Stuffed Chicken Thighs with Spinach and Goat Cheese
User Reviews
4.9
Stuffed Chicken Thighs with Spinach and Goat Cheese
Description
The recipe begins by bringing the chicken thighs to room temperature to ensure even cooking. A creamy cheese filling is made by blending goat cheese and cream cheese, then mixing in wilted spinach, chopped artichoke hearts, sun-dried tomatoes, minced fresh basil, and seasoning with kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper. After patting the chicken dry, the skin is gently loosened to create a pocket into which a spoonful of the cheese mixture is placed, then the skin is pulled back over the filling. The chicken is seasoned and pan-seared skin-side down in olive oil until the skin crisps and browns.
Then the skillet with the chicken is transferred to a preheated 350°F oven to finish cooking through. The cooking technique results in golden, crispy skin and tender, juicy meat contrasted with a flavorful, creamy, and vegetable-studded cheese stuffing. The combination of tangy goat cheese and sweet sun-dried tomatoes gives a pleasant complexity to the filling.
Ingredients
- 1 ½ pounds bone-in skin-on, chicken thighs (about 4 pieces)
- ⅓ cup goat cheese softened
- ⅓ cup cream cheese softened
- ¼ cup spinach chopped and squeezed of extra moisture, wilted
- ¼ cup drained artichoke hearts chopped
- ¼ cup sun-dried tomatoes drained and chopped
- 1 tablespoon basil minced, fresh
- salt Kosher salt and freshly ground
- black pepper Kosher salt and freshly ground
- 2-3 tablespoons olive oil or canola oil
- ½ cup chicken broth
Instructions
- Let the chicken sit at room temperature for at least 20 minutes before cooking so it takes the chicken comes to even internal temperature for even cooking.
- Preheat the oven to 350°F.
- In a medium size bowl, mix the goat cheese and the cream cheese together until smooth. Stir the spinach, artichoke hearts, sun-dried tomatoes, basil, kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper into the cheese mixture until combined.
- Pat the chicken dry with a paper towel. Carefully loosen the skin from the thigh meat with your fingers, gingerly making a pocket so the skin is still connected at the edges to the meat. Gently place a spoonful of the goat cheese mixture in the pocket between the skin and the chicken, keeping it in a small mound of cheese. Pull the skin so it covers the chicken and season with kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper.
- In a large cast iron skillet, add the olive oil over medium high heat. Place the chicken skin-side down in the skillet. Cook for about 4-5 minutes or until the chicken skin is golden and crispy. Carefully turn the chicken over and cook for another 4-5 minutes or until it's golden brown. If the chicken sticks to the pan, it isn't ready to turn.
- Add the chicken broth to the bottom of the pan and carefully cover with aluminum foil. Put in the oven for 12 -15 minutes, or until this internal temperature of the chicken reaches 160°F. Remove from the oven and let the chicken rest for 5 minutes. The chicken will continue to cook as it sits. Garnish with more basil and serve.
User Reviews
Overall Rating
4.9
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