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This Mozzarella Stuffed Chicken Breast has a lightly breaded, golden crispy fried chicken breast stuffed with gooey mozzarella cheese. This easy chicken dinner is packed with delicious Italian flavor and ready in under 45 minutes!
Add more chicken recipes to your repertoire – try my Italian Sausage Stuffed Chicken Breasts next!
Table of Contents
Why I Love This Recipe
- Crispy Fried Chicken Breast – This juicy chicken breast is coated with panko breadcrumbs, parmesan cheese, and Italian herbs then fried until perfectly golden and crispy.
- Creamy Mozzarella Cheese – With gooey mozzarella inside, this recipe tastes like chicken parmesan got a major upgrade!
- Ready in 45 Minutes – This chicken recipe is perfect for an easy weeknight dinner.
Ingredients You’ll Need
- Boneless Skinless Chicken Breasts – Small, evenly sized chicken breasts will cook more evenly.
- Mozzarella Cheese – Use freshly shredded mozzarella. Bagged, pre-shredded cheeses will not melt the same.
- Seasonings – Garlic Powder, Salt, Black Pepper.
- Flour
- Eggs
- Panko Breadcrumbs – You can substitute with regular breadcrumbs.
- Parmesan Cheese
- Dry Italian Dressing Mix – Like Good Seasons or a store brand.
- Neutral Oil – Like canola or vegetable oil. Neutral oils are best for frying, but you are also welcome to use your favorite like olive oil or peanut oil.
- Marinara Sauce – Your favorite jarred sauce or use my homemade marinara sauce.
- Garnish – Fresh chopped basil and/or parsley and extra grated parmesan.
How To Make Mozzarella Stuffed Chicken Breast
See recipe card below for ingredient quantities and full instructions.
Stuff Chicken – Cut a pocket into the chicken and stuff with mozzarella cheese. Close with toothpicks and season the chicken.
Bread Chicken – Get your breading station ready with shallow dishes. Dip the chicken into a flour mixture, then the egg, then the Parmesan and Panko breading.
Fry Chicken – Add chicken to hot oil and cook until golden brown and crispy, about 3-5 minutes on each side.
Finish In Oven (if needed) – Place chicken on a baking sheet and finish cooking in a 375°F oven until the chicken reaches 165°F internal temperature.
Serve – Serve over marinara sauce and top with freshly chopped herbs and parmesan cheese.
Serving Suggestions
With subtle Italian flavors, this dish will match up nicely with your favorite pasta, Buttered Noodles, Red Skinned Mashed Potatoes, or Roasted Baby Potatoes. Start the metal with a classic Wedge Salad or a peppery Arugula Salad.
Expert Tips
- Cheese – This chicken can be stuffed with provolone for a stronger flavored cheese option, or slices of fresh mozzarella. If using fresh mozzarella, make sure you can seal the edges of the chicken well.
- Breadcrumbs – You can use regular breadcrumbs instead of panko, but the crust won’t be quite as crispy.
- Remove The Toothpicks! Make sure to remove all of the toothpicks before serving. Remember how many you put in and count them coming out. No one wants a surprise trip to the emergency room or dentist.
- Dry Italian Dressing Mix – If you can’t find the dry Italian dressing mix, you could use dried Italian seasoning and ½ teaspoon of extra garlic powder to the breadcrumb mixture.
- Sheet Pan – If you do not have an oven safe skillet, you can transfer the chicken to a sheet pan to finish baking it if necessary.
More Easy Chicken Recipes
Mozzarella Stuffed Chicken Breast
Equipment
- Toothpicks
Ingredients
- 4 small boneless skinless chicken breasts
- 8 ounces freshly shredded mozzarella cheese
- 1 ½ teaspoon garlic powder divided
- 1 ½ teaspoon salt divided
- 1 teaspoon black pepper divided
- 1 cup flour
- 2 eggs beaten
- 1 ½ cup panko bread crumbs
- 1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese
- 1 ½ teaspoon dry Italian dressing seasoning mix
- Neutral oil for frying canola or vegetable oil
- 2 cups favorite jarred or homemade marinara sauce heated
- Freshly chopped basil and/or parsley and extra grated parmesan for serving
Instructions
- Using a sharp knife, cut a pocket into each chicken breast, by making a cut horizontally making sure to not cut through.
- Stuff about 3-4 tablespoons of shredded cheese in each chicken. Seal the chicken back together using a toothpick to make sure that the filling doesn't fall out when cooking.
- Season both sides of the chicken evenly with 1 teaspoon garlic powder, 1 teaspoon salt and ½ teaspoon black pepper.
- Set up the breading stations: 1 shallow dish with the flour, ½ teaspoon garlic powder, ½ teaspoon salt and ½ teaspoon black pepper. A second shallow dish with the egg whisked with 2 tablespoons of water. A 3rd shallow dish with the Panko, Parmesan and Italian dressing mix.
- Using the 3 step breading process, carefully dip each chicken breast into the flour, shaking off any excess, then the egg, making sure to coat it well, and finally into the breadcrumb mixture, making sure to gently press the crumbs into the chicken. Set aside onto a plate.
- Preheat your oven to 375℉. Heat a large, oven safe skillet on the stove over medium high heat. Once the pan is hot add a ¼ inch of oil to your skillet, when the oil shimmers and is hot add the chicken breasts to the pan, making sure to leave some space between them so that they brown evenly.
- Cook, flipping halfway through, until the breading is golden brown and crispy, about 3-5 minutes per side. Check for the chicken to reach 165℉. If needed, place the chicken on a wire rack lined baking sheet and into the preheated oven. Cook until the thermometer placed into the thickest part of the meat (not in the filling) reads 165℉.
- Remove chicken and let rest for 3 minutes. Remove all toothpicks, then serve over warmed marinara sauce and top with freshly chopped basil, parsley and extra grated parmesan cheese.
