Uno's Chicago Grill has a Chicken Spinocolli on it's menu. I've eaten it only once, but it was delicious, so I decided to recreate it at home. It really is  an impressive chicken dish. The chicken is flattened and stuffed with spinach, broccoli, sun-dried tomatoes and a mixture of cheeses. I love how crunchy it is on the outside and really juicy and flavorful inside.

It's a great option for entertaining. Chicken is a very safe option for serving guests, and the filling is tasty but not too crazy, so it's a dish that most people will like. It looks really pretty too. Chicken Spinocolli is a great make ahead dish. Do most of the prep ahead of time, keep it refrigerated and on busy days, you can pull off a gorgeous, fancy dinner with minimal work. 

Ingredients:

4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts

salt, pepper

Stuffing:

1 Tablespoon butter

1 onion, chopped

2 garlic cloves, minced

2 cups spinach

2 cups broccoli, chopped

2 Tablespoons white wine

salt, pepper to taste

Cheese Filling:

4 oz. cream cheese, softened

¼ cup feta cheese, softened

1 cup finely shredded Mozzarella

4 Tablespoons sun dried tomatoes, minced

salt, pepper to taste

Breading:

½ cup flour

2 eggs, plus 2 Tablespoons water

1 ¼ cups panko bread crumbs

¾ cup oil (vegetable or canola)

Prep:

Pound the chicken to an even thickness. Season with salt and pepper on both sides.

Prep the rest of the ingredients.

Prepare the Stuffing:

Heat the butter in a skillet on medium high heat until melted. Add the onion, cook for about 5 minutes, add the garlic and cook for another 30 seconds or so. Add the spinach and white wine. Cook for about a minute until the spinach wilts.

You can also use thawed, frozen spinach instead of fresh, but you will only need a small amount, since the spinach is already wilted. Make sure to squeeze out as much liquid as possible from the spinach first, before adding it to the onions. 

Add the broccoli, season with salt and pepper, cook for about 2 minutes, until the broccoli is slightly softened, but still crunchy. Set aside to cool.

Prepare the Cheese Filling:

Use a rubber spatula or wooden spoon to mix up the cream cheese. It should be really easy to do because the cream cheese needs to be softened. Add the rest of the ingredients. Mix to combine.

Assembling  and Cooking the Chicken:

Spread ¼ of the cheese filling on one of the flattened chicken breasts. Spread it out evenly, leaving a border free around the edges. Top with part of the stuffing.

Roll up the chicken breast tucking in the sides into the center of the rolled chicken.

Fill and stuff the rest of the chicken breasts. Roll up the stuffed chicken breasts tightly inside aluminum foil. Refrigerate for at least 1 hour.

You can prep the chicken up to this point and keep it refrigerated for a day or so before you plan to serve it.

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit.

Prep the breading station. Place the flour and breadcrumbs into separate plates. Whisk up the eggs and water in another plate.

Dredge the chicken in the flour, then in the egg wash and then in the breadcrumbs.

Heat up ¾ cup oil in a 10 inch skillet on medium high heat, until the oil is hot and shimmering. Add the chicken to the oil and cook for about 1-2 minutes on all 4 sides, until the chicken is golden brown on all sides.

The oil needs to be really hot. You can check it by dropping in a breadcrumb into the oil and it will sizzle if it's ready. If the oil is not hot enough, the chicken will soak in the oil and be really greasy. If you heat the oil up correctly, the chicken will be crisp and not greasy at all.

Place the chicken on top of a rack on a rimmed baking sheet. Roast in the oven until the chicken reaches 160 degrees Fahrenheit on an instant read thermometer.

Why do you have to fry the chicken and then finish cooking it in the oven?

If you cook the chicken completely on the stovetop, the outside will be burnt by the time the inside of the chicken is cooked through. Frying it on the stove top first gives the chicken a perfect golden, crispy crust. You can bake the chicken completely in the oven, without frying it first. Spritz it a bit with some oil before putting it in the oven. However, you won't get the same beautiful crisp crust in the oven.

Let the chicken rest for at least 5 minutes, then slice into pieces.

Chicken Spinocolli - Breaded Stuffed Chicken Breast With Spinach, Broccoli and Cheese

Olga Klyuchits

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Course Entree

Servings 4 -6

Ingredients

  

1x2x3x

• ▢ 4 boneless skinless chicken breasts
• ▢ salt pepper

Stuffing:

• ▢ 1 Tablespoon butter
• ▢ 1 onion chopped
• ▢ 2 garlic cloves minced
• ▢ 2 cups spinach
• ▢ 2 cups broccoli chopped
• ▢ 2 Tablespoons white wine
• ▢ salt pepper to taste

Cheese Filling:

• ▢ 4 oz. cream cheese softened
• ▢ ¼ cup feta cheese softened
• ▢ 1 cup finely shredded Mozzarella
• ▢ 4 Tablespoons sun dried tomatoes minced
• ▢ salt pepper to taste

Breading:

• ▢ ½ cup flour
• ▢ 2 eggs plus 2 Tablespoons water
• ▢ 1 ¼ cups panko bread crumbs
• ▢ ¾ cup oil vegetable or canola for frying

Instructions

 

Prep:

• Pound the chicken to an even thickness. Season with salt and pepper on both sides. Prep the rest of the ingredients.

Stuffing:

• Heat the butter in a skillet on medium high heat until melted. Add the onion, cook for about 5 minutes, add the garlic and cook for another 30 seconds or so.
• Add the spinach and white wine. Cook for about a minute until the spinach wilts.
• You can also use thawed, frozen spinach instead of fresh, but you will only need a small amount, since the spinach is already wilted. Make sure to squeeze out as much liquid as possible from the spinach first, before adding it to the onions.
• Add the broccoli, season with salt and pepper, cook for about 2 minutes, until the broccoli is slightly softened, but still crunchy. Set aside to cool.

Cheese Filling:

• Use a rubber spatula or wooden spoon to mix up the cream cheese. It should be really easy to do because the cream cheese needs to be softened.
• Add the rest of the ingredients. Mix to combine.

Assembling and Cooking the Chicken:

• Spread ¼ of the cheese filling on one of the flattened chicken breasts. Spread it out evenly, leaving a border free around the edges. Top with part of the stuffing.
• Roll up the chicken breast tucking in the sides into the center of the rolled chicken.
• Roll up the chicken breast tucking in the sides into the center of the rolled chicken.
• Fill and stuff the rest of the chicken breasts. Roll up the stuffed chicken breasts tightly inside aluminum foil. Refrigerate for at least 1 hour.
• Preheat the oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit.
• Prep the breading station. Place the flour and breadcrumbs into separate plates. Whisk up the eggs and water in another plate.
• Dredge the chicken in the flour, then in the egg wash and then in the breadcrumbs.
• Heat up ¾ cup oil in a 10 inch skillet on medium high heat, until the oil is hot ans shimmering. Add the chicken to the oil and cook for about 1-2 minutes on all 4 sides, until the chicken is golden brown on all sides.
• Place the chicken on top of a rack on a rimmed baking sheet. Roast in the oven until the chicken reaches 160 degrees on an instant read thermometer.
• Let the chicken rest for at least 5 minutes, then slice into pieces.

Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!