Calling all fennel and dill lovers! Yes, there's cheesy deliciousness with this one too, but it's really all about the fennel and dill. If your ears just perked up at the mention of these ingredients, you're in the right place. So let's make this awesome cheesy fennel and dill stuffed chicken breast.
first things first: What is fennel?
I will admit I stayed away from fennel for years because I was told it had a black licorice taste to it. Not my thing at all. However, it's not like biting into that disgusting twisty stick of black licorice candy they sell in bags at the store. No, no. Fennel is decadent. It's mild. The smell is mildly licorice, but the flavor is very subtle. And bonus: it's easy to cook with because you can cut it the same way you cut an onion.
I learned from Wikipedia that fennel is actually considered a flowering plant that is part of the carrot family. I would have thought celery because the fennel stalks have a similar appearance to celery stalks, but I digress. If you haven't experienced fennel, I highly recommend it. And if you're a fennel lover you are going to LOVE, LOVE, LOVE this recipe!
Dill: A most unappreciated herb!
Again, dill is another food item that I was never crazy about, but I hadn't given it a proper chance either. You see, sometimes we have preconceived ideas about food (people too, but that's another topic) when if we just give something another chance we might realize we love it! That's what happened with me and dill. It is an absolutely delicious herb to bring to the party.
I love dill in my pickles - yes, I do love making homemade garlic dill pickles. And I really love it in salads, scones (ever had a cheddar dill scone?!) and paired with chicken. And fennel and dill together?! Incredible combo!
Cheesy Fennel and Dill stuffed chicken
I love stuffing chicken breasts and there are a lot of techniques to do this. With a filling like a cream cheese mixture you don't need toothpicks to hold things together. Some filling will naturally spill out in the cooking process, but this is a good thing. I love gooey, melty pan cheese so live in the moment and just enjoy that.
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If you also love stuffing chicken breasts, I've got a lot of amazing options on my site like this stuffed chicken pepperoni pizza bake, cranberry brie stuffed chicken or a fantastic chicken Kiev.
Technique for Fennel and dill stuffed chicken
- Trim the fat from around the boneless breast of chicken (there isn't much there).
- Butterfly the chicken.
- Cover chicken with plastic wrap and pound to ¼" in thickeness.
- Season the chicken.
- Spread the cheese mixture on each chicken breast.
- Add the fennel/dill mixture on top of cheese.
- Gently fold the chicken over the filling and season the top.
- Sear seasoned-side down for a few minutes then turn.
- Finish cooking in a preheated oven.
- Serve with your favorite veggies or a salad.
easy steps for making fennel and dill stuffed chicken
Cheesy Fennel and Dill Stuffed Chicken
- Prep Time: 30 minutes
- Cook Time: 15 minutes
- Total Time: 45 minutes
- Yield: 4-6 portions 1x
Description
Calling all fennel and dill lovers! This cheesy fennel and dill stuffed chicken is fantastic. You simply must try this. It is really delicious!
Ingredients
- 2 large fennel bulbs (sliced, about 5-6 cups)
- ½ cup of finely chopped dill
- 1 small clove of garlic, finely diced
- 8 ounces cream cheese
- 1 cup shredded sharp provolone cheese
- 4 boneless chicken breasts, butterflied and pounded to ¼” thickness
- Olive oil
- Salt
- Pepper
- Garlic powder
- Paprika
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Instructions
- Before you start prepping, take the cream cheese out of the refrigerator so it gets soft.
- Chop the knob off one end of the fennel and the long stalks from the top. We will only be using the fennel bulb for this recipe. You can save the stalks to make a vegetable broth if you like. The leafy part (fennel fronds) can be used for garnish. Next, cut the bulbs in half, then cut into thin strips just like you would an onion.
- Heat two tablespoons of olive oil in a large pan and add the sliced fennel, about ¼ teaspoon salt and ⅛ teaspoon black pepper. Stir to coat the fennel and cook the fennel for a couple of minutes on medium-to-high heat. Put the lid on the pan and turn heat to low-to-medium. It will take about 20-30 minutes for the fennel to brown and soften – it will be caramelized by the end of cooking. Open the lid a few times to stir while cooking.
- While the fennel is cooking – do the rest of your prep. Chop a good chunk off of one bunch of dill and chop it down fine.
- Finely dice one clove of garlic.
- Shred the sharp provolone cheese and combine it with the softened cream cheese. I used gloves for this because it gets a little messy.
- Boneless breast of chicken it pretty lean, but I do like to trim the little bit of fat around the edges before butterflying. You can use your kitchen shears for this.
- Next, we’ll butterfly the chicken. Place the chicken breast on a cutting board, vertically, then carefully slice the chicken down the side. The goal is to open the breast, but not cut all the way through. My video shows the process well. Repeat the process for all chicken breasts.
- Once all four chicken breasts are butterflied, lay them all out on a cutting board and cover in plastic wrap. Pound the chicken breasts down to ¼” thickness with either a kitchen mallet, rolling pin or frying pan. Season one side with a light sprinkling of salt and pepper.
- Once the fennel is cooked, add the finely diced garlic to the center of the pan and add a splash of olive oil. Cook garlic for about 30 seconds, then stir to combine with the fennel. Next, add the fresh dill and stir. Turn the heat off. Make sure the fennel and dill are well combined. Let cool 10 minutes before assembling chicken.
- Using a spoon or small spatula, add the cheese mixture to the butterflied chicken breasts. I usually have a small glass of warm water on hand to dip the spatula to help with spreading the cream cheese mixture. Reserve any extra cheese mixture.
- Using a fork or spoon, transfer the fennel and dill mixture on top of the cheese mixture. Again, you may have a little leftover, that’s fine. Fold the chicken breasts in half. Then season the top with a little salt, pepper, garlic powder and paprika. Reserve any extra fennel/dill mixture.
- Using the same pan you cooked the fennel in, heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil on medium heat. Make sure pan is hot before adding the chicken breast – seasoned side down – into the pan. Cook for 3-4 minutes, then turn the chicken. The chicken should have a golden sear on the top.
- Finish cooking in a preheated oven at 425 degrees for 12-15 minutes or until internal temperature of chicken is 165 degrees.
- Transfer any cheese mixture into a small/mini baking dish with the fennel and dill. Bake the extra dill, fennel, cheese mixture for about 8-10 minutes until it’s all melty and serve on the side for anyone who wants a little extra.
- Let cool 5 minutes or so once the chicken is out of the oven. Serve the chicken whole or cut them in half and serve on a platter with your favorite vegetables or a salad.
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