Spinach and Swiss Cheese Stuffed Chicken Thighs
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Spinach and Swiss Cheese Stuffed Chicken Thighs – Healthy, simple, delicious. These chicken thighs are, quite literally, bursting with flavor with each bite you take. Baked to perfection in a seasoned white wine sauce that you’ll want to douse all over your plate!
Do you ever throw together meals as a way to clean out your fridge? That’s exactly how this recipe came to be. I had a splash of wine left in the bottom of a bottle, a package of frozen spinach, a beautiful block of Swiss cheese, and these chicken thighs. And then it was born: spinach and Swiss cheese stuffed chicken thighs.
When you open up a chicken thigh, you’ll see how perfect it is for stuffing. This even, thin piece of meat was meant to be packed with cheesy goodness. Make sure you grab boneless chicken thighs as it’ll save you quite the hassle of removing the bone in order to stuff these. So, let’s get cooking!
Ingredients
Keep scrolling to the recipe card for full ingredient amounts and instructions or click the “Jump to Recipe” button at the top of the page.
- Chicken – Boneless skinless chicken thighs. You can use thighs with skin, but don’t grab anything with bones.
- Salt & pepper – Season to taste.
- Olive oil – Canola, vegetable, safflower, sunflower, and avocado oils can be used instead.
- Onion – Any type will work.
- Frozen Spinach – You can chop and sauté spinach to replicate frozen spinach.
- Paprika – Smoked, regular, or sweet.
- Swiss cheese – You can substitute with Gruyere, Emmental or white cheddar, and gouda.
- Oregano – Or any herbs you like best.
- Wine – White wine works bests with these flavors.
How to make stuffed chicken thighs
- Prep: Preheat oven to 350 F degrees.
- Filling: Add the olive oil to a skillet and heat over medium heat. Add the onion and sauté until the onion is translucent. Add the spinach, 1/4 tsp salt, 1/4 tsp pepper and 1/2 tsp paprika and stir. Cook for 2 minutes then let the mixture cool for a few minutes. Add the 1 cup of the Swiss cheese to spinach mixture and mix well.
- Season: Pat dry chicken thighs; lay them flat, inside up. Season the thighs on both sides with oregano, salt, pepper and paprika to taste.
- Roll: Place 2 tbsp of spinach and cheese mixture on each thigh, evenly dispersing the remaining filling among the thighs as needed. Roll the thighs and secure with toothpicks, 2 per thigh.
- Make sauce: Mix the sauce ingredients together, and pour over the thighs.
- Bake: Place the thighs to a 8×8 baking dish. Cover with foil and bake for 30 minutes. Remove foil and sprinkle the remaining cheese over the chicken. Bake for another 5 to 10 minutes until the cheese has melted.
What type of wine should I use?
If you’d like to avoid pink thighs, make sure to use white wine like I did in the recipe. It’s best to use dry types of wine when cooking. Varieties like Pinot Grigio, unoaked Chardonnay, Pinot Blanc, and Sauvignon Blanc will all work well.
Avoid sweet wines such as Reisling, Gewurztraminer, and Moscato.
Leftovers
Keep your stuffed chicken thighs in an airtight container in the fridge for 3-4 days. Make sure the thighs have fully cooled down to room temperature before storing.
Reheat in the microwave or:
- Preheat the oven to 425F. Let the chicken rest at room temperature for 20-30 minutes.
- Place the thighs in a baking dish with a splash of wine, water, or broth. Cover the dish well with foil.
- Bake for 15 minutes, or until the chicken reaches an internal temperature of 165F.
Freezing
You can freeze your chicken raw or cooked. Place the thighs on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Cover with plastic wrap. Let them freeze for 1-2 hours until solid, then transfer them to a large freezer bag or airtight container. This will ensure the chicken doesn’t stick together so you can take out a few at a time as you need them. Let the chicken fully thaw overnight in the fridge.
If raw, bake the thighs as per the recipe instructions. If cooked, follow the directions in the section above for reheating.
More of my favorite chicken recipes to try:
- Cheese and Prosciutto Stuffed Chicken Breasts
- Chicken Cordon Bleu
- Oven Baked Chicken Thighs
- Chicken Kiev
- Skillet Braised Greek Chicken Thighs
- Chicken Cacciatore
- Grilled Harissa Sesame Chicken Thighs
- Marry Me Chicken
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Spinach and Swiss Cheese Stuffed Chicken Thighs
Ingredients
Filling
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 medium onion (chopped)
- 3.5 ounce frozen spinach (thawed and chopped)
- 1/4 teaspoon salt (or to taste)
- 1/4 teaspoon pepper (or to taste)
- 1/2 teaspoon paprika
- 1 cup Swiss cheese (shredded (3.5 oz))
Thighs
- 2 pounds chicken thighs (boneless and skinless, about 6 thighs)
- salt and pepper (to taste)
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1/2 teaspoon paprika
Sauce
- 1/2 cup white wine
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1/4 teaspoon salt (or to taste)
- 1/2 teaspoon pepper (or to taste)
- 1/2 teaspoon paprika (or to taste)
Topping
- 1/4 cup Swiss cheese (shredded (1 oz))
Before You Begin! If you make this, please leave a review and rating letting us know how you liked this recipe! This helps our business thrive & continue providing free recipes.
