Ultimate Stuffed Chicken Breasts with Ham and Cheddar Cheese Filling
By America's Test KitchenPublished on September 19, 2011
Time
1½ hours, plus 45 minutes chilling
Yield
Serves 4
Ingredients
20 ounces boneless chicken breasts (4 breasts), skinless1 tablespoon unsalted butter 1 small onion, minced1 small clove garlic, minced4 ounces cream cheese, softened1 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme leaves 4 ounces cheddar cheese, shredded (about ½ cup)4 ounces deli ham (thinly sliced, about 4 slices)1 cup unbleached all-purpose flour 4 large eggs 1 tablespoon vegetable oil ¾ cup vegetable oil, for frying1 ½ cups bread crumbs (fresh)
Before You Begin
The chicken breasts can be filled and rolled in advance, then refrigerated for up to 24 hours.
Instructions
- Following illustration 1 below, place each chicken breast on large sheet of plastic wrap, cover with second sheet, and pound with meat pounder or rolling pin until ¼-inch thick throughout. Each pounded breast should measure roughly 6 inches wide and 8 ½ inches long. Cover and refrigerate while preparing filling.
- Heat butter in medium skillet over low heat until melted; add onion and sauté, stirring occasionally, until deep golden brown, 15 to 20 minutes. Stir in garlic and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds longer; set aside. In medium bowl using hand mixer, beat cream cheese on medium speed until light and fluffy, about 1 minute. Stir in onion mixture, thyme, and cheddar; season with salt and pepper and set aside.
- Place breasts skinned side down on work surface; season with salt and pepper. Following illustrations 2 through 4 below, place one slice ham on top of cheese on each breast, folding ham as necessary to fit onto surface of breast. Fill, roll, and wrap each breast. Refrigerate until filling is firm, at least 45 minutes.
- Adjust oven rack to lower-middle position; heat oven to 400 degrees. Spread flour in pie plate or shallow baking dish. Beat eggs with 1 tablespoon vegetable oil and 1 tablespoon water in second pie plate or shallow baking dish. Spread bread crumbs in third pie plate or shallow baking dish. Unwrap chicken breasts and roll in flour; shake off excess. Using tongs, roll breasts in egg mixture; let excess drip off. Transfer to bread crumbs; shake pan to roll breasts in crumbs, then press with fingers to help crumbs adhere. Place breaded chicken breasts on large wire rack set over jelly-roll pan.
- Heat remaining ¾ cup oil in medium skillet over medium-high heat until shimmering, but not smoking, about 4 minutes; add chicken, seam side down, and cook until medium golden brown, about 2 minutes. Turn each roll and cook until medium golden brown on all sides, 2 to 3 minutes longer. Return chicken rolls, seam side down, to wire rack set over jelly-roll pan; bake until deep golden brown and instant-read thermometer inserted into center of each roll registers 155 degrees, about 15 minutes. Let stand 5 minutes before slicing each roll crosswise diagonally into 5 medallions; arrange on individual dinner plates and serve.
Time
1½ hours, plus 45 minutes chillingYield
Serves 4Ingredients
20 ounces boneless chicken breasts (4 breasts), skinless
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
1 small onion, minced
1 small clove garlic, minced
4 ounces cream cheese, softened
1 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme leaves
4 ounces cheddar cheese, shredded (about ½ cup)
4 ounces deli ham (thinly sliced, about 4 slices)
1 cup unbleached all-purpose flour
4 large eggs
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
¾ cup vegetable oil, for frying
1 ½ cups bread crumbs (fresh)
Test Kitchen Techniques
Ingredients
20 ounces boneless chicken breasts (4 breasts), skinless
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
1 small onion, minced
1 small clove garlic, minced
4 ounces cream cheese, softened
1 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme leaves
4 ounces cheddar cheese, shredded (about ½ cup)
4 ounces deli ham (thinly sliced, about 4 slices)
1 cup unbleached all-purpose flour
4 large eggs
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
¾ cup vegetable oil, for frying
1 ½ cups bread crumbs (fresh)
Test Kitchen Techniques
Ingredients
20 ounces boneless chicken breasts (4 breasts), skinless
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
1 small onion, minced
1 small clove garlic, minced
4 ounces cream cheese, softened
1 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme leaves
4 ounces cheddar cheese, shredded (about ½ cup)
4 ounces deli ham (thinly sliced, about 4 slices)
1 cup unbleached all-purpose flour
4 large eggs
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
¾ cup vegetable oil, for frying
1 ½ cups bread crumbs (fresh)
Test Kitchen Techniques
Why This Recipe Works
Our foolproof stuffed chicken breast recipe began with boneless, skinless chicken breasts, pounded to an even thickness. We spread the cheesy filling over the pounded breasts, then rolled them up and refrigerated them to firm up the filling so it wouldn’t ooze out during cooking. We then coated the chilled breasts with flour, egg, and fresh bread crumbs and browned them in a skillet on the stovetop. The last step in our stuffed chicken breast recipe, finishing them in the oven, allowed the breasts to cook through without burning.
Before You Begin
The chicken breasts can be filled and rolled in advance, then refrigerated for up to 24 hours.
Instructions
- Following illustration 1 below, place each chicken breast on large sheet of plastic wrap, cover with second sheet, and pound with meat pounder or rolling pin until ¼-inch thick throughout. Each pounded breast should measure roughly 6 inches wide and 8 ½ inches long. Cover and refrigerate while preparing filling.
- Heat butter in medium skillet over low heat until melted; add onion and sauté, stirring occasionally, until deep golden brown, 15 to 20 minutes. Stir in garlic and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds longer; set aside. In medium bowl using hand mixer, beat cream cheese on medium speed until light and fluffy, about 1 minute. Stir in onion mixture, thyme, and cheddar; season with salt and pepper and set aside.
- Place breasts skinned side down on work surface; season with salt and pepper. Following illustrations 2 through 4 below, place one slice ham on top of cheese on each breast, folding ham as necessary to fit onto surface of breast. Fill, roll, and wrap each breast. Refrigerate until filling is firm, at least 45 minutes.
- Adjust oven rack to lower-middle position; heat oven to 400 degrees. Spread flour in pie plate or shallow baking dish. Beat eggs with 1 tablespoon vegetable oil and 1 tablespoon water in second pie plate or shallow baking dish. Spread bread crumbs in third pie plate or shallow baking dish. Unwrap chicken breasts and roll in flour; shake off excess. Using tongs, roll breasts in egg mixture; let excess drip off. Transfer to bread crumbs; shake pan to roll breasts in crumbs, then press with fingers to help crumbs adhere. Place breaded chicken breasts on large wire rack set over jelly-roll pan.
- Heat remaining ¾ cup oil in medium skillet over medium-high heat until shimmering, but not smoking, about 4 minutes; add chicken, seam side down, and cook until medium golden brown, about 2 minutes. Turn each roll and cook until medium golden brown on all sides, 2 to 3 minutes longer. Return chicken rolls, seam side down, to wire rack set over jelly-roll pan; bake until deep golden brown and instant-read thermometer inserted into center of each roll registers 155 degrees, about 15 minutes. Let stand 5 minutes before slicing each roll crosswise diagonally into 5 medallions; arrange on individual dinner plates and serve.
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