Spinach Artichoke Stuffed Chicken
IN THE AIR FRYER!!!
FIRST OF ALL…..
I made this recipe up way before quarantine so you can just shut the hell up with those kind of jokes right now -- & yes, for you nosy-ass readers : we survived quarantine without having a baby, adopting a pet, or buying an AirFryer. (because we already had one)
In fact, we survived a hell of a lot of tiresome shit – as did probably everyone, but this isn’t the time or the place! But also, I sincerely hope you all are well. & I also sincerely hope my humor doesn’t offend anyone.
Let’s get to it! :)
stuffed with fresh flavor
Spinach Artichoke dip is one of my absolute faaaavorite appetizers. Unfortunately, I’ve seen that the waters tend to get muddy in people’s / restaurant’s opinions of how to make spinach artichoke dip… & from that, I’ve learned that not all spinach artichoke dips are made equal – sad. Luckily, my Spinach Artichoke Stuffed Chicken is basically the exact same recipe I use for my dip, but I just stuff it into chicken – UH, YUM.
On a personal level, I don’t particularly enjoy frozen spinach. For anything. It’s a pain in the ass. Its watery. It’s hard to work with. It usually has a weird, metallic taste. EW, NAH. So, for this recipe, I use fresh spinach. I rip off the stems up & chop it up reeeeeal fiiiiiine. It works out great! & I won’t have to fuss with frozen spinach ever again! Win-Win, for me at least.
yes, I’m that kind of Air Fryer owner…..
Using the AirFryer for this recipe couldn’t be any simpler. Mix the Stuffing, Cut the chicken, Stuff the chicken, Close the chicken with toothpicks, Throw the chicken in the AirFryer & FORGET IT! ((I mean, don’t really forget about it, I just like to make fun of that old-ass infomercial about “set it & forget it!”….am I aging myself? Shit. Anyway))
Truthfully, AirFryers have become a staple in our household. When Chris gifted me my AirFryer in 2019 I was like…..bitch, this is an appliance. Do you know NOTHING about being a husband? ;) *wink* TURNS OUT I LOVED IT. They are easy to use, easy to clean & you can probably find more than a plethora of AirFryer recipes everywhere you turn. Pinterest is definitely a useful site for them – some AirFryers even come with a lil cookbook with them to help get you started on all the fun you will experience!
We have made chicken wings, pickle chips, sweet potatoes, roast potatoes, Brussel sprouts, bacon, crispy chicken strips, corn dogs, pork tenderloin…..I could literally go on. It’s so damn easy & you know its gonna turn out tasting great every time!
Ingredients
· 2 large chicken breasts, trimmed & butterflied
· 2 oz cream cheese, softened
· 2 oz finely shredded mozzarella cheese
· ¼ cup grated parmesan cheese
· ½ cup fresh spinach, torn
· 6 pieces of Trader Joe’s marinated artichoke hearts, chopped fine
· 2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
· 1 TBS Trader Joe’s 21 Seasoning Salute
· 1 TSP dijon mustard
· S+P, sprinkles
Instructions
Mis En Place = get your shit together.
Actually, it translates to “Putting in Place” but my translation is way more fun, dontcha think?
This meal is easy & quick, but it has quite a few elements & moving parts to it – but don’t worry! It’s what I’m here for & you got this! Just be organized & follow these steps – you can clean up while your chicken is cooking away in the AirFryer.
Get all your ingredients lined up, a big cutting board, a food processor / chopper, a meat mallet, a sharp knife, toothpicks & plastic wrap.
In the food processor, chop your 2 cloves of garlic & the artichoke hearts.
In a bowl, mash the softened cream cheese with the grated parmesan – add the artichoke hearts & garlic, mix well.
Tear the stems off your fresh spinach & chop the spinach small, & mix directly into the bowl with the cream cheese & artichoke hearts – stir well.
Next, add in the 21 Seasoning Salute, the shredded mozzarella cheese, the dijon mustard & stir well – set aside.
On a large cutting board, lay plastic wrap over top, tucking the edges on the side & make sure the plastic wrap is double the length of the cutting board.
Lay your chicken breasts on top of the plastic wrapped cutting board.
