken reaches 165F using a meat thermometer.
- Allow the chicken to rest for 5 minutes, then plate up!
Notes
- Take it slowly when cutting the pocket in the chicken, and use a sharp knife. Be careful not to cut all the way through!
- The chicken and cottage cheese will ooze a little fluid, so it's best to use a rimmed baking sheet.
- If you're using wooden toothpicks, soak in water for 15 minutes first.
- Nutritional information is auto-generated and should be understood to be an estimate.
- cottage cheese is on the 'well tolerated' section of the SIGHI elimination diet for histamine intolerance, but does not appear on the version for mast cell disorders. Only use if known to tolerate well.
- garlic, which scores 1.
- black pepper (optional), which scores 2.
Kitty says
Hi. Can I do this in an air fryer?? Thanks
Claire says
Hi Kitty, I haven't tried it myself but I think it would work fine. I would still sear the chicken in a pan first, then transfer to the air fryer. Let me know how it works out!