There’s nothing better than looking forward to a hearty stuffed and smoked chicken breast fresh off the smoker, delicious! I’m a massive fan of stuffed chicken breast for many reasons, one of them being that there is no hard and fast rule as to what to stuff them with.
I’ve tried a bunch of combinations but my favorite is the one I’ve listed in this recipe.
Table of contents
Why You’ll Love This Stuffed And Smoked Chicken Breast Recipe
Let’s be honest, smoking stuffed chicken is not always easy to do, but you’ll love this recipe because I’ve nutted out the perfect process which means the chicken breasts turn out tender and juicy every time.
Chicken unfortunately tends to turn rubbery and dry if it’s not smoked properly. So be sure to follow along with my tried and tested recipe so your breasts turn out lovely!
I’ve also included a delicious filling that can be whipped up in five minutes from simple and cheap ingredients that can be made again and again and again, plus alternatives if you want to try different fillings!
What You’ll Need to For Stuffed And Smoked Chicken Breast
Chicken Breasts
Spinach
Danish Feta
Minced Garlic
BBQ Rub
How to Make Stuffed and Smoked Chicken Breasts
Step 1: Heat Spinach and Garlic In A Frying Pan
Cook the spinach in a frying pan until it’s wilted. Add in minced garlic for 1 minute until fragrant. Set aside these to cool.
Step 2: Add The Feta To Combine
In a bowl combine the Danish feta with spinach and mix. (Use a soft feta like Danish for more of a creamier texture).
Step 3: Make Your Chicken Breast Pockets
Cut a pocket into the thickest part of the chicken breast. Be careful not to cut through otherwise you’ll be left with a fairly flimsy pocket.
Step 4: Stuff Your Chicken Breast Pockets
Insert a spoonful of the filling into the pocket of the chicken.
Step 5: Seal Up The Breast
Secure the breast with butcher’s twine or toothpicks.
Step 6: Coat The Stuffed Chicken Breasts In Rub
Brush a little bit of olive oil onto the stuffed chicken breasts and apply your BBQ. Allow them to sit for as long as you like before smoking! The longer you leave the rub, the more intense the flavor becomes.
Step 7: Smoke Your Stuffed Chicken Breasts
Smoke at 225°F until the internal temperature hits 165°F. This will depend on the size of your chicken breasts. Mine were fairly large (about 350g per breast) so it took about 3.5-4 hours of smoking.
What Temperature to Smoke Stuffed And Smoked Chicken Breast at
For this recipe, I set my chicken breasts to smoke at 225°F. Make sure you allow
Internal Temperature You Need to Reach For Stuffed And Smoked Chicken Breast
The internal temperature of the stuffed chicken breasts should be 165°F. You should use a temperature probe to measure this.
How Long Does It Take To Smoke Stuffed And Smoked Chicken Breast
It took 4 hours for the chicken breasts to reach 165°F, I was using quite large breast (12oz or 350g per breast) also as they are stuffed they can take longer to cook.
The secret to achieving tender, juicy chicken breasts is to smoke them for a long period at a low temperature. This gives the chicken time to cook and turn white while not drying out immediately.
Can I Smoke The Chicken Breasts With Skin On?
The issue with smoking chicken breasts with the skin on is that the skin has a tendency to turn rubbery, which is not enjoyable to eat at all, so I’d recommend buying your chicken breasts with the skin already removed for this recipe.
What To Serve With Stuffed And Smoked Chicken Breast
These stuffed and smoked chicken breasts can be served with any complementary carby side dishes or simple roasted veggies. Some of the dishes I like to have on the side are:
How To Store Leftover Stuffed And Smoked Chicken Breast
To store leftover stuffed and smoked chicken breasts, allow them to cool and place them in an air-tight container, then refrigerate.
Best Wood Chips for Stuffed And Smoked Chicken Breast
The best wood chips for stuffed and smoked chicken breast that I like to use are sweet wood chips. Chips like maple, apple, cherry, hickory, or mesquite complement the chicken breasts well. Hickory is a harder wood than most but has a strong and sweet aroma that smells uncannily like bacon.
There’s also nothing stopping you from combining two different types of wood chips for a different taste.