Instructions
- Prep: Preheat oven to 350 F degrees.
- Filling: Add the olive oil to a skillet and heat over medium heat. Add the onion and sauté until the onion is translucent. Add the spinach, 1/4 tsp salt, 1/4 tsp pepper and 1/2 tsp paprika and stir. Cook for 2 minutes then let the mixture cool for a few minutes. Add the 1 cup of the Swiss cheese to spinach mixture and mix.
- Season: Pat dry chicken thighs; lay them flat, inside up. Season the thighs on both sides with oregano, salt, pepper and paprika to taste.
- Roll: Place 2 tbsp of spinach and cheese mixture on each thigh, evenly dispersing the remaining filling among the thighs as needed. Roll the thighs and secure with toothpicks, 2 per thigh.
- Make sauce: Mix the sauce ingredients together, and pour over the thighs.
- Bake: Place the thighs to a 8×8-inch baking dish or a 9×13-inch baking dish, depending on the size of the chicken thighs. Cover with foil and bake for 30 minutes. Remove foil and sprinkle the remaining cheese over the chicken. Bake for another 5 to 10 minutes or until the cheese has melted.
- Serve: Serve over cooked rice or mashed potatoes.
Notes
- Keep your thighs in an airtight container in the fridge for 3-4 days. Make sure the thighs have fully cooled down to room temperature before storing.
Nutrition Information
Notice: Nutrition is auto-calculated for your convenience. Where relevant, we recommend using your own nutrition calculations.
This is healthier than the auto-generated nutrition facts claim.
VeryWellFit.com’s nutrition calculator says there is less fat (20 g not 34), & more protein ( 50.4 g vs 32 g). The only thing I can guess is the auto generating computer included the fat from the chicken skin. Idk. But now I am looking forward to making it! I’ll make half with mozzarella cheese for my kids who dislikes Swiss. Blessings!
Haven’t tried it but will tonight, just what I wanted! When I fix chicken I prefer thighs. Breast are often dry and difficult to keep moist with most recipes. I will, however, use a mallet to make the thighs a bit thinner, but so glad you are using thighs!!!
Wonderful, I have lots of chicken thigh recipes on the blog!
I loved this recipe. It was good Made eight (8) pieces all was left was (1) piece. YUM!
That’s what we call a big hit! So glad you enjoyed it!
I made this recipe with shredded parm. My picky kids loved it. My side dish was homemade risotto. I’m nothing near a great cook, but this was easy to make and my family had now requested to add this to our regulars.
So glad to hear you guys liked it!
I cooked this as directed 30 minutes at 350 not done. Why is the reheat at 425??? So far the ingredients look good.
That’s for leftovers. To actually cook the chicken read step 6 of the recipe card. To make sure your chicken is done, use an instant meat thermometer and insert it into the thickest part of the chicken. When it reaches 165F then it’s done.
I have a bag of fresh spinach, could I use that????? I soooooooo want to try this recipe. Love EVERYTHING about it!!!!
Absolutely!
WOW, WOW, WOW! This recipe is filled with flavour and so easy to make. It’s a keeper.
So glad you liked them!
Can I substitute chicken stock for wine
Yes for sure.
This is simple yet delicious meal! I substituted chicken broth instead of wine and also used thin sliced chicken breasts instead of thighs. Great meal for dinner guests! Will be making this again.
Glad you liked it!
Delish! Added to my Covid recipe book! Great for just us or for a bigger family dinner! Easy too! Big fan!
Can’t wait to try this! Can Chicken broth be used instead of wine?
Yes, absolutely!
Hi Jo.
I am planning a diner with friends. Can I replace the spinach with something else, since some don’t like it? Also do you think it’s ok to prepare it from the previous day and cook it may be two hours before the diner? Thank you 😊
Absolutely, you can replace it with kale or bok choy or anything else you guys might like. And yes, you can totally prepare them the previous day and refrigerate them until ready to cook.
I love, love, love every recipe of yours I make, as well as this one. However novice cooks may be confused by a slight error, not in the recipe itself but the vessel it calls for to be used. It clearly shows a 9×13 pan in the photos and I know you can’t try and cram 6 thighs in an 8×8 but that’s what the recipe calls for and beginners may try and then end up disappointed with the result. Keep em coming and I’ll keep cookin’.
Hi Dawn! I have made this in an 8×8 baking dish, and 6 thighs did fit, I suppose it just depends on the size of your thighs, as some are bigger than others. I will make a note in the recipe card though. Thank you.
I have been cooking Jo’s recipes for 2 years now. I always get a great result, and this was no exception! A simple prep, and the family raved about it. The chicken had a nice little crisp on the outside, tender and favourful on the inside, the wine sauce was excellent. Into the regular rotation, along with about 6 other recipes of Jo’s I use. Anytime I need an idea, I check here and not afraid to try them out. Keep up the great work!
Thank you so much, Dave! We’re so glad you’ve been loving these recipes.
This recipe was absolutely delicious! Will definitely be making for my husband again.