“I have made this dish so many times and it just keeps getting better. It’s not easy doing something remarkable with chicken breasts: they can be somewhat underwhelming and can easily dry out. These are juicy, moist and bursting with flavour. I love smoked paprika and rubbed the breasts with it before frying on both sides, then stuffing and finishing in the oven. The stuffing was simply two ingredients that when combined are simply out of this world (one being my Homemade Basil Pesto which you really must try). Enjoy this simple, mid-week meal of pesto-stuffed chicken breasts – it may become your new breast friend (… see what I did there?)” – Monya
Fats of Life® is a keto and low carb recipe blog that I love to run as a hobby in my spare time. I am also the author of the best-selling Keto Kitchen Series of cookbooks. This includes my debut best-seller Keto Kitchen (2020). The fun and exciting Lazy Keto Kitchen (2021). And, the clever and inspiring Budget Keto Kitchen (2022). My 4th cookbook, Quick Keto Kitchen (2023) is as fantastic as the first three, and packed with spectacular, easy creations!
The links above will take you to Amazon UK. For USA and other countries, see the global Amazon links here: Keto Kitchen ; Lazy Keto Kitchen ; Budget Keto Kitchen ; Quick Keto Kitchen.
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More on Keto Creamy Pesto-stuffed Chicken Breasts…
Chicken is a popular choice for those following the ketogenic diet due to its low carbohydrate and high protein content. Protein is essential for muscle maintenance, repair, and overall body function. It can also help you feel full and satisfied, reducing the likelihood of overeating.
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Chicken provides essential vitamins and minerals, including B vitamins (such as niacin, B6, and B12), which play a crucial role in metabolism and overall health. They also contain selenium, phosphorus, and potassium.
This keto-friendly dish combines the benefits of chicken breasts’ protein with the flavours of cream cheese and pesto while keeping carb content low. It is a delicious and satisfying meal option for those following the keto diet.
It is important to note that to maintain ketosis, it’s essential to track carbohydrate intake and ensure it aligns with your daily macro goals. Consulting with a healthcare professional is advised before making significant dietary changes. Scroll to the bottom to see the full macros and allergens for this Keto Creamy Pesto-stuffed Chicken Breasts dish, as well as all the Poultry recipes on Fats of Life®.
Keto Creamy Pesto-stuffed Chicken Breasts
Per serving
Ingredients
- 4 large chicken breasts, skinless and deboned
- salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 2 tsp smoked paprika
- 2 tsp lard
- 80 g (2.8 oz) full-fat cream cheese (soft cheese)
- 30 g (1 oz) Keto Basil Pesto, Fats of Life recipe
- pink Himalayan salt
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 180°C (fan oven). This is 200°C for conventional ovens (or 400°F / gas mark 6).
- Remove the chicken breasts from their packaging and pat dry with kitchen paper. Season all sides of the chicken generously with salt and pepper and the smoked paprika.
- Make a deep incision in one side of each breast to create a ‘pocket’.
- Heat the lard in a large pan and brown the chicken on both sides over very high heat. You want to get some good colour on it, without burning them. It is also not necessary to cook them all the way through, as that will happen in the oven later. Remove the chicken pieces from the heat and set aside.
- To make the stuffing, simply combine the cream cheese and the pesto in a small bowl.
- Once the chicken is cool enough to handle, spoon the pesto mixture into each pocket and place onto a greased oven tray. Remember you are still working with partially raw chicken so be mindful how you handle it.
- Place in the oven for 15-20 minutes until the chicken has cooked through sufficiently.
- Season with pink Himalayan salt if needed and simply serve with side greens of your choice (side dish not included in macros).
My name is Monya Kilian Palmer. If you loved this recipe, please follow and tag me @mkilianpalmer on Instagram so we can all see your lovely creations!
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Nutritional Information per serving (1 large stuffed breast)
Calories 281Kcal / 1176kJ
Fat 14g
Carbohydrates 1g
Protein 38g
Allergens
Milk
Eggs (may be found in some brands of cream cheese - check label)
See all the Poultry recipes on Fats of Life:
Disclaimer: The nutritional analysis, macro and allergen breakdown of the recipes on this site have been manually and carefully calculated using the cloud-based software NUTRITICS®. NUTRITICS® is fully approved by the relevant Trading Standards organizations and is EU and FDA-compliant. The macros calculations are provided as a courtesy to you based on the author's weighing of ingredients when creating the dishes. If Erythritol (a sugar polyol) has been used in any of the recipes, it has already been manually excluded from the final carbohydrate count. The author is a chef - not a medical professional - and this website has been designed to provide you with recipe ideas to suit the low carb lifestyle you have discussed with your GP.
1 Comment
Drop me a line if you have any questions or comments about this recipe. I will do my best to reply as soon as possible! Monya xxx