Do I Need To Let Cooked Chicken Rest?
It’s never a bad idea to allow the breasts to rest for 5 to 10 minutes after smoking. Allowing the cooked chicken to rest after cooking lets the tendons and juices in the meat relax and this gives the breasts a tender texture.
To add more flavor to stuffed chicken breasts, wrap the chicken in foil and allow it to rest for twenty minutes.
What Rub Should I Use For Stuffed and Smoked Chicken Breasts?
What rub you should use to coat your chicken breasts ultimately needs to complement the chicken. I used a lemon, salt, garlic, and rosemary rub for these breasts, but it’s totally up to your taste.
Many rubs can be found at the butcher or up at the supermarket.
How Long Should I Leave The Rub On The Chicken Breasts Before Smoking?
How long you leave the rub on the chicken before smoking depends on how much time you have. Dry rubs work better over time, but you can marinade for as little as 30 minutes and as long as 24 hours. I left mine to marinade for half an hour.
Can I Use Other Ingredients For The Stuffing?
Yes, you can use other ingredients for the stuffing of the stuffed chicken breasts. Some other good combinations are mushrooms, sun-dried tomatoes mixed in with red onions. If you like a touch of spice you can add jalapenos or chili powder.
You can even use different cheeses like Swiss cheese, cheddar cheese, mozzarella, or cream cheese! I like using Danish feta because it’s creamy so it acts as a great combining agent, but it’s also salty so it adds a salty flavor to the chicken breasts.
Do I Need To Flip The Stuffed and Smoked Chicken Breasts?
No, you don’t need to flip the stuffed and smoked chicken breasts. The smoke and heat encircle the chicken while it’s in the smoker and cook the chicken throughout.
Do I Need To Spritz The Stuffed and Smoked Chicken Breasts?
To help the breasts not dry you can spritz the chicken breasts with a little bit of water, beer or apple intermittently while they’re smoking. This does help keep the chicken breasts juicy and tender and also helps them cook more evenly.
Looking for More Chicken Recipes?
Chicken is one of my favorite proteins to cook, here some more delicious recipes
Stuffed and Smoked Chicken Breasts
Equipment
- Smoker
Ingredients
- 2.2 lbs Chicken Breasts
- .66 lbs Spinach
- 1 cup Danish Feta
- 3 Cloves Minced Garlic
- 2 tbsp BBQ Rub
Instructions
Step 1: Heat Spinach and Garlic In A Frying Pan
- Cook the spinach in a frying pan until it’s wilted. Add in minced garlic for 1 minute until fragrant. Set aside these to cool.
Step 2: Add The Feta To Combine
- In a bowl combine the Danish feta with spinach and mix. (Use a soft feta like Danish for more of a creamier texture).
Step 3: Make Your Chicken Breast Pockets
- Cut a pocket into the thickest part of the chicken breast. Be careful not to cut through otherwise you’ll be left with a fairly flimsy pocket.
Step 4: Stuff Your Chicken Breast Pockets
- Insert a spoonful of the filling into the pocket of the chicken.
Step 5: Seal Up The Breast Pockets
- Secure the breast with butcher’s twine or toothpicks.
Step 6: Coat The Stuffed Chicken Breasts In Your Finest Rub
- Brush a little bit of olive oil onto the stuffed chicken breasts and apply your BBQ. Allow them to sit for as long as you like before smoking! The longer you leave the rub, the more intense the flavor becomes.
Step 7: Smoke Your Stuffed Chicken Breasts
- Smoke at 225°F until the internal temperature hits 165°F. This will depend on the size of your chicken breasts. Mine were fairly large (about 350g per breast) so it took about 3.5-4 hours of smoking.
Smoke On!
Charlie
Author: Charlie Reeves
Hi, I’m Charlie, I am head taste tester at Simply Meat Smoking! I love it grilling, smoking, and getting out in the yard with the kids! The family also love to test all my recipes (especially my EXTRA CRISPY pulled pork, smoky pork loin, and ANY SEAFOOD I grill)
You will usually find me playing with the kids, perfecting my brisket bark, or sipping beers with boys around the fire. Can’t wait to share all my delicious smoking and grilling adventures with you!
You can read more on our About Us page.
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