Green Chile Goat Cheese Stuffed Chicken Breasts with Cornmeal Pecan Crust
Green Chile Goat Cheese Stuffed Chicken Breasts with Spicy Cornmeal Pecan Crust is spicy, crunchy, cheesy and easy! It's a great make-ahead dish for any night of the week and dressy enough for guests.
Servings: 4
Ingredients
- Canola oil or olive oil for baking dish
- 4 large boneless skinless chicken breast halves
- 1 log (10-ounce) goat cheese softened
- 1 can (5.25 ounce) diced green chiles drained
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- 1/4 cup chopped cilantro plus more for garnish
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
- 1 cup ground pecans (approximately)
- 1/4 cup yellow cornmeal
- 1 teaspoon chili powder
- 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
- non-stick cooking spray
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Lightly brush a baking dish with oil. Set aside.
- Cut horizontally through the center of each chicken breast, creating a pocket, being careful not to cut all the way through at any point. Set aside.
- Combine goat cheese, diced green chiles, garlic, cilantro and salt and black pepper to taste in a small bowl.
- Place equal amounts of the filling on each chicken breast, fold over and secure with toothpicks.
- Combine ground pecans, cornmeal, chili powder, red pepper and salt and black pepper, to taste in a bowl or shallow dish such as a pie plate.
- Dredge the chicken breasts in the pecan mixture and place in the baking dish. Spray each chicken breast half with cooking spray.
- Bake 25-30 minutes or until cooked through to 165 degrees. Remove toothpicks prior to serving.
- Garnish with additional chopped fresh cilantro.
Notes
MAKE AHEAD:
- Prepare to the point of baking and refrigerate for up to 24 hours. Bake per directions.
Nutrition
Serving: 1breast | Calories: 476kcal | Carbohydrates: 12g | Protein: 42g | Fat: 29g | Saturated Fat: 4g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 23g | Cholesterol: 109mg | Sodium: 232mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 2g