Keto Spinach Bacon Chicken (Printable)

Juicy chicken breasts filled with spinach, bacon, and cheese, baked with aromatic garlic butter.

# What You Need:

→ Chicken & Filling

01 - 4 large boneless, skinless chicken breasts
02 - 4 oz cream cheese, softened
03 - 2 oz shredded mozzarella cheese
04 - 2 oz cooked bacon, chopped (approximately 4 slices)
05 - 3 oz fresh spinach, chopped
06 - 1 small garlic clove, minced
07 - 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
08 - 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
09 - 1/2 teaspoon salt
10 - 1/4 teaspoon black pepper

→ Garlic Butter

11 - 1/4 cup unsalted butter, melted
12 - 2 garlic cloves, minced
13 - 2 tablespoons fresh parsley, chopped
14 - 1/2 teaspoon salt
15 - 1/4 teaspoon black pepper

# How-To:

01 - Preheat oven to 400°F. Grease a baking dish with nonstick cooking spray or butter.
02 - In a medium mixing bowl, combine cream cheese, mozzarella, chopped bacon, spinach, minced garlic, onion powder, smoked paprika, salt, and black pepper. Stir until creamy and uniformly combined.
03 - Using a sharp knife, carefully cut a horizontal pocket into each chicken breast, taking care not to slice completely through the meat.
04 - Distribute the spinach and bacon mixture evenly among the four chicken breasts, filling each pocket. Secure openings with toothpicks if necessary.
05 - Place the stuffed chicken breasts in the prepared baking dish in a single layer.
06 - In a small bowl, whisk together melted butter, minced garlic, parsley, salt, and black pepper until well combined.
07 - Brush half of the garlic butter mixture over the chicken breasts.
08 - Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, until the chicken reaches an internal temperature of 165°F and the filling is bubbly.
09 - Remove from oven, baste with the remaining garlic butter, and allow to rest for 5 minutes. Remove toothpicks before serving.

# Expert Hacks:

01 -
  • The filling stays creamy and rich while the chicken stays impossibly juicy, that perfect balance that usually takes years to figure out.
  • It looks restaurant-quality plated but takes barely fifty minutes from fridge to table, which means you can actually impress people on a Tuesday.
  • Bacon, spinach, and cheese are basically a flavor agreement that never goes wrong, and the garlic butter makes it feel indulgent without the guilt.
02 -
  • Don't skip letting the chicken rest for those five minutes, I learned this the hard way when I got impatient and cut right into a breast, and all the juices ran onto the plate instead of staying in the meat.
  • The chicken will continue cooking a tiny bit after you pull it out, so pull it at 165°F and not a degree higher or you'll bite into something tough and disappointed.
  • If your filling ingredients are cold when you mix them, the cream cheese will seize up and get grainy, so take thirty seconds to soften everything first.
03 -
  • Use a meat thermometer religiously, it's the only way to guarantee juicy chicken every single time without guessing based on color or time.
  • Keep the chicken breasts from drying out by not opening the oven door constantly, only peek after 25 minutes to check for golden browning.
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