Neatly (& carefully! Shit, don’t lose a finger) butterfly open each of your chicken breasts using a sharp filet knife.
The best way I can describe to butterfly a chicken breast is :
to lay it flat, place your palm down flat on top of the chicken breast, holding the knife in your other hand, horizontally on top of the chicken breast, find the center and slice slowly, and cleanly towards the center – do not saw back & forth, this will rip the chicken & have a chance of having holes in your chicken breast -- STOP CUTTING about an inch from the backside of the chicken breast – when you are done, it should open like a book.
Once you have butterflied each chicken breast, pull the other side of the plastic wrap over the chicken breasts & tuck it underneath the other side of your cutting board.
Using the smooth side of the meat mallet – pound your chicken breasts lightly. – don’t kill them, OK? You just want them to be spread a little thinner so they have enough surface area to hold in all the goodness that’s about to be enveloped in them!
MOAR Instructions
NOW IT IS TIME TO STUFF THE STUFF INTO THE BREAST POCKETS.
Seriously this is my favorite part….& probably the part that gives me the most anxiety. OH WELL – that’s why I provide y’all with pictures.
With each breast laying open faced & freshly butterflied – sprinkle salt & pepper and a little extra dash of 21 Seasoning Salute over each chicken breast, then scoop out your spinach-artichoke-cheese mixture and spread it evenly over top of each chicken breasts, about ½ inch from the edges.
Once you have scraped the bowl clean of all its goodness, now its time to seal up these babies.
I usually use about 6 toothpicks per chicken breast but hey, the more the merrier – plus that probably means it’s a better chance all your stuffing won’t ooze out while it cooks in the AirFryer.
Gently fold your chicken breasts together & secure the edges every ½ inch or so, with a toothpick – lay it flat, pinch together & slide the toothpick thru both sides of your chicken breast.
If things start to squeeze out don’t panic! Take the back of a spoon & gently smoosh that shit back in and pinch the place together & secure with another toothpick. I also usually cook these chicken breasts seam-side-UP in the AirFryer to also help with seepage problems.
Once your chicken breasts are stuffed & secured, spray your AirFryer bottom / tray liberally with nonstick spray.
Set your AirFryer wattage (if you have that kind) to 1500 Watts on 400 degrees for 15 minutes. – AirFryers are kind of like ovens, they are all made a little differently so check your chicken breasts with a kitchen thermometer just to be sure. Ours cook in 15-18 minutes. If you have a different kind of AirFryer, then good for you & I hope you know how your AirFryer cooks things, so what the hell do you even need me for? *wink*
There is no need to turn your chicken breasts, but definitely check them after the 12-15 minute mark – they should have some good color on them & you should be able to smell the spinach-artichoke-cheesy goodness that will surely be wafting all around the kitchen.
Just so we are clear…..165 is the recommended internal temp for chicken…..just making sure. Ok great.
one minute you’re young & cool….& the next you’re excited about what you made in the Air Fryer.
Serve your chicken with whatever the hell sides you prefer. My Mamaw makes amazing canned green beans that Chris & I usually jazz up with spices and some cubed ham if we have any leftover. To round out our dish (& make it a little healthier) I’ve also been known to serve a side of cauliflower mashed “potatoes” – just to give a creamy, comforting element to this dish. I thoroughly enjoy making this in the AirFryer because everything is contained & you don’t have to constantly stir anything or run over and check it – you can easily cook your sides & clean up your kitchen while everything is cooking away, unbothered.
Usually I have something sappy & equally sassy to say in closing about a recipe. This one is just plain old fucking delicious. This came from my heart, duh, but it came more for my love of transforming chicken & adding my favorite appetizer ever – spinach artichoke dip. So, if you hate chicken or spinach artichoke dip thennnn sorry I got nothin’ for ya. If you are intrigued or are just simply looking for a new AirFryer recipe then you came to the right place & I hope you are satisfied! Thanks for coming & be on the lookout for my next entry :)
Thanks for stopping by!
I appreciate you stopping by! If you loved it, I’d love to hear from you.
If you hated it, then same.
Have a great day & look for my next entry!
© 2021 Cookin’ & Cussin’
